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Egyptian Theatre

Hollywood Boulevard

Find out why this sister to the Chinese Theatre is a good tourist stop.

Egyptian Theatre

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6712 Hollywood Blvd.

  • Cost: Admission fee
  • Reservations: Usually not required
  • How Long: Depends on length of the film
  • Best Time to Visit: Any time, but the film schedule is erratic.
The reason for the name Egyptian Theatre is obvious, but besides being a very interesting-looking building, it's a bit of Hollywood history. After opening in 1922, the Egyptian Theatre hosted the first-ever Hollywood premiere, Cecille B. DeMille's Robin Hood starring Douglas Fairbanks.

The Egyptian Theatre got an extensive renovation in the late 1990s. Today, it's a reminder of the days when movie-going could be a grand affair. Sadly, much of the original interior has been lost, but the ceiling and part of interior walls still bear Egyptian decoration. On the plus side, modern seats are more comfortable.

The Egyptian Theatre offers public tours and screens a 55-minute film called Forever Hollywood, specially produced by them to celebrate Hollywood history and the best film we've ever seen about Hollywood history. Spend an hour watching it and you'll understand why you wanted to come here and why it isn't what you expected.

American Cinematheque also screens classic and independent films at the Egyptian Theatre. The schedule for both is on their website.

Egyptian Theatre History

The Egyptian Theatre was built by Sid Grauman, who also created Grauman's Chinese Theatre down the street. Sid had an international theme going in those days. Miraculously, both of the grand movie theatres have survived.

Egyptian Theatre Review

The Egyptian Theater boasts over 600 seats (many fewer than its original 1,760) in its main auditorium, with a restored 1922 theatre organ. Its Egyptian theme starts with the forecourt's massive Egyptian-style columns and continues inside.

Other than the Hollywood film (which we think is a must-see), the Egyptian will appeal mostly to cinemaphiles and those interested in early Hollywood history.

Getting to the Egyptian Theatre

Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
323-466-3456
Egyptian Theatre website

You can park down the street at Hollywood and Highland for a very low fee for four hours, but you must take your Egyptian Theatre ticket stub to the Customer Service center to exchange it for validation, or ask the theatre to give you a Hollywood and Highland validation.

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