On our way from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, after stopping at Calico Ghost Town, which I wrote about in another article, we decided to stop in Hollywood to visit the Walk of Fame. It was a sort of brief interlude before we moved on to Universal Studios.
And I’ll admit right away—this article won’t be entirely positive.
What exactly is the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
Before I get into my impressions, let’s talk a little about what the Walk of Fame actually is, how it works, and how much it costs celebrities—because that is quite an interesting story in itself.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is one of the most famous sidewalks in the world. It stretches approximately 2.1 kilometers along Hollywood Boulevard and another roughly 650 meters along Vine Street. As of March 2026, it features more than 2,830 five-pointed stars made of pink terrazzo with brass edging, embedded in the dark pavement at regular intervals of about 1.8 meters.
The whole idea dates back to 1953, when E. M. Stuart, then president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, came up with the idea of immortalizing Hollywood stars directly in the sidewalk. The inspiration was reportedly the stars on the ceiling of the famous Hollywood Hotel’s dining room, beneath which its most famous guests used to sit. The first temporary stars were unveiled in 1958, and the first permanent stars were installed in February 1960—all 1,558 of them at once.
How does a celebrity get onto the Walk of Fame, and how much does it cost?
This was probably what surprised me the most. Anyone can nominate a celebrity for a star—even a fan. All you have to do is fill out the official application and pay a fee of 275 dollars. However, there is a catch: the celebrity must consent to the nomination in writing. This rule was introduced thanks to the so-called “Springsteen clause”—Bruce Springsteen was once nominated by a fan and selected by the committee, but he turned it down. Since then, every nominee has had to sign their consent in advance.
The selection committee meets once a year in June and chooses approximately 24 to 30 names from around 200 applications. The criteria are professional achievement, at least five years of work in the relevant field, contributions to the community, and a commitment to attend the unveiling ceremony in person.
And now for the most interesting part—the price. If a celebrity is selected, their sponsor (usually a film studio, record label, or manager) must pay 85,000 dollars. This amount covers the creation and installation of the star, while the rest goes toward maintaining the entire Walk of Fame, which is managed by the nonprofit Hollywood Historic Trust. So celebrities essentially buy their stars—or rather, their sponsors buy them. When you consider the condition of the street (more on that shortly), I really don’t understand where those 85,000 dollars go.
Interestingly, many famous people have turned down a star. Prince declined twice, while George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Julia Roberts have never accepted one either. And then there is the legendary case of Muhammad Ali—he agreed but refused to have his name placed on the ground where people would walk over it. His star is therefore the only one mounted on a wall of the Dolby Theatre rather than embedded in the sidewalk.
Stars are awarded in six categories: motion pictures, television, music, radio, theater/live performance, and, since 2023, sports entertainment. Some people have more than one star—the record holder is Gene Autry, with five stars in all the categories that existed at the time.
I visited twice—and left disappointed both times
I first visited the Walk of Fame sometime in 2018 and then again in April 2025. And essentially nothing had changed.
I had always imagined Hollywood as fancy, elegant, and glamorous. And perhaps it really is like that somewhere in Beverly Hills or in celebrities’ gated residences. But the Walk of Fame? That is a completely different world.
The entire street along which the Walk of Fame runs is basically dirty, full of questionable boutiques, strange little shops, and cheap souvenirs. In places, it honestly reminded me of the developing world rather than the center of the global entertainment industry.
The first time I visited was during the day, so it was not as noticeable. But in April 2025, we did not arrive until the evening as it was getting dark—and that was quite an experience. Honestly, it was the first time in my life that I had seen someone injecting heroin in the street. Right there on the sidewalk, among the stars of famous personalities. The people there were extremely strange, clearly under the influence of drugs, and the overall atmosphere did not make me feel entirely safe.
One person even followed us around and, while completely high, repeatedly told me to watch my “little girl”—meaning my young daughter. That crossed a line and was unpleasant.
There were countless shady characters and people under the influence of addictive substances everywhere you looked. In my opinion, this is one of the worst parts of America I have personally seen. Of course, I have not visited places such as Detroit or some of the other troubled areas that are probably no picnic either, but the Walk of Fame disappointed me in every possible way.
The stars I found
Despite all my disappointment with the surrounding area, I naturally walked around looking for the stars of familiar names. I found Jim Parsons, Jennifer Lopez, Johnny Cash, and Jennifer Aniston, among others. I knew some of the names, while others meant nothing to me. There are more than 2,800 stars on the Walk of Fame, so that is hardly surprising—many of them belong to personalities from long-gone eras whom today’s generation does not know at all.
Incidentally, here is an interesting detail—the stars are oriented so that pedestrians always see them the right way up, no matter which direction they are walking. On Hollywood Boulevard, they face east and west, while on Vine Street, they face north and south.
Street food as the highlight of the evening
What was worthwhile that evening, on the other hand, was the street food. There were several street food stalls and food trucks on and around the Walk of Fame. We had Mexican street food—tacos, grilled carne asada, fresh salsa—and it was excellent. Authentic, delicious, and reasonably priced. This was definitely the best experience of our entire visit to the Walk of Fame.
Overall impression of LA
Overall, Los Angeles just does not appeal to me as a city. Hollywood and the Walk of Fame are a pretty good example of why—a huge brand concealing a rather unsightly reality. The city is full of homeless people, drug addicts, and shady characters. Unless you stay in Beverly Hills or similar “bubbles,” where everything is fancy and expensive, it is simply unpleasant and, honestly, even disgusting.
What is great in LA, on the other hand, is Universal Studios—although the park in Florida is bigger, nicer, and has more to offer. But if you are on the West Coast, it is naturally the only option. And then there is Griffith Observatory, which offers a beautiful view of the Hollywood sign and the entire city—but I will write about that in another article.
Conclusion: Is the Walk of Fame worth visiting?
If you are in LA and want to see it, then definitely go—at least once. It is actually quite worthwhile to see this darker side of America as well, because reality is not limited to what they show on television or online. But do not expect any kind of wow experience.
In my opinion, there are places in California that are more worth visiting than LA, and they are certainly much more beautiful as well. The Walk of Fame is one of those obligatory tourist stops that you check off your list, but you do not need to return a second time. I went twice, and the second visit only confirmed that there really is absolutely nothing worthwhile there.
If you are planning a visit, I recommend going during the day—it is not particularly pleasant there in the evening, especially with children.
