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A Night Under the Stars at the Hollywood Bowl

by Mary Jo Manzanares on July 30th, 2007

An evening of music under the stars doesn’t get much better than when you’re sitting in a natural amphitheater, and one of the more legendary ones is the Hollywood Bowl.

The Hollywood Bowl (2301 North Hollywood, Hollywood, California) was originally built in 1922, and consisted of simple wooden benches in the natural hillside of Bolton Canyon.  That same year, the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra began its first season of “music under the stars,” a tradition that continues today as the Bowl serves as the summer home of the orchestra.

Today, with seating of about 18,000, the Hollywood Bowl is also home to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and is a prime venue for other events, including:  music festivals, commencement exercises, movie filming, fireworks, movies set to music, and concerts representing a variety of musical genres.  The popular SummerSounds, a summer arts festival for children, is also held at the Bowl.

Seating is available in three different categories:

1. Box Seats consist of canvas covered chairs, assembled together in groups of four or six, and  located toward the front part of the stage.
2. Super Seats are molded plastic chairs located in the middle of the floor plan.
3. Bench Seats are numbered seats on a metal bench and wrap around the the arc of the amphitheater toward the rear of the floor plan.

The grounds themselves are part of the Los Angeles County park system, and are open year-round free of charge, 9 am - 4 pm.  Concerts are generally presented during late June to early October on Tuesdays through Sundays.  The Bowl is also leased out to a variety of concert promoters at various times throughout the year.  You can check out the schedule of events and ticket information to find something that will interest you.  Some of the orchestra concerts during the Summer Festival season offer tickets as low as $1 a seat!

The Hollywood Bowl is a great venue for a concert, and you can bring in your own food, or purchase on site.  You will need to check the specific performance to see if alcohol is permitted, but many times you are allowed to bring in a bottle of wine along with your picnic.  And don’t forget to look up to this hills — you’ll see the famous Hollywood Sign overlooking the area. 

Also on the grounds is the Hollywood Bowl Museum, an exhibit covering the history of the bowl, along with changing musical exhibits.  It includes an interactive exhibit that allows children to try their hand at making music.  The museum is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 4:30 pm, and till 8:30 pm on concert nights, and is free.

Photo credits:  wikimedia

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POSTED IN: Events, Music, Outdoor Activities, Things to See & Do