Things to do
Ranked by what's actually worth your time.
Free admission, free telescopes on clear nights, and the single best combined view of the Hollywood Sign and the downtown skyline. Trails from the parking lot climb to Mount Hollywood.
Free to enter (you pay only for parking) and reached by a hillside tram. Worth it for the Richard Meier travertine architecture and Robert Irwin's Central Garden as much as the Van Goghs.
Free general admission to a heavyweight contemporary collection. Book the timed Infinity Mirror Room slot in advance, and catch special exhibitions like Yoko Ono's Music of the Mind.
One of North America's largest urban parks at over 4,000 acres, holding the observatory, the LA Zoo, the Greek Theatre, pony rides, and dozens of trails. A whole day's worth of city and nature in one spread.
Open since 1917 and still the most honest snapshot of how LA eats. Get pastrami at Wexler's or tacos and work the stalls of this living cross-section of the city.
The city's newest big-ticket museum in a Renzo Piano building, dedicated entirely to the art and history of movies. Current shows include Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon, running through Feb 2027.
The classic Pacific-edge combo: the pier's Ferris wheel and arcade, then a walk south along the boardwalk to Venice's skate park, canals, and Muscle Beach.
The iconic outdoor amphitheater in the Hollywood Hills, home to the LA Phil summer season. Gustavo Dudamel's final season as music director features Joe Hisaishi film music, St. Vincent, and Beethoven's Fifth.
Simon Rodia's hand-built, 30-year folk-art spires made of steel, tile, and found glass — a genuinely singular monument that most visitors never make it to. A reason to explore beyond the obvious.
A quick, steep, celebrity-packed loop with skyline payoff, dog-friendly and steps from the city. The most accessible taste of LA's hiking culture.