Hollywood Bowl

The Hollywood Bowl is a Los Angeles County park, and you don't need a concert ticket to see it. The Bowl says most rehearsals are free and open to the public, which means you can sit in the seats and hear the LA Phil work through a program. The catch is timing: whether a rehearsal is open usually isn't known until the week it happens, so this takes a phone call, not a plan made a month out.

What's Worth Seeing

Rehearsals are the main thing. They're typically for classical concerts during the Bowl season. You don't need a reservation, staff will point you to the sections open to the public, and telephoto lenses and tripods aren't allowed. To find out what's open, call Audience Services at 323 850 2000 or email information@laphil.org. The Bowl's FAQ has the details.

The Edmund D. Edelman Hollywood Bowl Museum is free all year, and it's the first building you reach on Peppertree Lane coming in from Highland Avenue. The museum page also covers the Bowl Walk, a self-guided route with 10 photo displays around the grounds, which is a good fallback on days the museum is closed. Outside of rehearsals and shows, the Bowl also welcomes visitors to walk or run the aisles, though whether the theatre itself is open depends on the day.

The shell has been rebuilt more than once. The LA Phil's first concert here was in July 1922, on a simple wooden platform. The current shell, by Hodgetts + Fung, debuted in the 2004 season, and the seats hold 17,500. The Bowl joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2023.

If you come back for a show, the Bowl's low-cost guide lists its cheapest seats on LA Phil nights. Outside food, wine and beer are allowed at LA Phil-presented events, and there are 14 picnic areas on the grounds.

How to Get There

The Bowl is at 2301 N Highland Ave. On concert nights, parking is limited and stacked, and it can sell out in advance. Don't park in the surrounding neighborhoods, since that can earn you a ticket.

The Metro is the simple way in. Take the B Line to Hollywood/Highland, then board the free Bowl shuttle at Ovation Hollywood with a valid TAP card or GoMetro pass. Park & Ride buses also run from lots across LA County, and rideshare drop-off is in Lot C, at 6655 Odin St. The getting here page has the current details.

For a daytime visit, the county lists free temporary parking for people visiting the museum or buying tickets. Our Hollywood Bowl venue page has the upcoming shows.

Nearby

• The Ford is a much smaller open-air theatre across the 101, with just under 1,200 seats.
• The Hollywood Heritage Museum is across Highland from the Bowl, in the Lasky-DeMille Barn. Its site lists a temporary closure, so check before you go.
• Ovation Hollywood, at Hollywood and Highland, is the shopping center where the Bowl shuttle picks up.