A comprehensive guide for a free and inexpensive visit to the Hollywood Bowl
When one thinks of the Hollywood Bowl, they might assume that visiting and catching a show at this historic venue would require a large amount of money. The reality is, there are a bunch of free and inexpensive offerings if you know where to look. Luckily for you, it’s all been laid out in the following information.
If you’re not familiar, the Hollywood Bowl, is a concert and performance venue with over 17,000 seats. Since its opening in 1922, the Hollywood Bowl has been the premier destination for live music in Southern California, hosting everyone from Billie Holiday to Judy Garland, The Beatles, Yo-Yo Ma and many more under the iconic silhouette of its concentric-arched band shell. It is the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil).
One thing to keep in mind is that the Hollywood Bowl is a county park. That means when there’s not a performance happening, it’s generally open to the public between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day.
Free Self-Guided Walking Tour
Visitors can download their free guided map for a walking tour outline. The first stop on the guided map is at the venue entrance where the Muse of Music statue and fountain stands. This was designed by George Stanley who also sculpted the coveted Oscar statue presented at the Academy Awards. As you’re walking the grounds, you’ll notice signs and displays all around sharing the history of the Hollywood Bowl.
Free Hollywood Bowl Museum
The Hollywood Bowl Museum is a free offering that is open year-round. On the museums’ first floor, you’ll find displays featuring all kinds of performances. From symphonic, to pop, rock, jazz, and everything in between. Also featured are model displays of the various shell stages used throughout the years, and a monitor showing clips from movies and television shows shot at the Hollywood Bowl.
The second floor of the museum is a rotating exhibit. Coming a bit later this year is a second-floor exhibition showcasing photos by photographer Otto Rothschild. He was the official performing arts photographer for the Los Angeles Music Center, Hollywood Bowl, and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Free Picnic Areas
The Hollywood Bowl grounds has fourteen picnic areas. These picnic areas can be enjoyed any time, whether it’s on a show night or another day under the SoCal sun. A few of the picnic areas are beyond the ticketed entrances on show nights which typically opens 90 minutes prior to showtime. Otherwise, all picnic areas are accessible any time the grounds are open.
Groups of 30 or more can reserve a picnic area in advance by calling Group Sales at 323-850-2050. You’re welcome to bring a picnic of your own to enjoy, but there’s also food and drink available for purchase.
Plaza Marketplace and Other Food Options
The Plaza Marketplace is located next to the box office and is open before and during concerts. New to the Marketplace this year is the addition of South LA Café which is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Here you’ll find coffee, specialty sandwiches, salads, charcuterie, baked goods, beer, wine, soda, and more. You can even plan in advance and place an order for a picnic box. Your picnic box will be ready for pickup at the Plaza Marketplace upon arrival.
There are many other food offerings available on show nights beyond the ticketed gates. These food offerings can be ordered using mobile order on the Hollywood Bowl app. To save some money on show nights, show your same-day Park & Ride or Shuttle ticket for 20% off your purchase in the Plaza Marketplace. Learn more about Park & Ride and Shuttles in the “Getting to the Hollywood Bowl” section below.
Free Wine Tasting
The Plaza Marketplace also hosts free wine tastings every Wednesday and Sunday beginning one hour prior to the gates opening. Each tasting features different local wineries. If you like what you taste, bottles can be purchased inside the Plaza Marketplace. No concert ticket is required to attend these wine tastings.
Free Rehearsals
A lot of the time, Hollywood Bowl rehearsals are open to the public. Rehearsals often take place the morning of a show, especially on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. It is recommended that you contact Audience Services in advance at 323-850-2000 to find out whether or not a rehearsal you’re interested in is open to the public.
$1 Tickets
$1tickets are available for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday L.A. Phil performances at the Hollywood Bowl. To pay only $1 for these tickets, purchase them on location at the box office. These $1 tickets are also available online but will cost a bit more with added online purchasing fees. Tickets go on sale May 2, 2023 and will sell out.
Free Phone Charging
Found at the mid-gate entrance are old telephone booths converted into charging stations. These charging stations for your mobile devices are free for anyone to use.
Getting to the Hollywood Bowl
There are many ways to get yourself to the Hollywood Bowl, whether it’s to see a show, or simply enjoy the county park for a picnic, view the famous Hollywood sign, exercise, watch a rehearsal, take a walking tour, and more.
- Parking is free in the main parking lot when there isn’t a performance happening. If you’re simply swinging by to visit the museum, grab some coffee, or catch a rehearsal, plenty of parking should be available.
- Free bike racks are available during all hours. Bring a lock to secure your bicycle.
- New this year, you can pre-purchase parking for the onsite parking lots for all performances. The Hollywood Bowl grounds have limited parking, so purchasing parking in advance with the ParkWhiz app is the best way to guarantee yourself a spot. The app will also identify other local parking options when the Hollywood Bowl lots are full.
- Hollywood Bowl Shuttle program serves locations less than eight miles from the venue. Shuttles start two-and-a-half hours before the published showtime and run on a continuous loop until the concert begins. Return shuttles start at the end of the performance. Round trip is $6 per person. Shuttles are free with a Metro or Metrolink ticket purchased within 72 hours of travel.
- Park & Ride is designed for those living between eight and thirty miles away from the Hollywood Bowl. Buses in the Park & Ride program depart at set times and offer a round trip service. Round trip is $7 per person if pre-purchased, and $12 in cash if purchased at the departure location.
Additional Tips
Here’s a bit more information to make your visit to the Hollywood Bowl stress-free and more enjoyable.
- A lot of people don’t realize that there are three separate gates to gain admission into the venue on show nights. If the first main gate looks crowded, walk a bit further up the hill through the parking lots to one of the other two gates available.
- Before the show and during intermission you will see a projection of a Hollywood Bowl phone number to text if there are any disruptions you would like to report. Take note of it. Whether it’s an inconsiderate audience member, a food spill, or anything else, simply text the hotline and a Hollywood Bowl staff member will come to fix the problem.
- Wear comfortable shoes. Although some folks like to get dressed up for a night out, think of comfort over fashion when it comes to footwear. A lot of the Hollywood Bowl is an uphill climb. Even with the assistance of escalators it can still be a lot of climbing.
- If you’d like to make your visit to the Hollywood Bowl a romantic night out, consider purchasing tickets for the unofficial “lovebird seats.” There are two sections where just two seats are seated together. They are “Section Q3, Row 9, Seats 2 & 4” and “Section U3, Row 9, Seats 1 & 3.”
Please note that, while this article is good information for all concerts, the venue can also be rented and these shows are presented by an organization outside of the LA Phil. These performances may have different rules in regard to bringing food and drink inside the venue, etc. and are identified on the calender by “Special House Rules Apply.”
In the words of Hollywood Bowl General Manager, Laura Connelly, “Do a little bit of planning, come early, and make the most of it. Then catch the bus so you don’t have the stress of driving. You get somebody else to do the hard work.”
This article should be a good start to your research. And if you’re an L.A. local, doing this bit of research in advance just one time should be helpful for years of enjoying the Hollywood Bowl.
This year there are lots of great shows to catch at the Hollywood Bowl including The Game Awards 10-Year Concert, Maestro of the Movies: John Williams with the LA Phil, Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Concert, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert, and so much more. Visit the Hollywood Bowl website for a full schedule and more information to plan your visit.
What is the age limit for senior rush tickets?
All great tips I knew about but there are a lot of others I didn’t know about.
Thank you
I’m glad to hear it was helpful.