In addition to the Los Angeles tourist attractions detailed below, as you plan your vacation or holiday you may want to also review information about the beautiful Los Angeles area beaches, the city’s vast assortment of museums and its abundant amusement, theme and water parks. (See the “Related Posts” section below for links to articles on those topics and also to articles about nearby Orange County and San Diego tourist attractions.)
The first section below will introduce attractions and other places to go, see and have fun in and around the Los Angeles center city and the downtown area. Thereafter, attractions in some of the cities around Los Angeles — Pasadena and Long Beach — are discussed. If you’d like to skip immediately to those outlying area discussions, you can use these links:
Pasadena Tourist Attractions
Long Beach Tourist Attractions
Los Angeles Tourist Attractions – Downtown and City Center
Adamson House, Malibu – This classic Malibu home was built in 1930 for Rhoda Rindge Adamson and her husband, Merritt Huntley Adamson, and is located on one of Southern California’s most beautiful beaches. Be sure to take the tour (the docents offer a wealth of information about now-defunct Malibu Pottery’s magnificent tile work) and allow extra time to enjoy the grounds and the nearby beach. (adamsonhouse.org/)
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The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles – Opened in 2002 and located at Temple & Grand across from the Walt Disney Concert Hall, this is the first Roman Catholic Church to be erected in the western U.S. in 30 years. Designed by Spanish architect Professor Jose Rafael Moneo, the structure is a dynamic, contemporary design with virtually no right angles. The third largest cathedral in the world, a 50-foot concrete cross “lantern” adorns its entry. At night, its glass-protected alabaster windows are illuminated and can be seen at a far distance. (olacathedral.org)
Celebrity Graves – Some tourists want to visit the final resting place of a favorite star or entertainer, and some of the better known of these are Westwood Memorial Park, Forest Lawn Glendale, Hollywood Forever, Holy Cross Cemetery. This site might be useful for planning such an excursion.
Downtown Los Angeles – Print the Los Angeles Conservancy’s self-guided walking tour map (laconservancy.org/tours/downtown/index.php4) or download LA Walks “Historical Tour” podcast (downtownlawalks.com/?f=podcast), and take to the streets to enjoy this area’s architecture gems – from the Beaux Arts magnificence of the Biltmore Hotel to the Art Deco sophistication of the Southern California Edison Building and the Victorian ebullience of the Bradbury Building and Angels Flight.
El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood – This is Disney’s flagship movie theater, and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” broadcasts from here. (disney.go.com/DisneyPictures/el_capitan/)
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Farmers Market and The Grove, Los Angeles – A beehive of cafes, stalls and shops, this open-air landmark has been a gathering place for Angelenos since the 1930s. The market is connected to The Grove in Los Angeles, a boutique outdoor shopping mall, by a free, six-minute tram ride. (farmersmarketla.com/)
Grand Central Market, Los Angeles – In operation since 1917, this indoor collection of produce vendors, butchers, and food stands reflect the region’s multicultural heritage. (grandcentralsquare.com)
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Hollywood – Also called Mann’s Chinese Theatre, first-run movies are shown at this renowned theatre but most people visit to experience the famed courtyard filled with Hollywood legends’ handprints and footprints. (manntheatres.com/chinese/)
Griffith Park, Los Angeles – With over 4,107 acres, this is the largest municipal park and urban wilderness area in the U.S., and an amazingly large portion of it remains virtually unchanged from the days when Native American villages occupied the area’s lower slopes. Today’s the park offers numerous family attractions, an assortment of educational and cultural institutions and miles of hiking and horseback riding trails. (lacity.org/rap/dos/parks/griffithPK/index.htm)
Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles – Owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks, the Observatory is located on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, just above the Los Feliz neighborhood. An LA icon, this national leader in public astronomy is also a beloved civic gathering place and one of southern California’s most popular attractions. (griffithobs.org)
Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood – Officially opened in 1922 on the site of a natural amphitheater formerly known as the Daisy Dell, this is the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and a popular musical performance venue. (hollywoodbowl.com)
Hollywood Sign, Hollywood – This icon has become one of the world’s most evocative symbols – a universal metaphor for ambition, success and glamour. (hollywoodsign.org)
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Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood – Don’t miss the world’s most famous sidewalk (at Hollywood & Vine) embedded with more than 2,000 five-pointed stars featuring the names of human celebrities and fictional characters honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for their contributions to the entertainment industry. Maintained by the self-financing Hollywood Historic Trust, the walk’s first star was awarded on February 9, 1960, to Joanne Woodward.
La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles – Learn about Los Angeles as it was when animals such as saber-toothed cats and mammoths roamed the Los Angeles Basin 10,000-40,000 years ago. Rancho La Brea is one of the world’s most famous fossil localities, recognized for having the largest and most diverse assemblage of extinct Ice Age plants and animals. (tarpits.org/)
Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Los Angeles – In Griffith Park and home to more than 1,200 animal species, including the Red Ape Rain Forest and Dragons of Komodo. (lazoo.org/)
The Music Center, Los Angeles – Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, the Music Center is home to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Performances, tours and great dining await you at the Music Center. (musiccenter.org)
Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills – The ultimate shopping street and a bona fide southern California tourist attraction! You can shop for five-digit jewelry or a $35 handbag or sip a drink and people-watch at one of the numerous nearby restaurant patios. At the southern end (at Wilshire Boulevard) is Via Rodeo, a curvy cobblestone street designed to emulate a European shopping area. (rodeodrive-bh.com/index4.html)
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Union Station, Downtown Los Angeles – A spectacular mix of Spanish Colonial, Mission Revival and Streamline Moderne styles, the main hall retains its original hand-painted ceiling and lavish tile and marble work. Many television shows and motion pictures have incorporated the station as a backdrop, including the 1950 film, Union Station. (metro.net/index.asp)
Venice Oceanfront Boardwalk, Venice Beach – This stretch is rather like an outdoor circus, teeming with rollerblading jugglers, fire-eaters, body-builders and other talented, creative folks.
Wayfarer’s Chapel, Rancho Palos Verdes – Designed by Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright, this glass church is set in a redwood grove. (wayfarerschapel.org/)
Los Angeles Tourist Attractions – Pasadena
The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, Pasadena – An oasis of art and culture set amidst 150 acres of breathtaking gardens. (huntington.org/)
The Gamble House, Pasadena – Used as a winter residence by David and Mary Gamble (of Proctor & Gamble fame), this three-story house is considered an Arts and Crafts architectural masterpiece. (gamblehouse.org/)
Santa Anita Park Horse Racing, Arcadia – Co-founded and built by movie mogul Hal Roach, Santa Anita Park was a popular haunt of early show business tycoons and movie stars and Hollywood’s newest generation of movie, TV and music celebrities continue the tradition as both fans and horse owners. The park opens annually on December 26, with daily racing continuing through late April. Free Seabiscuit Tram Tours depart at 8:30 and 9:45am every Saturday and Sunday during the Santa Anita season. (santaanita.com)
Los Angeles Tourist Attractions – Long Beach
Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach – One of the largest in the U.S., this aquarium focuses primarily on Pacific Ocean life forms and detours into Australian birds in its Lorikeet Forest section. Don’t miss the panoramic film, Whales: A Journey with Giants (showtime information is available at the front desk or in .pdf format on the website in the “Plan Your Visit” section). (aquariumofpacific.org/)
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Queen Mary Ship and Seaport, Long Beach – Historic, permanently berthed ocean liner (bigger than the Titanic!) open 10am until 6pm daily for self-guided and guided tours, including the “Ghosts & Legends of the Queen Mary” tour. (queenmary.com/)
Russian Foxtrot Submarine Scorpion, Long Beach – Moored next to the Queen Mary, the submarine is open for tours seven days a week and combined tours for the two vessels are offered. (russiansublongbeach.com)
Shoreline Village, Long Beach – Waterfront shopping and entertainment complex. (shorelinevillage.com/)
If that list of Los Angeles tourist attractions doesn’t have what you’re looking for, be sure to check out the links below to information about other tourist attractions in nearby Orange County and San Diego.
Photo of Our Lady of Angels Cathedral by Korean Resource Center via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Farmers Market by Californian Em via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Hollywood Walk of Fame by Sproston Green via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Los Angeles Union Station by Irish Typepad via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Long Beach from the Queen Mary by 4×4jeepchick via flickr (Creative Commons).
Related posts:
Los Angeles Amusement / Theme Parks
Orange County Tourist Attractions
Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.
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