Things to do nearDolby Theatre

Dolby Theatre opened in 2001 as the Kodak Theatre and was built specifically to serve as the permanent home of the Academy Awards ceremony, ending decades of the Oscars rotating between various Los Angeles venues. Situated within the Hollywood and Highland complex at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, the theater seats roughly 3,400 guests and was designed by architect David Rockwell with the needs of a live television broadcast firmly in mind. The result is an auditorium with exceptional sightlines, intimate despite its scale, wrapped in warm wood tones and layered balconies that lend it a sense of occasion even when empty.

Guided tours run regularly and take visitors through the main hall, onto the stage itself, and into the exclusive private boxes where celebrities sit during the Oscars telecast. Tour guides offer context about memorable ceremonies, notable acceptance speeches, and the technical logistics of staging one of the most-watched broadcasts in the world.

Beyond awards season, Dolby Theatre hosts touring Broadway productions, concerts, and special engagements, making it an active performing arts venue year-round. The Hollywood and Highland complex surrounding it provides dining, shopping, and an open-air terrace with a direct framed view of the Hollywood Sign, a detail that was deliberately engineered into the architecture. For anyone drawn to film history or live performance, Dolby Theatre offers a rare chance to stand inside a place where cultural history is made on a regular basis.