Best Things To Do in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California is one of the most geographically varied cities in the United States. With close to 4 million residents spread across coastal flatlands, hillside neighborhoods, and inland valleys, the city offers an unusually wide range of things to do — and most of them don't require a single type of traveler or a single kind of day. Mountains rise directly behind the coast. Art institutions anchor both the Westside and Downtown. Historic streets sit a few miles from some of the most-visited film locations in the country.

This guide organizes activities by interest area — parks and outdoors, museums and culture, coastal destinations, historic sites, and neighborhoods worth wandering — and notes whether each is generally free or requires a ticket. For any attraction that charges admission, always check the venue's official website before visiting, since prices, reservation requirements, and access policies change regularly.

If you want a structured starting point, the Los Angeles 1-Day Itinerary and Los Angeles 3-Day Itinerary offer day-by-day frameworks.

Parks and Outdoor Spaces

Generally Free to Access

Griffith Park covers more than 4,000 acres of chaparral-covered hills on the eastern edge of the Santa Monica Mountains. It's one of the largest urban parks in the country and contains a network of trails ranging from paved walks to steep fire roads, as well as the Griffith Observatory, the Greek Theatre, a golf course, and the Los Angeles Zoo. Views from the upper trail sections take in Downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood Sign, and — on clear days — the Pacific Ocean. Trail access is free; individual venues within the park have their own admission structures.

Runyon Canyon Park, in the Hollywood Hills, is a consistently busy spot for hikers and dog walkers. It's close to Hollywood Boulevard and connects to several viewpoints over the Los Angeles basin, making it a practical option for visitors staying on the Westside or in Hollywood without a car.

Elysian Park, adjacent to Dodger Stadium, draws fewer tourists than Griffith and is worth considering for visitors who want open lawns, quiet paths through eucalyptus groves, and views over the surrounding hills without significant crowds. The park connects on foot to the Echo Park neighborhood.

Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, in the Baldwin Hills, offers trails with clear views of Downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood Hills. It's a well-maintained park that tends to be less crowded than the more-visited options on the Westside.

Ticketed or Partially Ticketed

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, located in San Marino just east of Los Angeles, is a significant cultural destination with more than a dozen distinct gardens — including Japanese, Chinese, Australian, and Desert sections — alongside European and American art collections and a rare book library. Admission is required; check the official Huntington website for current pricing and reservation policies, as timed entry is typically recommended.

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service, spans a wide corridor of land between Los Angeles and Ventura County. Most trailheads are free to access, though some developed recreation sites charge day-use fees. Commonly visited areas include Solstice Canyon, Malibu Creek State Park (a separate state-managed site), and Point Mugu State Park. The terrain ranges from creek canyons to exposed coastal ridgelines. Several additional NPS-managed areas are accessible within reasonable distance of Los Angeles; check the National Park Service website for a full list.

Museums and Cultural Institutions

Los Angeles has well over 600 mapped cultural attractions, ranging from large encyclopedic institutions to small neighborhood galleries. Below is a breakdown by general cost structure.

Generally Free or Reduced-Cost Entry

The Getty Center in Brentwood is one of the most visited art institutions in Los Angeles. The galleries hold European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and photography spanning the Middle Ages through the 20th century. Admission to the galleries is generally free, though parking in the Getty's structure is not — check the official Getty website for current fees and reserve a spot in advance, especially on weekends. Alternatively, Metro buses stop near the tram base on Sepulveda Boulevard, and the tram itself is complimentary.

The Hammer Museum, affiliated with UCLA in Westwood, focuses on contemporary and modern art with a particular emphasis on Los Angeles artists. Admission is generally free to the public; check the Hammer's website for current programming.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in Exposition Park has offered free or reduced-admission days on a rotating basis. Its permanent galleries include North American and African mammal dioramas, a gemstone and mineral hall, and paleontology displays. Check the official site for current admission schedules and any free-entry programs.

Ticketed

LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) is the largest art museum in the western United States by collection size, with holdings spanning thousands of years across multiple continents. General admission is required, and the museum mounts a rotating schedule of special exhibitions with separate ticketing. At the Wilshire Boulevard entrance, the public installation *Urban Light* — a grid of restored antique streetlamps by artist Chris Burden — can be viewed from the sidewalk at any hour without a ticket.

The Broad in Downtown Los Angeles holds an extensive collection of post-war and contemporary art, with significant works by artists including Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Barbara Kruger. Timed-entry tickets sell out well in advance; book through the museum's official website before your visit.

The California Science Center in Exposition Park displays Space Shuttle Endeavour. Much of the main museum is free to enter, but the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center — the facility housing Endeavour in vertical launch configuration — is a separately ticketed attraction. Check the Science Center's website for the current access structure and reservation requirements.

The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades houses antiquities from ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria, displayed in gardens modeled after a Roman country villa. Admission requires advance reservations; visit the Getty's official site to book.

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) operates locations in Downtown Los Angeles and West Hollywood. Admission applies; check the MOCA website for current pricing, as policies have shifted in recent years.

Coastal and Waterfront Destinations

Generally Free Beach Access

Santa Monica State Beach is one of the most recognized stretches of coastline in Los Angeles. The sand and water are free to use; parking in nearby city-operated lots charges by time — check posted rates or the City of Santa Monica's website for current fees. Santa Monica Pier, at the north end of the beach, is a free public walkway over the water with a small aquarium, street performers, and the Pacific Park amusement zone (rides ticketed separately).

Venice Beach and the adjacent Venice Boardwalk offer a different atmosphere — skate parks, outdoor fitness areas, street art, and continuous pedestrian activity along the beachfront path. The boardwalk connects easily on foot to Abbot Kinney Boulevard, known for independent shops, galleries, and a concentration of restaurants.

El Matador State Beach, north of the city along the Malibu coast, is a smaller cove beach with sea stacks and rock formations that give it a distinct visual character. Parking is limited and fills quickly on weekends; check the California State Parks website for current access and fees.

Point Fermin Park in San Pedro sits on a bluff at the southern tip of Los Angeles, with views toward the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Catalina Island on clear days. The adjacent Point Fermin Lighthouse is a Victorian-era structure of historical interest and one of the oldest surviving lighthouse buildings on the California coast.

Historic Sites

Los Angeles has a recorded urban history longer than most visitors anticipate. For a more complete list, the Top Landmarks in Los Angeles page covers architecturally and historically significant sites in detail.

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument marks the area where the city was formally established in 1781. Olvera Street, its original commercial corridor, is pedestrian-only and lined with market stalls and preserved buildings, including the Avila Adobe — considered the oldest surviving residence in Los Angeles. The surrounding plaza and streetscape are free to walk through.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame runs along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, with thousands of terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalk honoring figures from film, television, music, radio, and theater. It's a public sidewalk — no admission required. The surrounding blocks include theaters, tourist shops, and several ticketed attractions.

Barnsdall Art Park, on a hillside in East Hollywood, contains Hollyhock House — Frank Lloyd Wright's first major Los Angeles commission, completed in 1921. The house is a ticketed tour; the park and exterior grounds are free to access and offer views over the surrounding neighborhoods.

The Watts Towers in the Watts neighborhood are a group of 17 interconnected steel-and-mosaic sculptures built over more than three decades by Sabato Rodia and completed in 1954. A nationally recognized folk-art landmark, the towers are maintained by the City of Los Angeles. The adjacent Watts Towers Arts Center hosts public programming; check the city's official site for current tour availability.

Neighborhoods Worth Wandering

Some of the most rewarding time in Los Angeles is spent simply moving through a neighborhood on foot. A few worth planning time around:

Little Tokyo (Downtown Los Angeles) is one of three remaining Japantowns in the United States. The neighborhood has a concentration of Japanese American cultural institutions, specialty grocers, bookshops, and restaurants. The Japanese American National Museum, located here, focuses on the history of Japanese Americans in the United States, with particular attention to the World War II incarceration period.

Chinatown (Downtown Los Angeles) is a historically Chinese American neighborhood that has evolved considerably over decades and now includes legacy businesses alongside contemporary galleries and restaurants. The central commercial plaza retains much of its mid-century architecture.

The Arts District (east of Downtown) was primarily industrial until relatively recently and now has a high density of galleries, murals, coffee roasters, and food and drink producers. The street art changes frequently and the neighborhood is walkable.

Silver Lake is a hillside neighborhood east of Hollywood with a pedestrian-friendly reservoir loop, independent bookstores, record shops, and a mix of residential architecture from several different eras. The Sunset Junction area has a concentration of cafes and small retailers.

Leimert Park in South Los Angeles has a long-established identity as a center of African American arts and culture. The Vision Theatre and surrounding galleries and music venues make it a consistent destination for live performance, and the central plaza area remains an active gathering place.

Getting Around Los Angeles

Los Angeles Metro operates an expanding rail and bus network connecting central neighborhoods, the Westside, South Bay, the San Gabriel Valley, and areas in between. The system accepts contactless tap-to-pay at rail fare gates and on buses — a standard contactless debit or credit card or mobile wallet works at most entry points. Coverage outside central rail corridors is uneven, and many coastal and hillside destinations are more practical by car or rideshare.

For visitors arriving at LAX, rail and bus connections to central Los Angeles have expanded in recent years. Check the Metro website for the current status of airport connections and relevant line routes. The Los Angeles FAQ covers additional practical questions about transit and getting around.

As in any large city, ordinary urban awareness applies — keep track of your belongings, stay oriented in unfamiliar areas, and use well-lit routes at night.

Dining Across Los Angeles

With roughly 4,400 restaurants and cafes mapped across Los Angeles, the range of options is substantial. The city has particularly strong concentrations of Korean, Japanese, Mexican, Ethiopian, and Persian food, often rooted in specific neighborhoods. For a broader overview, see Where to Eat in Los Angeles.

Planning Your Trip

Timing your visit can affect what you experience — late spring and early summer bring frequent coastal fog and overcast mornings in western neighborhoods, while fall tends to offer the clearest skies and warmest temperatures. The Best Time to Visit Los Angeles page covers seasonal patterns in more detail.

For a broader orientation to the city — including neighborhood profiles, logistics, and trip-planning context — the Los Angeles Travel Guide is a useful starting point.