Things To Do
Disneyland Park
Disney is close by for anyone visiting us from out of town and would like to plan a visit there.
Knott's Berry Farm
Knotts Berry is another large amusement park close by for those here from out of town and want something fun to do.
Universal Studios Hollywood
WE NOW HAVE SUPER MARIO WORLD OPEN HERE!!!!! GAAAAHHH!!!! IT'S SO COOL!!! This Universal Studios isn't as big as the one in Orlando but it's the O.G. one, still cool, and it has the tram tour of the real Universal Studios movie lot. Also, it's close by! Lol
Universal CityWalk Hollywood
Pretty cool for shopping, drinks and food. Neon and huge stores! You have to pay for parking and it is connect to Universal Studios.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
For fun touristy activities while you're in town.
Petersen Automotive Museum
This place is so cool! One of the largest Automotive Collections in the world and takes up an entire city block!
The Freddy Krueger House (A Nightmare on Elm St)
The original house from A Nightmare on Elm St. Fun photo op but I did hear the owners may have changed the original famously known red door to black now. Not sure.
Michael Myers House (Halloween)
Another origianl famous horror home from the movie Halloween. It's the Michael Myers house. Very cool photo op and right next door is the Sugar Mynt Art Gallery.
Toretto House - Fast and the Furious
The actual film location and the house of the Toretto family from Fast and the Furious! ANother cool photo op if you're a fan!
Toretto's Market (Bob's Market) - Fast and the Furious
Actual store and film location from the first Fast and the Furious. Located in Echo Park. Cool Photo op and a bit of nostalgia if you're a fan!
SugarMynt Gallery
Cute little Art Gallery inside a house located DIRECTLY BEHIND the Michael Meyers house. (there may be a fee to go inside the gallery)
TCL Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Where all the famous foot and handprints are on the Walk of Fame. Plus you can see a movie inside the actual Chinese Theater.
Hollywood Sign
You've got to check out the Hollywood sign at least once in your life! Here are directions to a great Instagram worthy spot of the sign as well as a gorgeous view of the city. Just map yourself to Lake Hollywood Park. Do iiittttttt.
Ovation Hollywood
Literally in the center and heart of Hollywood off Hollywood Blvd & Highland! A 4 story outdor shopping center where you can even get a cool view of the Hollywood sign. Tons of unique shops and places to eat. Sits right on the Walk of Fame and is next to the Grauman's Chinese Theater as well as across the street from the El Capitan!
Griffith Observatory
Located in the Hollywood Hills. An iconic spot to visit. The grounds are gorgeous, the views of the city and of the Hollywood sign are amazing. They have 3 huge telescopes and it is FREE. It only cost to park if you park on the grounds.
Paramount Pictures Studio Tour
Tour the world famous Paramount Pictures studio. One of the the longest operating and only major studio left in Hollywood. 65 acres and thirty stages. They have a massive Blue Sky Tank and a one-of-a-kind New York Street backlot, which features ten distinct city neighborhood backdrops. Maybe checkout GROUPON for ticket deals to checkit out!
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
Located in Burbank! They have 4 different types of tours! Check it out if you have time. But search GROUPON and things like that for ticket deals!
Sunset Ranch Hollywood
Horseback riding!!!This is a very cool and unique experience!! If you're willing to ride a horse, do this! Ride up into the Hollywood Hills horseback, where you will get unforgettable views of the LA Basin and the Hollywood Sign. Country-style getaway on a ranch offering day & night horseback riding tours & BBQ buffets.
Amoeba Music
Famous record store that has a ton of history. Sadly it relocated from its historical OG spot on Sunset Blvd and is now on Hollywood Blvd now but def worth checking out if you're into music and vinyls and just somethng cool to explore.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
My favorite cemetery! It is gorgeous and so many famous people are buried here! During the summers they actually host Movies in the Cemetery thru Cinespia! This is worth visiting if you're ito this kind of thing like I am! LOL. Buried here is Marilyn Monroe, Johnny and DeeDee Ramone, Estelle Getty, Judy Garland, Anton Yelchin, Burt Reynolds, Maila Nurmi who was Vampira, Jayne Mansfield and more!
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
GO! If you can, go! The outdoor area of all the vintage street lights is such a photo op and iconic! It's considered to be permanent public art installation known as "Urban Light" and is free to see. You only pay for parking and only if you want to go inside the LACMA. Located on the Pacific Rim, LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of nearly 149,000 objects that illuminate 6,000 years of artistic expression across the globe.
Public Art "Urban Light"
Urban Light is a large-scale assemblage sculpture by Chris Burden located at the Wilshire Boulevard entrance to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The 2008 installation consists of restored street lamps from the 1920s and 1930s. Most of them once lit the streets of Southern California. FREE TO SEE & GET TAKE PIX!
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
Right next to the LACMA and Urban Light install. You could walk it (.4mi). This is said to be the only Ice Age fossil site in the world that's being actively excavated in the middle of a city. It has a legit active Tar Pit there called the "Lake Pit". Has a whole museum on site. There is a fee. But search for discount tix.
Gallery 1988
This is a Pop Culture Art Gallery that is one of my favorites! Free to go to and right off Melrose. They have 2 galleries connected to each other but one side always has some sort of pop culture exhibit and most of the original art on display is for sale along with signed/numbered artist prints.
Kohn Gallery
Another fantastic Art Gallery and favorite of mine that is close by in the Hollywood area. Mainly a host to contemporary art exhibitions, this gallery will sometimes host the works of world renowned surrealism and pop artists. The gallery is free with free parking in back of their building.
Yamashiro Hollywood
Sushi & Cal-Asian food served amid gardens & a koi pond in the Hollywood Hills overlooking the city. Hands down one of the best views in Hollywood. Especially during sunset!
Pink's Hot Dogs
This spot is a place you really gotta try once in your life! Pink's hot dogs! Always a line but so good! Worth stopping by for lunch or dinner and it's right off of Melrose Ave. Eat and then go walk Melrose for dessert or shopping. My favorite is the Mulholland Drive Dog!! (9″ stretch dog, sauteed onions, mushrooms, nacho cheese, 3 strips of bacon)
Musso & Frank Grill
Iconic and famous place to eat. It's even appeared in Tarantino movies, TV series and was the first restaurant to ever be given a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.
Canter's Deli
Iconic and Historical food spot known for their Pastrami since 1931. A little overpriced but its like a time machine when you walk in. The Pastrami is so good and served with bottomless kosher deli pickle spears.
Salsa & Beer #2
Hands down my favorite Mexican food spot! The parking is awful and always a long line at dinner time (go for lunch) but the food is SO GOOD! There is a bar inside, they serve chips with a spicy bean dip that is fantastic (order a few, its free) they have a self serve salsa bar and my personal favorite is the cheese enchiladas but many people rave about their carnitas! Once seated the service is usually quick and the food comes out fast for how busy they are. They have a few locations but THIS is the one you want to go to! Only this one in North Hollywood! LOL
Randy's Donuts
The OG spot that has the GIANT DONUT on top of thier little building in Inglewood. Seen in Snoop Dogg videos and movies like Mars Attacks, Iron Man and more. Super iconic spot and they actually have really good donuts!!
The Getty Museum
FREE but you have to pay for parking. There is an L.A. location and Malibu/Pacific Palisades location with a villa. The L.A. location is the largest of the two and features pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, decorative arts and photographs from the 1830s through present day from all over the world. Among the artworks on display is the Vincent van Gogh painting Irises!! Plus their outdoor terrace and gardens are GORGEOUS.
Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier
A fun Amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier! Shopping, food, the beach and rides. Also only about 1 mile away from Venice Beach. Parking can be nuts and you will have to pay, but you can park on the actual pier if they're not full.
Venice Beach
Famous Venice Beach! So cool to visit. So much going on there including a big outdoor skatepark right on the sand of the beach! Great food spots and just walking the boardwalk is always a great time too.
The Getty Villa
Another worthy stop if you decide to go out to Malibu! The Ghetty Villa. (this is different from the other Ghetty listed). The Getty Villa is at the easterly end of the Malibu coast in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. See ancient artifacts, Greek and Roman antiquities, and new exhibitions all for FREE. You only pay for parking. you do have to "book" your free tickets. Their outdoor garden and landscape on coastal cliff is so beautiful.
Malibu – 21 Miles of Scenic Beauty
Gorgeous Coastal Malibu drive! If you are not from the West Coast, you've never experienced an ocean drive this way. You can start out at Venice and Santa Monica and then continue along PCH for this drive. If you do this, make sure to stop at Neptune's Net for fish & chips!
Neptune's Net
If you decide to drive up the Malibu Coast, make sure you stop here for lunch! It is so good for fish & chips and seafood! You can park across the street if you find a spot along the dirt on the edge of the cliff. Get your food and then eat off the car overlooking the Pacific ocean and beach below. Otherwise, eat in or find one of the benches across the street also.
6th Street Viaduct Bridge
Constructed in 1932, the original Sixth Street Viaduct (also known as the Sixth Street Bridge), was an important engineering landmark in the City of Los Angeles. Located in a highly urbanized area just east of downtown Los Angeles, the original bridge acted as a critical transportation link between the neighborhoods of the Arts District on the west side and Boyle Heights on the east side. It was reconstucted and re-opened Summer of 2022. Worth a drive over it or actually WALK over it. It's really cool and drops you right into the DTLA ARTS DISTRICT.
DTLA Arts District
Many of the neighborhood’s business establishments are tucked into early 20th century warehouses and former factories.! The Arts District is a fiercely original, urban neighborhood, situated on the eastside of Downtown, boarded by the Los Angeles River and walking distance to the 6th St. Viaduct Bridge. The district is home to galleries, restaurants, creative office space, live/work lofts and upscale condos with a hip urban vibe.
Spire 73
This place is located inside the Intercontinental Hotel. It is said to be the tallest Rooftop Bar in the Western Hemisphere. Food, drinks, music and an insane view. It is also walking distance to FIGat7th.
FIGat7th
FIG-at-7th is an open-air shopping mall located in the Financial District of Downtown Los Angeles. It is nestled between two office skyscrapers. There is shopping an eating along with another close by and walkable spot for food, drinks, music and more called THE BLOC on 7th. They even have an Alamo drafthouse there. Remember though! In downtown LA you have to pay to park ANYWHERE. So it is always best to find a parking garage in the center of all the places you want to walk to and go from there.
The Bloc
This is another is an open-air shopping center in downtown Los Angeles and walking distance from both Spire 73 and FIGat7th. I personally like the BLOC more then FIGat7th! They have a diverse mix of thoughtfully curated shops, a variety food and drink options, plus there is an Alamo Drafthouse theater there! It is worth seeing even if you don't go for a movie. You can grab food or a drink, plays some video games and check out all the cult classics memorabilia they have including a gift shop without needing a movie ticket!
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Downtown Los Angeles
The Alamo Drafthouse Theater is good food, good beer and good film, all at the same place! Located at the BLOC in downtown LA. Super cool to just checkout their giftshop and have a drink. They have some video games and a cool bar and spot to eat without having to see a movie.
DTLA Ramen
Another great Ramen spot but in downtown L.A. It's a small hole in the wall type place but has great Tonkotsu and spicy creamy Vegan Ramen.