30 Best Sights in Los Angeles, California

The long-awaited Academy Museum of Motion Pictures sits on the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax, and is highlighted by a giant spherical dome that features a 1,000-seat theater and stunning terrace with views of the Hollywood Hills. Inside, the museum has seven floors of exhibition space that delves into the history of cinema with interactive exhibits, features on award-winning storytellers, multiple theaters, and immersive experiences. Dedicated to the art and science of movies, the Academy Museum is the premier center that is a must-stop for film buffs and casual moviegoers alike.

Home of the Dodgers since 1962, Dodger Stadium is the third-oldest baseball stadium still in use and has had quite the history in baseball, including Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965 and Kirk Gibson’s 1988 World Series home run. Not only has it played host to the Dodgers’ ups and downs and World Series runs, it's also been the venue for some of the biggest performers in the world, including the Beatles, Madonna, and Beyoncé. The stadium can be tough to get into on game day, so consider getting dropped off in the park and walking up. Alternately, you can arrive early, as locals tend not to roll up until the third inning. If you have the opportunity to take in a Friday night game, make sure to stick around for the fireworks show that follows—if you’re patient, you can even wait in line and watch it from the field.

One of the country’s largest municipal parks, the 4,210-acre Griffith Park is a must for nature lovers, the perfect spot for respite from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding urban areas. Plants and animals native to Southern California can be found within the park’s borders, including deer and coyotes. Bronson Canyon (where the Batcave from the 1960s Batman TV series is located) and Crystal Springs are favorite picnic spots.

The park is named after Colonel Griffith J. Griffith, a mining tycoon who donated 3,000 acres to the city in 1896. As you might expect, the park has been used as a film and television location for at least a century. Here you’ll find the Griffith Observatory, the Los Angeles Zoo, the Greek Theater, two golf courses, hiking and bridle trails, a swimming pool, a merry-go-round, and an outdoor train museum.

Souvenir shops, carnival games, arcades, eateries, an outdoor trapeze school, a small amusement park, and an aquarium all contribute to the festive atmosphere of this truncated pier at the foot of Colorado Boulevard below Palisades Park. The pier's trademark 46-horse Looff Carousel, built in 1922, has appeared in several films, including The Sting. The Soda Jerks ice-cream fountain (named for the motion the attendant makes when pulling the machine's arm) inside the carousel building is a pier staple, and the MariaSol restaurant at the end of the pier serves great fajitas. Free concerts are held on the pier in the summer.

With its curving walls and isolated hilltop perch, the Getty Center resembles a pristine fortified city of its own. You may have been lured there by the beautiful views of Los Angeles—on a clear day stretching all the way to the Pacific Ocean—but the amazing architecture, uncommon gardens, and fascinating art collections will be more than enough to capture and hold your attention. When the sun is out, the complex's rough-cut travertine marble skin seems to soak up the light.

Getting to the center involves a bit of anticipatory lead-up. At the base of the hill lies the underground parking structure. From there you either walk or take a smooth, computer-driven tram up the steep slope, checking out the Bel Air estates across the humming 405 freeway. The six pavilions that house the museum surround a central courtyard and are bridged by walkways. From the courtyard, plazas, and walkways, you can survey the city from the San Gabriel Mountains to the ocean.

In a ravine separating the museum and the Getty Research Institute, conceptual artist Robert Irwin created the playful Central Garden in stark contrast to Richard Meier's mathematical architectural geometry. The garden's design is what Hollywood feuds are made of: Meier couldn't control Irwin's vision, and the two men sniped at each other during construction, with Irwin stirring the pot with every loose twist his garden path took. The result is a refreshing garden walk whose focal point is an azalea maze (some insist the Mickey Mouse shape is on purpose) in a reflecting pool.

Inside the pavilions are the galleries for the permanent collections of European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, and decorative arts, as well as world-class temporary exhibitions and photographs gathered internationally. The Getty's collection of French furniture and decorative arts, especially from the early years of Louis XIV (1643–1715) to the end of the reign of Louis XVI (1774–92), is renowned for its quality and condition; you can even see a pair of completely reconstructed salons. In the paintings galleries, a computerized system of louvered skylights allows natural light to filter in, creating a closer approximation of the conditions in which the artists painted. Notable among the paintings are Rembrandt's The Abduction of Europa, Van Gogh's Irises, Monet's Wheatstacks, Snow Effects, and Morning, and James Ensor's Christ's Entry into Brussels.

If you want to start with a quick overview, pick up the brochure in the entrance hall that guides you to collection highlights. There's also an instructive audio tour with commentaries by art historians and other experts. The Getty also presents lectures, films, concerts, art workshops, and special programs for kids, families, and all-around culture lovers. The complex includes an upscale restaurant and downstairs cafeteria with panoramic window views. There are also outdoor coffee carts.

On-site parking is subject to availability and can fill up by midday on holidays and in the summer, so try to come early in the day or after lunch. 

A tram takes you from the street-level entrance to the top of the hill. Public buses (Metro Rapid Line 734) also serve the center and link to the Expo Rail extension.

Come to this popular outdoor mall for familiar names like Apple, Nike, and Nordstrom; stay for the central fountain with "dancing" water and light shows, people-watching from the trolley, and, during the holiday season, artificial snowfall and a winter wonderland. Feel-good pop blasting over the loudspeakers aims to boost your mood while you spend, and a giant cineplex gives shoppers a needed break with the latest box office blockbusters.

Called the Original Farmers Market for a reason, this special piece of land brought out farmers to sell their wares starting in 1934. Today, the market has more permanent residences, but fresh produce still abounds among the dozens of vendors. Some purveyor standouts include gourmet market Monsieur Marcel, Bob's Coffee & Doughnuts, and Patsy D'Amore's Pizzeria, which has been serving slices since 1949. The market is adjacent to The Grove shopping center, and locals and tourists flock to both in droves.

A theme park with classic attractions like roller coasters and thrill rides, Universal Studios Hollywood also provides that unique brand of thrill you get from the magic of the movies, with tours of sets and movie-themed rides. Unlike other amusement parks, this one is centered around the biggest blockbusters, with rides like Jurassic World – The Ride and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey as well as worlds like the brand-new Super Nintendo World, which boasts the fun and highly interactive Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge and is, in and of itself, a game---exactly the kind of experience that Super Mario fans truly enjoy. If you're in town in October, the park's Halloween Horror Nights is a must-visit, featuring mazes full of monsters, murderers, and jump scares.

The world-famous Studio Tour takes you around the Universal backlot, home to working soundstages and exterior sets where many popular movies and shows have been filmed. During the tram tour, you'll witness King Kong save you from massive predators, see the airplane wreckage from War of the Worlds, ride along with the cast of the Fast and the Furious, and have a close call with Norman Bates from Psycho.

The tram ride is usually the best place to begin your visit, because the lines become longer as the day goes on.

Geared more toward adults, CityWalk is a separate venue run by Universal Studios, where you’ll find shops, restaurants, nightclubs, and movie theaters.

Tour an actual working studio, visit hot sets, and marvel at the costumes and props from the biggest blockbusters at Warner Bros. Studios. The exterior sets and soundstages here have been used to film some of the most famous TV shows and films in Hollywood, making a visit here a vital part of the Los Angeles experience.

After a short film on the studio's movies and TV shows, hop aboard a tram for a ride through the sets and soundstages used for classics such as Casablanca and Rebel Without a Cause. You'll see the bungalows where Marlon Brando, Bette Davis, and other icons relaxed between takes, and the current production offices for famous directors. You might even spot a celeb or see a shoot in action—tours change from day to day depending on the productions taking place on the lot. Finally, you can spend a couple of hours pretending like you're part of your favorite shows and movies, whether it's at a working replica of Central Perk from Friends or taking part in a Sorting Hat ceremony from the Harry Potter movies.

The panoramic view of Hollywood alone is worth a trip to this hilltop cultural center. On the grounds you’ll find the 1921 Hollyhock House, a masterpiece of modern design by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was commissioned by philanthropist Aline Barnsdall to be the centerpiece of an arts community. While Barnsdall's project didn't turn out the way she planned, the park now hosts the L.A. Municipal Art Gallery and Theatre, which provides exhibition space for visual and performance artists.

Wright dubbed this style "California Romanza" (romanza is a musical term meaning "to make one's own form"). Stylized depictions of Barnsdall's favorite flower, the hollyhock, appear throughout the house in its cement columns, roof line, and furnishings. The leaded-glass windows are expertly placed to make the most of both the surrounding gardens and the city views. On summer weekends, there are wildly popular wine tastings and outdoor movie screenings. Self-guided tours are available Thursday through Sunday from 11 to 4.

You're bound to see excited kids running up to the dozens of interactive exhibits here that illustrate the prevalence of science in everyday life. Clustered in different "worlds," the center keeps young guests busy for hours. They can design their own buildings and learn how to make them earthquake-proof; watch GLOBAL ZONE, where you can see Earth's global cycles of air, water, land, and life exhibited on a giant interactive globe. One of the exhibits in the Air and Space section shows how astronauts Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon made it to outer space in the Gemini 11 capsule in 1966. The IMAX theater screens science-related large-format films that change throughout the year.

If this charming little park and its lake of swan boats looks a little familiar to you, it’s most likely because you’ve seen it in one L.A.-shot movie or another (Chinatown, for instance). After a major overhaul, the park has blossomed into a beautiful urban landscape, set against the backdrop of the Downtown skyline. Weekends are always bustling, as are mornings when joggers and early risers take laps around the lake.

Run by beach conservation group Heal the Bay, this live marine-life menagerie contains more than 100 species of marine animals and plants, all found in Santa Monica Bay. The Dorothy Green Room features live and interactive exhibits about local watersheds and short educational films on the weekends. The Kid's Corner provides books, games, and a puppet show. Don't miss this chance to learn about the area's ecology and staggering evidence of how pollution is affecting ocean life. The aquarium can be tricky to find—look for it tucked under the eastern end of the Santa Monica Pier bridge along Ocean Front Walk. Follow the colorful seascape murals that cover the outside walls.

Kids ages 12 and under receive free admission.

Highlighting the best of Japanese art, food, and culture with a goal to nurture a deeper understanding of Japan in the world, Japan House is an oasis of serenity on frenetic Hollywood Boulevard. This two-floor, multiuse space, whose interior and exterior were designed by leading Japanese designers, is made up of a gallery, a store with beautiful Japanese wares for sale, a library, an event space, and a fine-dining restaurant. The gallery hosts touring and original exhibitions focused on photography, architecture, manga, paper culture, and more. The library and reading nooks welcome further exploration.

Straight out of a Looney Tunes cartoon, this activity-focused playground with oversize replicas of familiar objects offers lessons along with some fun. The whole family can gain tidbits of knowledge on earthquakes, animals, and insects. Explore gravity in the Physics Forest, which features 12 interactive experiences. In the sunny atrium, kids assume the role of ants on their daring ascent. Outside they can run and climb along a running river or take on a tricycle race. The museum is practically designed to wear out the little ones and give parents a much-needed break.

Show your kids where Ice Age fossils come from by taking them to the stickiest park in town. The area formed when deposits of oil rose to the earth's surface, collected in shallow pools, and coagulated into asphalt. In the early 20th century, geologists discovered that all that goo contained the largest collection of Pleistocene (Ice Age) fossils ever found at one location: more than 600 species of birds, mammals, plants, reptiles, and insects. Roughly 100 tons of fossil bones have been removed in excavations during the last 100 years, making this one of the world's most famous fossil sites. You can see most of the pits through chain-link fences, and the Excavator Tour gets you as close as possible to the action.

Pit 91 and Project 23 are ongoing excavation projects; tours are offered, and you can volunteer to help with the excavations in the summer. Several pits are scattered around Hancock Park and the surrounding neighborhood; construction in the area has often had to accommodate them, and in nearby streets and along sidewalks, little bits of tar occasionally ooze up. The museum displays fossils from the tar pits and has a glass-walled laboratory that allows visitors to view paleontologists and volunteers as they work on specimens.

Museum admission is free for L.A. County residents weekdays 3--5 pm.

Those who like a little history with their vacations should take a guided tour with Legends, part of Perry's Café and Rentals. A tour takes you through the unique enclaves of Santa Monica and Venice Beach, as you learn their role in the history of surf and skate in Southern California. Bike tours are offered daily at 11 am, last two hours (plus one hour of free riding), and cost $69 per adult, $35 for kids under 12, and $60 for students with ID and seniors.

On the very edge of Ventura County, this narrow beach is better for exploring than for sunning or swimming (watch that strong undertow!). If you do plan to swim, stay north of lifeguard towers 2, 4, and 5, but be sure to ask lifeguards about water conditions when you arrive. On your own or with a ranger, venture down at low tide to examine the tide pools among the rocks. Sequit Point, a promontory dividing the northwest and southeast halves of the beach, creates secret coves, sea tunnels, and boulders on which you can perch and fish. Generally, anglers stick to the northwest end of the beach; experienced surfers brave the rocks to the southeast. Campgrounds are set back from the beach; campsites must be reserved well in advance. Tide pools make this a great place for exploration. Amenities: parking; lifeguards (seasonally); toilets; showers. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

Wander through a re-created tropical forest, a South African landscape, or the Australian outback at this family-friendly arboretum. One highlight is the tropical greenhouse, with carnivorous-looking orchids and a pond full of brilliantly colored goldfish. The house and stables of the eccentric real-estate pioneer Lucky Baldwin are well-preserved and worth a visit. Kids will love the many peacocks and waterfowl that roam the property. The most recent additions include a new forest pathway and the Garden of Quiet Reflection, filled with contemplative quotes, a sundial, and East Asian flora.

The sweeping grounds of the Los Angeles Zoo are a terrific place to introduce young minds (and all minds) to threatened species of animals from all over the world and to encourage empathy for them at an early age. This accredited zoo's main focus is cultivating a connection to nature in the community, while educating, advocating, and creating action around animal welfare and conservation. The zoo is home to more than 2,100 mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles representing more than 270 different species, of which more than 58 are endangered. While coordinating with different organizations around the world, the L.A. Zoo also has its own in-house conservation programs, including innovative breeding strategies for reptiles, a successful Masai giraffe breeding program, and participating in efforts to restore the pronghorn species population. The care of the adorable residents of this 133-acre zoo is priority number one, and every effort is made to allow animals plenty of space and the agency to roam in their enclosures, to create environments that mimic their wild habitats, and to make enrichment toys available for play. The sprawling, 6.56-acre Elephants of Asia habitat boasts more than 3 acres of outdoor space, deep bathing pools, a waterfall, sandy hills, enrichment opportunities, and care facilities for elephants of all sizes and ages. The enjoyment of visiting humans is considered, too. In summer, the Zoo Friday Nights program allows visitors an opportunity to witness the more nocturnal residents. The sustainable wine and dinner series (21-plus) features gourmet farm-to-table menus, expert wine pairings, and conversations with a curator or keeper. 

You'll need at least three hours to explore this zoo, but a full day is even better. Amenities include several restaurants, free solar-powered charging stations, water-refilling stations, and electric shuttles that can take you around the zoo for a small fee. Passionate and knowledgeable docents are also available to tell you more about the animals.

This thoroughfare is a great spot for star sightings or for strolling among the laid-back California crowd. Streets are lined with old-fashioned, colorful, and cozy boutiques that stock everything from high-end garments to bohemian favorites. There's also a standard crop of shopping mall outposts plus a good selection of casual restaurants and cafés. If you're in town on the last Saturday of the month, check out the sidewalk sale.

This rustically chic, 780-foot fishing dock is a great place to drink in the sunset, take in some coastal views, or watch local fishermen reel up a catch. Some tours also leave from here. A pier has jutted out on this spot since the early 1900s; storms destroyed the last one in 1995, and it was rebuilt in 2001. Over the years, private developers have worked with the state to refurbish the pier, which now yields a gift shop, water-sport and beach rentals, a jeweler housed in a vintage Airstream trailer, and a wonderful farm-to-table restaurant with stunning views and locations at both ends of the pier.

A museum that unflinchingly confronts bigotry and racism, one of its most affecting sections covers the Holocaust, with film footage of deportations and concentration camps. Upon entering, you are issued a "passport" bearing the name of a child whose life was dramatically changed by the Nazis; as you go through the exhibit, you learn the fate of that child. Another exhibit called Anne: The Life and Legacy of Anne Frank brings her story to life through immersive environments, multimedia presentations, and interesting artifacts, while Simon Wiesenthal's Vienna office is set exactly as the famous "Nazi hunter" had it while conducting his research that brought more than 1,000 war criminals to justice.

Interactive exhibits include The Forum where visitors can examine and debate solutions to controversial topics facing our nation today such as immigration, policing, homelessness, the pandemic, and bigotry; We the People, which looks at U.S. history from the 1600s up to the attack on the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, with an immense interactive wall; and the Point of View Experience, a four-sided glass cube that presents a different individual's perspective on a particular situation facing society.

Plan to spend at least three hours touring the museum; making a reservation is especially recommended for Sunday and holiday visits.

The hot ticket at this Beaux Arts–style museum completed in 1913 is the Dinosaur Hall, whose more than 300 fossils include adult, juvenile, and baby skeletons of the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex. The Discovery Center lets kids and curious grown-ups touch real animal pelts, and the Insect Zoo gets everyone up close and personal with the white-eyed assassin bug and other creepy crawlers. A massive hall displays dioramas of animals in their natural habitats. Also look for pre-Columbian artifacts and crafts from the South Pacific, or priceless stones in the Gem and Mineral Hall. Outdoors, the 3½-acre Nature Gardens shelter native plant and insect species and contain an expansive edible garden.

Don't miss out on the Dino lab, where you can watch paleontologists unearth and clean real fossils.

Sandier and less private than most of the rocky beaches surrounding it, this little beach is great for picnics. You can sit at a picnic table high up on a bluff overlooking the ocean or cast out a fishing line. Surfers call it Zero Beach because the waves take the shape of a hollow tube when winter swells peel off the reef. Peak weather attracts local food trucks. This site also hosts a 4-acre traditional Chumash village, which replicates a day in the life of the indigenous Chumash people, including their homes, canoes, handicrafts, and ceremonies. Request a guided tour in advance. Amenities: parking (fee); lifeguards; toilets; showers. Best for: solitude; surfing; walking; windsurfing.

The city's cultures come together in one of its oldest parks, named in honor of World War I general John J. Pershing. Opened in 1866, the park was renovated in the 1990s by architect Ricardo Legorreta and landscape architect Laurie Olin with faded pastel-color walls, fountains, and towers. However, most Downtown residents and architecture lovers are not fans of the design and have long lobbied for a makeover, which is perennially rumored to be unveiled. From mid-November to mid-January, an outdoor ice-skating rink attracts ice-skaters and families. Every Wednesday 10--2 is the Pershing Square Farmers' Market.  The park will undergo a significant overhaul for much of 2023 and into 2024.

L.A. is a mecca for car lovers, which explains the popularity of this museum with a collection of more than 300 automobiles and other motorized vehicles. But you don't have to be a gearhead to appreciate the Petersen; there's plenty of fascinating history here for all to enjoy. Learn how Los Angeles grew up around its freeways, how cars evolve from the design phase to the production line, and how automobiles have influenced film and television. To see how the vehicles, many of them quite rare, are preserved and maintained, take the 90-minute self-guided tour of the basement-level Vault.

Located in the heart of the famed Griffith Observatory, the 290-seat Samuel Oschin Planetarium may be on the modest side as far as planetariums are concerned, but the shows held here are no less epic and electrifying. This state-of-the-art theater has an aluminum dome and a Zeiss star projector that plays awe-inspiring multimedia exhibitions that address the mystery of the cosmos. There are typically three 30-minute ticketed shows in rotation, so be sure to allow time to catch one while spending a day at the park. Be sure to sit in the back for the best experience.

The first beach you'll hit after the Santa Monica Freeway (Interstate 10) runs into the Pacific Coast Highway, wide and sandy Santa Monica is the place for sunning and socializing. The Strand, which runs across the beach and for 22 miles in total, is popular among walkers, joggers, and bicyclists. Be prepared for a mob scene on summer weekends, when parking becomes an expensive ordeal. Swimming is fine (with the usual poststorm-pollution caveat); for surfing, go elsewhere. For a memorable view, climb up the stairway over PCH to Palisades Park, at the top of the bluffs. Free summer concerts are held on the pier on Thursday evenings. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

This clean, sandy, 3-mile beach, with a dozen volleyball nets, gymnastics equipment, and a playground for kids, is an all-around favorite. The surf is gentle, perfect for swimmers and beginning surfers, and crowds are frequently smaller than in other spots along the shore. However, it's best to avoid the beach after a storm, when untreated water flows from storm drains into the sea. Amenities: parking; lifeguards; toilets; food and drink; showers. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.