Hollywood Walk of Fame, Walk of fame on Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, Los Angeles, US

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk of charcoal terrazzo along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, set with coral-pink five-point stars rimmed in brass. Each star carries the honoree's name in brass letters above a circular brass emblem for the category honored. The stars sit flush with the pavement at 6-foot intervals, and some face different directions so walkers can read them.

The Walk of Fame was conceived in 1953 and set up by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in 1957/58; in August 1958 eight stars were laid provisionally at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. Construction began with a groundbreaking on February 8, 1960, and the Walk was officially inaugurated in November 1960; Stanley Kramer's star, placed in March 1960, was the first permanent one. It became a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1978, and the live theatre category was added in 1984.

Stars appear in six fields: motion pictures, television, recording, radio, live theater, or sports entertainment, each marked by a small bronze emblem. Unveiling ceremonies for newly added honorees regularly attract fans, journalists, and industry professionals, showing the ongoing interest in this tradition within American entertainment.

The installation runs along Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue, easily reached via Metro Red Line at Hollywood/Vine station. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes, as walking the full length takes around 45 minutes. Maps showing specific star locations are available online or at visitor centers, and early morning hours offer fewer crowds for photos and exploration.

Muhammad Ali's star, added in 2002, is the only one not set into the pavement: at his request it hangs on the facade of the Dolby Theatre so people would not walk over the name of the Prophet. Gene Autry holds stars in all five classic categories. Four stars have been stolen, among them Gregory Peck's in 2005, replaced by a copy.