Free · Griffith and Griffith Observatory. Downtown Los Angeles often has a bad reputation, and while it has its share of problems, there are still plenty of great spots to explore there. My favorites are the Broad Museum for its modern art, Skyspace for its glass slide and stunning views, and the Grand Central Market for all its fun restaurants. Here's a post I made at all my favorite spots in downtown Los Angeles.
The Griffith Observatory is probably my favorite spot in Los Angeles. The views from the observatory are incredible with the Hollywood sign in one direction and downtown Los Angeles in the other. Of course, the observatory is also amazing to explore, as it's free to enter and has lots of fun exhibits. I've been here dozens of times to watch the sun go down and explore, and I always love coming back.
The Hollywood sign is probably the most iconic part of Los Angeles and something that everyone loves to see when they visit it. There are many great places to see the sign, such as Hollywood Lake Park, but if you really want to experience it, consider hiking to it. The walk is steep if you take the Tree of Wisdom Path, but it gives you great views of Los Angeles and allows you to get as close to the sign as you're allowed. As one of the most historic districts in Los Angeles, Olvera Street was founded in 1781 and is a great place to explore.
It has some nice restaurants and a fun central shopping area, but the main reason to come is for the Day of the Dead (Day of the Dead) festival every October. The festival has been running for more than 30 years and is a celebration of life with murals, dancers, a procession and face painting. Amie and I have been there a few times and always enjoyed visiting and experiencing it. The Echo Park area of Los Angeles is an up-and-coming spot with great restaurants, shopping, and a decent-sized lake right in the middle.
It's a fun place to hang out on a warm day, and you can get out on the water by renting a swan boat if you want to go for a walk. The area also has the Time Travel Mart, which is one of my favorite stores and excellent food, such as Masa's pizza and its fantastic bread pudding with croissant. It's one of those areas that I keep coming back to explore more. Like the Hollywood Bowl, watching a Dodger game is a must-see attraction in Los Angeles.
Just driving through the parking lot to the stadium, you'll enjoy iconic views of downtown Los Angeles, and the historic stadium has been there for nearly 60 years. If you come out of season, you can pay to take a tour of the stadium, or you can visit the store and go out to see the upper deck. It's a lot of fun, even for non-baseball fans. With more than 1,000 square miles of wilderness and 53 starting points, it's no surprise that the Angeles National Forest is one of the most popular day trips for locals and visitors alike.
Whether you're hiking, biking, running, boating, or even skiing, there's something here for every type of outdoor activity. Calvo is nice and results in spectacular views from nearly 10,000 feet. The Devil's Punchbowl and Bridge to Nowhere hikes are some of the best full-day options in the region. The Bradbury Building's Victorian-style atrium, built for Gold Baron Lewis Bradbury, is filled with architectural details such as hydraulic open-cage elevators, marble staircases and wrought iron balconies.
The huge skylight and open balconies create an atmosphere unlike any other building; it's both haunting and magical. Culture lovers will know this from his appearances in films such as Chinatown (197), Blade Runner (198), 500 Days of Summer (200) and some music videos and commercials. Housed in a building with a dimpled facade that many say looks like a cheese grater, the Broad houses the collection of Edythe Broad, who amassed a formidable stash of contemporary art with her late husband Eli. The collection is more pop than academic, which has earned it the reputation of being a stop on tourist lists, if only to take selfies in front of Jeff Koons' balloon dog or Robert Therrien's expanded table and chairs.
There are also works of the stature of Ruscha, Warhol, Basquiat, Murakami and Sherman. A reservation is required and difficult to get hold of due to the museum's popularity, so plan ahead. It's free and, if you hurry, you can see the museum's hits in no time. Although not as well known and popular as the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterrey, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is a popular thing to do with children in Los Angeles or for any marine life enthusiast.
If most American cities have to do with the consumption of culture, Los Angeles and New York have to do with the production of culture, not just national culture but global culture. If you're looking for family activities in Los Angeles or even romantic things to do in the city, I'd also recommend renting a pedal boat on Lake Echo Park. One of those secret spots in Los Angeles that's a favorite with locals, Galco's Soda Pop Stop is where you'll find every flavor of soda imaginable. In addition, it shares a block with LACMA, another of Los Angeles's main museums, and home to Urban Lights, which is one of the favorite places for tourist photos.
One of the strangest things to do in the Los Angeles area, the Museum of Death focuses on the topic of death for the purpose of making people happy to be alive. Alternatively, if you want to take your own brewery tour, check out this post where I explain my favorite breweries to visit in California, including some in Los Angeles. Little Tokyo is a historic neighborhood in Los Angeles and home to the largest Japanese-American population in North America. This is one of the best free events in Los Angeles held every month, so don't miss it if you're in town on the first Thursday of the month.
This is where you'll see Los Angeles entertainment at its best and watching a show here is a fun experience in Los Angeles. Founded in 1966, the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Garden is a 133-acre complex that has 270 different animal species and more than 800 different plant species in the gardens. The Los Angeles area is famous for having a farmer's market every day of the week, and the Santa Monica Farmers Market, which is held on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, is the mother of them all. Los Angeles rewards visitors with a wealth of history, as well as the constant energy and excitement of one of the largest cities in the world.
Located in the historic Rose Bowl Stadium, the Rose Bowl Flea Market is one of the best places to shop in Los Angeles for an eclectic mix of antiques, clothing, crafts and other random items. I recommend watching this short documentary to learn more about the history of El Pueblo de Los Angeles and its importance to LA as a city. As mentioned earlier, this is a popular hiking spot in Los Angeles, so don't expect to have the trails to yourself. .
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