Movie fan travel tips for Los Angeles

The first Academy Oscars were held in 1929 at Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel. In the following decades the ceremony took place at eight other venues until in 2002 the Oscars found its permanent home at the Dolby Theatre, which was designed specifically to host the awards ceremony. Fans who won't be able to gain a place at the red carpet can enjoy the many other movie hot spots in the city.

The original DeLorean time machine from "Back to the Future," stunt shows and thrilling rides attract 8 million visitors annually to Hollywood’s oldest movie studio. It was founded in 1912 by German immigrant Carl Laemmle. Universal has produced Oscar winning movies like "Schindler’s List" but also TV series like "Desperate Housewives." Competitor Warner Studios also offers studio tours.

The Walk of Fame was created in 1960. Not just actors and musicians have stars in the sidewalk, but also cartoon figures like Minnie Mouse, or former reality TV showman and current US President Donald Trump. On average one to two stars are awarded every month, though the selection can be contentious. Most recently, 90-year-old Italian screen legend Gina Lollobrigida unveiled the 2,628th star.

Anyone strolling along Hollywood Boulevard will invariably pass the TCL Chinese Theater. Dating from 1927, it's hosted the premiers of movie classics like "King Kong" (1933) and "Star Wars" (1977). The entrance area featuring cement imprints of hands and feet as well as autographs of film stars — from double Oscar winner Jane Fonda (picture) to "Star Wars" android R2D2 — is a tourist attraction.

To date only one horror movie has ever won an Oscar for Best Film: namely in 1992 the "Silence of the Lambs" with Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. Fans of the dark film genre can take a look at Hannibal Lecter’s jail cell at the Hollywood Museum on Hollywood Boulevard. On four floors movie fans can find original props like Rocky’s boxing gloves or original costumes worn by Marilyn Monroe.

The Bradbury Building was constructed in 1893. The office building has served as an opera stage and a movie location. The distinctive atrium with its staircases is where the two main characters of French silent movie and surprise 2012 best film winner "The Artist" meet for the first time. The Bradbury building also served as the iconic post-apocalyptic backdrop for the original "Blade Runner."

In 1982 Ridley Scott filmed the science fiction drama "Blade Runner." In the movie the historical Union Station in Los Angeles was transformed into a futuristic police station. The film was Oscar nominated for Best Art Direction/Set Decoration and Best Visual Effects. Inaugurated in 1939 the Union Station today serves as the main railway station in downtown Los Angeles.

Exclusive shops and expensive cars are what define Rodeo Drive. The shopping street in Beverley Hills, not even half a mile long, is where every famous fashion house has an outlet. Rodeo Drive served as the glamorous shopping backdrop in the 1990 movie "Pretty Woman." The romantic comedy made Julia Roberts world famous.

The observatory, dating from 1935, is a popular excursion location on Mount Hollywood. The white domed building has featured in countless film productions. The bust of actor James Dean (right) commemorates the 1955 classic movie "Rebel Without a Cause," in which the final showdown ends in a fatal shooting at the observatory. It was Dean's penultimate movie before his death in a car crash.

Visitors flock to Griffith Park in the Hollywood Hills, even at night as it offers fabulous views of the city lights. A six-minute dance sequence for 2017 Oscar-winning blockbuster "La La Land" was filmed on picturesque Mt. Hollywood Drive. Griffith Park is the biggest municipal park in L.A., with horse and hiking tracks, some leading to the famous Hollywood sign atop Mount Lee.