Things to do
Note: Due to the pandemic, museums and other venues listed here may require advance online ticketing, masks, and/or proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Be sure to check the applicable rules before visiting.
If you like to walk, strolling through the neighborhoods of Los Angeles is a fantastic way to get a taste of different parts of the city. Manhattan Beach offers one of my favorite coastal walks, but many first-time visitors crave the wilder scene of Venice Beach, with its drum circles, fortune tellers and many flavors of California quirkiness. When you’ve had enough, head north; once the roller skates are replaced by prams, you are in the most serene Santa Monica.
And don’t forget the world-class museums of Los Angeles.
the original Villa Getty (17985 Pacific Coast Highway), showcasing the art collection of oil industry magnate J. Paul Getty, features classic Greek and Roman antiquities in a recreated Roman country house, complete with garden and reflecting pool. About 22 km away, off Highway 405, the main Getty Center The complex houses the museum’s collections of European and American art, but the stunning architecture, grounds, and 360-degree views are reason enough to visit. Both museums are free, though you still need to book timed admission tickets online — and parking is $20.
In the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood called Museum Row near Beverly Hills, the impressive Los Angeles Country Museum of Art (LACMA) is the largest art museum in the western United States, featuring more than 147,000 works from around the world. Discover his famous sculpture installation Urban lightcomposed of 202 vintage floor lamps. Timed admission tickets go live the last Thursday of the month: $25 for adults; $16 for adults 65 and over.
Around the corner, the 100,000 square feet Petersen Automotive Museum (6060 Wilshire Blvd.) pays homage to LA car culture and got me high marks when I took my nephew on a visit. Buy timed tickets online: $17 for adults 61 and under, $15 for ages 62 and over.
Nearby, the La Brea Tar Pits (5801 Wilshire Blvd.) are a vivid reminder of California’s prehistoric origins, with real tar bubbles from the ground – so don’t wear your best shoes. The outdoor areas are free, but it’s worth paying the $15 admission ($12 for adults 62 and older) to see fossils of saber-toothed cats and mammoths from Ice Age LA Buy timed tickets online.
New to the neighborhood is the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (6067 Wilshire Blvd.), a sanctuary dedicated to this art form housed in an old historic building completely renovated by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. You can see one of the five pairs of ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Ozthe tablets of The ten Commandments and more. Buy timed tickets online: $25 for adults 61 and under, $19 for 62 and over.
At some point in your trip, of course, you’ll also want to take a cruise down Hollywood Boulevard to see the stars of the Walk of Fame and the historic TCL (formerly Grauman’s) Chinese Theater.
Three or four miles south of Museum Row, near my own home base in Culver City, is the unique and bizarre Jurassic Technology Museum, where trying to guess which exhibits are completely made up or just plain weird is part of the fun. While you’re there, it’s worth climbing a few more steps to get a free cup of tea from the large samovar in the Tula teahouse. Enjoy it in the roof garden, which is easy to miss if you don’t know how to look for it. Buy timed tickets online: $12 for adults 61 and under, $10 for 62 and over. Open Thursday to Sunday.
There’s a lot more here, if you like gardens. Discover the magnificent 120 acres Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, which has 15,000 species, from the delicate bonsai to the gigantic eucalyptus. It’s expensive, but admission is free on the first Thursday of the month, if you can get a ticket. Buy timed tickets online: on weekends, it’s $29 for adults 64 and under, $24 for adults 65 and over; tickets are a few dollars less on weekdays.
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