Ways to Spend a Day in LA

Because LA traffic is unpredictable at times, we’re grouping these suggestions—some familiar, others under-the-radar path—geographically. There’s so much adventuring to do that it’s impossible to tackle all these activities/places in a single day. Pick your spots, have good tunes ready for the drive, and enjoy exploring!

For those without a car, there is a Metrolink station in Newhall with $10 weekend passes. The commuter trains stop at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, and from there the Metro (yes, LA has a subway and rail system) can take you to most regions throughout the city. 

• Griffith Observatory: This free-admission observatory offers stunning views of the city (on a clear day). Check the site for daily programming. More info.
• Griffith Park: This is one of the largest urban parks in the country boasting more than 4,000 acres dotted with hiking trails and picnic areas. More info
• Hollywood Bowl: Known as the world’s largest natural amphitheater, the Bowl is also an LA County park, which means the grounds are open for exploring when concerts and rehearsals aren’t scheduled. More info.
• TCL Chinese Theatre and the Roosevelt Hotel: Personally, we’d skip the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame, but if you do walk the stars, be sure to stop in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre fka Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to see the hand and footprints of some iconic stars, then walk across the street to the Roosevelt Hotel. The hotel was the site of the first Academy Awards—and purported to be haunted by Marilyn Monroe’s ghost. More info.
• Runyon Canyon: This easy, dog-friendly hiking trail offers great views of the city on a clear day. You never know who you might run into on this popular (crowded) trail. More info.
• Hollywood Forever Cemetery: The cemetery is the final resting place for many famous names. It’s open generally from dusk to dawn. Tours and cultural events take place throughout the year at Hollywood Forever. More info.

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• The Original Farmers Market: Located next to the shopping hotspot The Grove, the Farmers Market area first started out as a dairy and then an oilfield. It became a shopping and dining destination in 1934. It’s a great place for breakfast, lunch, or snacking. More info.
• Museum Row: Along Wilshire Boulevard, find a number of amazing museums, including:
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
  • Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
  • Peterson Automotive Museum
  • La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
  • Craft Contemporary Museum

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• Union Station: One of the last great train stations in the country, the architecture is a grand mix of art deco and Spanish colonial. It’s worth a brief pop-in. More info.
• Olvera Street: One of the oldest locations in Los Angeles. It’s home to Avila Adobe, the first adobe house in the city. It’s also a stone’s throw away from Chinatown and the purported site of the invention of the French dip sandwich, Phillippe the Original. More info.
• The Last Bookstore: Visit California’s largest new and used book and record store and one of the largest independent bookstores left anywhere. The spacious interiors and famed book wall is highly Instagrammable. More info.
• Little Tokyo: One of the last three remaining Japantowns in the U.S., the area boasts good shopping and eating. Plus, there’s a ton of events planned for Halloween season. More info.
• Grand Central Market: For more than 100 years, the market has been a staple food hall and goods purveyor. Today, it’s home to more than 40 vendors offering tastes from all over the world. More info.
• Arts District: Features an eclectic mix of eateries, galleries, and performance and living spaces, including Hauser & Wirth, Institute of Contemporary Art, and the nearby MOCA Geffen Contemporary (which is closed for installation until Oct. 23). The main MOCA location is on Grand Avenue down the street from The Broad. More info.
• REDCAT: CalArts’ downtown performing and visual arts space presents the current exhibition, Guadalupe Maravilla: Les soñadores. More info.
• Other museums near downtown LA: California African American Museum, where CalArts alum Sadie Barnett’s work is on view; the California Science Center, and the Natural History Museum.
• Heritage Square Museum: Located northeast of downtown LA in Montecito Heights, this museum is a collection of Victorian-era homes from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that help explain settlement and architecture trends of the city. More info. 

NOTICE: The 405 will be reduced to three lanes in each direction all weekend. Be warned that traffic to and from the Westside may be gnarly! More info

• Zuma Beach: One of the more popular beaches in LA County, the spacious Malibu shoreline is great for sunbathing (weather permitting) and surfing. More info.
• Santa Monica Pier: The pier at the edge of the Pacific Ocean is home to an amusement park. More info.
• Venice Beach: Explore the eclectic neighborhood which includes a famed skate plaza, bike path, a two-mile boardwalk, and the notorious Muscle Beach. Also nearby are the Venice Canals, lined with charming houses. More info.
• The Getty Center: This sprawling campus is located in Brentwood and can be spotted along the 405 freeway. The J. Paul Getty Museum features European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and photography. The Getty Villa is located north in Pacific Palisades, housing Greek and Roman antiquities in a recreation of a Roman country home. More info.
• The Hammer Museum: Located in Westwood, the museum presents its biennial, Made in L.A. 2025, focusing on Southern California art and artists. This edition includes three CalArts alums: Mike Stoltz, Kelly Wall, Nicole-Antonia Spagnola, and former faculty member Pat O’Neill. More info.
• Institute of Jurassic Technology: This eclectic “museum” was founded by CalArts alum David Wilson. It includes a mix of quirky and historical exhibits, with dubious provenance, and recently reopened in August after a fire. More info. 

• The B-52s & Devo: Cosmic De-Evolution Tour
  Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 and Sunday, Oct. 19 at 6:30 pm
  Hollywood Bowl
  More info
• Cry-Baby 35th Anniversary: A Screening with Aftershow Discussion and Q&A with John Waters
  Saturday, Oct. 18 at 8 pm
  The Montalban
  More info
• Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
  Saturday, Oct. 18 at 8 and Sunday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 pm
  Walt Disney Concert Hall
  More info
• Cinespia at Hollywood Forever 
  Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7:15 pm 
  Watch the animated horror-comedy film Paranorman under the stars in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.  
  More info
• Les Miserables 
  Saturday, Oct. 18, 2 and 8 pm
  Hollywood Pantages Theatre
  More info
• The Groundlings (Comedy)
  Saturday, Oct. 18, various shows and times
  The Groundlings Theatre 
  More info
• San Cha: Inebria me (experimental opera)
  Saturday, Oct. 18 at 8 pm
  REDCAT
  More info
• East West Players (EWP): Paranormal Inside
  Saturday, Oct. 18, 2 and 8 pm
  David Henry Hwang Theater
  More info
• Culver City Art Walk & Roll Festival
  Saturday, Oct. 18
  Now in its seventh year, this free festival brings  art-making, artisan vendors, nonstop music, food trucks, beer gardens, and more.
  More info