Los Angeles attractions

Set behind The Grove (L.A.’s most popular mall) and the Original Farmer’s Market, this television studio complex in the Fairfax District is often defined by its long lines of tourists and local visitors waiting to snag seats to a show taping. Open since 1952, Television City is now home to eight separate studios, which host shows like American Idol, The Young & the Restless, The Price is Right and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.Built on the site of the former Gilmore Stadium (once part of neighboring Pan Pacific Park), this series of black and white planes mixed with glassy cubes was designed by Pereira & Luckman, the architects behind LAX’s distinctively futuristic “Theme Building,” which now houses the Encounter Restaurant & Bar. Television City is now one of two CBS TV studios in the L.A. area, the other being CBS Television Center in Studio City.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this graceful valley swath beside the San Gabriel Mountains was first developed in the 1880s by railroad barons and hoteliers to lure winter-weary Easterners out west. Today Old Pasadena—sometimes known as Old Town Pasadena—is best known for its museums and the annual Rose Parade and Rose Bowl college football game.

Founded in 1988, the Autry Museum of the American West—commonly known as “The Autry”—shares stories and artworks from the region’s diverse residents, both past and present. Cofounded by entertainer and actor Gene Autry (once known as “America’s Favorite Singing Cowboy”) the museum maintains two Los Angeles locations.

One of Los Angeles’ largest and most-frequented shopping malls, the Beverly Center spans an entire city block, and comprises eight floors of shops and restaurants. Home to more than 100 stores including Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, it’s a one-stop-shopping destination.

The Hammer Museum is a Los Angeles arts and culture hub run by UCLA’s School of Arts and Architecture, housing everything from old master paintings to contemporary works. Since the museum is free, it's great for budget-conscious travelers that love the arts. You can stroll the galleries, relax in the courtyard, or join for a docent talk.

Most locals call this epic ribbon of seaside concrete the Santa Monica Bike Path or The Strand. The skating-, jogging-, biking- and pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare stretches alongside the Pacific Ocean from Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades to the far end of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in Torrance.

Close to Melrose Avenue and Rodeo Drive, Robertson Boulevard is a major shopping destination (and celebrity haven) in Los Angeles. Running between Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and Culver City, the thoroughfare’s designer boutiques make it a draw for fashionistas, while its stylish restaurants are A-lister approved.

Strike a pose with your favorite Hollywood stars at the Hollywood Wax Museum. The original outlet of this nationwide chain is the longest-running wax museum in the country and features more than 100 wax figures of celebrities and entertainers, as well as famous movie monsters and scenes in the Chamber of Horrors.

Perhaps best known as the home of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, the California Science Center is a popular, family-friendly attraction that's free to visit. Bring the kids for an action-packed day of activities. Check out animals in the Ecosystems exhibit, learn about engineering in Creative World, and even stay for an IMAX movie.

Set in the south end of the Third Street Promenade shopping district two blocks from the Santa Monica Pier, this luxury open-air mall combines two of the best things in Santa Monica—shopping and the beach. Stop by for brand-name shopping, community events, and upscale dining, but don't leave without visiting the best part: A rooftop dining deck with ocean and mountain views.

While it's a public beach, Paradise Cove is best associated with the eponymous café located right off the Pacific Coast Highway. Both the beach and eatery draw visitors to this idyllic setting with the allure of a quiet meal where you can quite literally put your toes in the sand, as well as the opportunity to camp out at the shore all day.

Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust brings visitors an objective, impactful presentation of one of the darkest chapters of 20th-century history. Find original artifacts, survivor stories, and a carefully-curated architectural space, all befitting the subject matter's gravity. Located along Pan Pacific Park, the museum is free to visit.

Shopping, restaurants, and entertainment stir up a lively scene at The Americana at Brand in downtown Glendale. This commercial and residential complex includes a 2-acre (1-hectare) park at its center, as well as a range of international brand-name retailers, food ranging from fine dining to fast casual, and a movie theater.

Tucked under the Santa Monica Pier, this tiny aquarium aims to educate passing visitors about ocean conservation and the marine life of Southern California. Though small compared to other big-name aquariums, it's a quick and easy way to connect with hundreds of native species, from jellyfish and sea stars to octopuses and moray eels.

From shrunken heads to the world’s smallest drivable car, this Hollywood museum is a shrine to strange treasures, kitsch, and record-breaking finds. Known as the ‘Odditorium,’ the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum lives up to the name, starting with the giant tyrannosaurus rex that looms out of the red-tile roof.

Well known for its wide, miles-long stretch of sand, Zuma Beach is considered by many locals and visitors to be one of the ultimate Southern California beaches. The Malibu destination draws beach dwellers, surfers, and out-of town travelers, providing plenty of space for activities such as kitesurfing, swimming, birdwatching, and bodysurfing.

A must-visit for transportation enthusiasts of all ages, the free Travel Town Museum celebrates the history of the western United States’ railroads. Home to numerous historic steam engines and other rare locomotives, trolley cars, and more, the museum, based in Griffith Park, even invites visitors to tour the area via a miniature train.

Perched on a cliffside overlooking Los Angeles, this landmark is a striking example of midcentury modern architecture and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1960 as a case study home by architect Pierre Koenig, the glass-walled house with sweeping views has featured in many movies, TV shows, and fashion spreads.

One of the most famous sporting venues in history, the Rose Bowl Stadium is best known for hosting the annual Rose Bowl Game for college football on New Year’s Day. It has also hosted several Super Bowl games, FIFA World Cup finals, and Olympic Games events. Besides its noteworthy sporting celebrations, the stadium serves as the home for the UCLA Bruins football team.

The Museum of Tolerance (MOT is an immersive LA museum designed to help visitors unpack human rights. Exhibitions engage diverse topics, from the Holocaust to terrorism to genocide. The standout Anne Frank exhibit tells the story of a girl in hiding during World War II, and its rich interactives bring this important history to the fore.

Reputed to be one of the best roller coaster parks in the United States, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita, California, boasts 19 coasters, from white-knuckle rides to more gentle options suited to younger visitors. Food, drink, and entertainment options round out the on-site offerings.

The first museum in the United States of its kind, this Smithsonian-affiliated museum is dedicated to the Japanese American experience. Topics range from early issei immigrants to World War II internment camps and modern Japanese art movements.

On the Hollywood Walk of Fame is the official museum of superlatives: the Guinness World Records Museum. Here, you'll find the smallest, longest, heaviest, and largest of just about anything. An interactive, family-friendly attraction, the museum encourages visitors to see how they compare to record-breakers across the globe.

iFLY Hollywood takes skydiving indoors, allowing guests to simulate flying and free falling via a vertical wind tunnel, creating air currents traveling up to 170 mph (275 kph). Each flyer is given professional instruction and outfitted with a flight suit and helmet—even children and inexperienced divers can soar to new heights without dealing with the dangers or training of typical skydiving.

Warner Bros. Studio, founded in 1923 on Sunset Boulevard, moved to its present location in 1928. For a revealing look at how shows and movies are made at this classic studio, few experiences beat the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. No two trips through this production studio are alike, and lucky visitors may even spot a celebrity or two on set.

The main hub of the West Coast’s fashion, textile, and flower industries, the LA Fashion District (sometimes called the LA Garment District includes thousands of shops, market stalls, wholesalers, and other venues spanning 107 blocks in Downtown LA. The area is frequented by those in the business as well as the general public.

A 1908 arts and crafts treasure that was joinery-built without a single nail showing, this former family home (designed for the cofounder of Procter & Gamble) is the feather in the cap of influential early 20th-century architecture firm Greene & Greene. The handcrafted mansion graces almost an entire grassy block of Pasadena's upscale Arroyo Seco neighborhood.

One of the larger malls in Los Angeles, the Glendale Galleria was first opened in 1976 and remains popular today, despite the presence of The Americana at Brand, its glitzy neighbor across the street. Expect a cornucopia of retail merchandise and merchandisers, including America’s first three-story Target.

While off the beaten path in Los Angeles, the Nethercutt Museum is likely to be already known by car fanatics. Its outrageous car collection includes relics that you're unlikely to see anywhere else. From antiques like the Ford Model T and 1955 Austin-Healey 100M, plus antique instruments, watches, and more, this museum is a true hidden gem.

Located north of Los Angeles, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is a high-octane water park that attracts thrill seekers to families alike. Spanning 25 acres (10 hectares), the park offers more than 20 rides and activities, including body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, play pools, and lazy rivers.