At Urban List, we always think you should take the advice of a local and bypass the tourist traps when it comes to exploring all the coolest things to do in a city like Los Angeles.
Notably, getting accosted on Hollywood Blvd by a busker in a Spider-Man suit did not make the list. Read on for the best things to do in Los Angeles.
The Echo Park Time Travel Mart
Self-identified as a “purveyor of quality goods from the past, present, and future” and “a convenience store for time travellers”, the Echo Park Time Travel Mart is a novelty store that rejects all notion of the space-time continuum.
Practically speaking, it’s a gift shop and bookstore that sells products you won’t find at Target. It’s also the headquarters of 826LA–a non-profit group that supports students to hone their creative writing skills.
Shopping for the person who has everything? Bet you they don’t have Astronaut Sunscreen or Robot Toupee. You can get both here. Otherwise, come in and peruse the store’s offbeat stationary, kitchen and household decor.
Griffith Observatory
Image credit: Griffith Observatory | Website
Situated around 345 metres above sea level, it’s a long trek to the pinnacle of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park where the public Observatory sits–but it’s well worth the effort. It provides an extraordinary viewpoint of the city, as well as the Hollywood sign and even the occasional rocket launch (there’s a SpaceX base in Lompoc, California that routinely sends them into the sky).
Open until late in the evening, the Observatory is packed with families, teens and young couples snuggling beneath the stars. It’s free to visit and explore the indoor education centre, but expect it to be busy right through to closing time at 10pm.
Ennis House
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1923, Ennis House is a Los Feliz mansion inspired by Mayan Revival architecture. The stunning, 6,000 square feet construction–built from concrete and granite blocks with intricate patterns–looks more like a temple than a home. Which is why the local Hollywood studios often use it as a filming location (it’s been in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Glimmer Man, Rush Hour, Blade Runner and Westworld to name a few).
While the home is currently a private residence, it still attracts tourists and architecture enthusiasts from all over the world, who bring their binoculars and catch a peek from the Hollywood Hills.
Kurt + Courtney’s Abandoned Abode
In the early 90s, at the height of their stardom, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and his wife, Hole singer Courtney Love, moved to this secluded Hollywood Hills home for privacy–and to escape the influences of the drug-fuelled celebrity scene. But following his death, it was left empty and abandoned for decades.
Kurt wrote the songs for In Utero in the upstairs bedroom closet, which is one of the reasons why obsessive fans have been climbing through the debris to explore the decaying premises (and record TikTok videos about it). The property was sold in 2021 for $1.5m–which is not a lot for this area, but then again it’s what you might call a renovator’s dream.
La Brea Tar Pits
Image credit: La Brea Tar Pits | Instagram
“Los Angeles has a woolly mammoth problem”, say the local builders. They’re not joking either: turns out the city is a hotbed of prehistoric artefacts, which have been known to hold up new building developments whenever fossils are discovered by the tradies. You can learn more about this at the La Brea Tar Pits–an urban Ice Age excavation site and education centre.
The bubbling, sticky black Lake Pit of La Brea has preserved plant and animal matter for 50,000 years–providing scientists some insight into what the world once looked like. A must-visit for kids, science buffs and climate enthusiasts.
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Los Feliz Murder Mansion
This ominous house–poised on a Los Feliz hilltop–has become the subject of speculation, urban legends, podcasts and ghost tours. In the 1950s, it was the scene of a tragic murder-suicide. A year later, after the home was sold to another couple, the new owners suddenly left. Their belongings remained untouched; food in the pantry, Christmas tree standing; clothes hanging in the closets. Their unexplained exit attracted decades of speculation, trespassers and documentarians seeking to solve the case.
While the property has since been resold and remodelled, you can still drive by the scene of the crime while listening to the enthralling Los Feliz Murder Mansion podcast, which unpacks its riveting mystery.
Magic Castle
Those searching for once in a lifetime things to do in Los Angeles should look no further than Magic Castle: the exclusive clubhouse for members of the Academy of Magical Arts. It’s a bit like a country club, only more gothic, and with multiple bars and showrooms where illusionists come to show off their craft.
Like any private club, visitors must be invited by a member in order to get access. They’ll also need to adhere to the venue’s strict dress code; it’s formal-wear only, and ballgowns are encouraged (your denim and LuLuLemon activewear is not appropriate attire in the company of enchanted wizards).
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
As the final resting place for celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, and Johnny Ramone, this landmark cemetery also happens to be a cultural hub and lively events space. Best not to think too hard about it–it’s Hollywood after all.
Fans come here to pay their respects to fallen stars, but locals come to enjoy the cemetery’s seasonal calendar of classic Hollywood film screenings, concerts and the annual Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival, which features five music stages, spectacular Aztec dancers and a ghoulish celebratory parade.
Museum Of Tolerance
Image credit: Museum Of Tolerance | Website
Located just a short walk from The Grove shopping centre and Original Farmers Market, the Museum of Tolerance (MOT) is an education centre that’s dedicated to Holocaust history. Wandering through its interactive exhibits is a deeply moving experience. With real remnants of daily life on display, as well as a recreation of Anne Frank’s diary, the MOT facilitates a sense of connectivity to those who witnessed this dark time in history.
Disneyland
As an adult, the magic of Disney doesn’t quite hit the same. Alas, it’s still a cultural imperative–and a wonderful excuse to dress up and act like a kid for the day.
The food at Disneyland sucks, so bring your own and spend the extra cash on the Genie+ service, which enables guests to access the Lightning Lane (a fast track entrance that skips the queue for selected rides). Pro tip: get there before the gates open at 8am, and go directly to the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction. As one of the newer additions to the park, it’s a next-level immersive experience–but the queues can be gruelling once the park fills up.
Lucha Vavoom
“A flamboyant mix of American burlesque and Mexican wrestling.” That’s how the website describes it, and to be honest, there’s no other way to summarise Lucha Vavoom. It’s a house of comedy, costumes, scantily-clad dancers and an ongoing roster of carnival celebrations. Plus tequila and tamales.
Attend A Live TV Taping
Get a behind-the-scenes view of American television favourites like The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Kelly Clarkson Show–all of which are filmed in LA’s studio lots. Tickets are typically free for audience members, but booking ahead is essential, and you’ll still need to brave the queue if you want to score a seat. Visit On Camera Audiences or seat-filler companies like Shadow Casting & Productions for more info on the booking process.
Hire A Hotrod And Cruise Rodeo Drive
Live like the Kardashians for a day and hire a convertible–something ostentatious and completely ridiculous–to ride around the palm-lined streets of Beverly Hills. Drive LA offers luxury car rentals that will help you fit right in on the Sunset Strip, or coast along Rodeo Drive–the famous shopping precinct populated by designer boutiques and brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Burberry, Gucci and Armani.
Bob Baker Marionette Theater
Puppets: kids love them, adults find them creepy AF. Either way you’ll be fascinated by the 2,000 handcrafted marionettes on display at this long-standing arts theatre, which has been entertaining the community since 1973.
Check out their calendar of interactive shows, as well as sensory-friendly performances for little ones.
Underground Tunnels Of LA
Image credit: Mezzy Pictures | Instagram
This subterranean network of underground passageways was originally used by party goers during the Prohibition Era. It’s believed that, after the 1920s, the tunnels were used by banks to transport large sums of cash, and by the LAPD to move prisoners. But these days they lay empty, apart from the odd urban explorer or graffiti artist.
While they’re not technically open to the public, you can still access the tunnels via an elevator behind the Hall of Records (located at 320 West Temple Street). Take a ride to level 2, go through the hallway and take the escalator up one level. You have arrived at your destination.
Runyon Canyon
Fitness geeks flock to this 160 acre urban park nestled amongst the hills of Hollywood. It’s known for its numerous hiking trails and dog-friendly areas, including a joyous off-leash, gated dog park (located at the Mulholland Drive entrance) where you can watch the pups frolic.
While Runyon Canyon is expansive, it’s also fairly busy from morning all the way through to night, and there’s a high chance of spotting a celeb or two working out in their sweats. Just watch out for the more dangerous residents, like snakes and coyotes.
Smorgasburg LA
Feast from the food trucks at Smogasburg LA–an open air market and beer garden held every Sunday on the grounds of the ultra hip ROW DTLA district. Pace yourself: there’s around 100 stalls representing LA’s best street food, including burgers, tacos, BBQ, vegan bites and seafood, as well as craft and apparel.
Getty Museum
There’s two Getty museum locations in LA. The Getty Centre, located in Brentwood, features works of art from the 8th through to the 21st Century, and focuses on the arts and culture of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria. The Getty Villa, on the other hand, lives in Malibu and is built in the style of a Roman country home.
Both buildings are staggering in design and scope, and are worth a visit for the architecture alone. Admission is free, but you’ll need to reserve a time via the Getty website.
Super Nintendo World
Universal Studios Hollywood is one of the best things to do in Los Angeles for young adults and those who have already graduated from Disney’s magical kingdom. There’s less fantasy, more action–and with the recent addition of Super Nintendo World, there’s a little nostalgia thrown in there too.
Enter through the large green warp pipe and rediscover the land of Super Mario, his Kart, and all the familiar sound effects that made Game Boy’s go ding in the 90s.
Get Loose In WeHo
Image credit: Rocco’s | Instagram
Looking for something that goes beyond the PG rating? West Hollywood (WeHo) is one of the best things to do in Los Angeles for adults. Because you don’t just go to WeHo, you do WeHo. And to do it properly, you’ll need to dress up, don something sparkly and be prepared to leave your valuables in the back of an Uber. It’s simply inevitable.
Central to the action is ‘boystown’–WeHo’s famous LGBTQ+ district known for its rainbow street crossings, boisterous gay bars and annual Pride parade. It’s also where you’ll find Rocco’s–the restaurant/Grindr hookup zone owned by former *NSync member Lance Bass—and legendary club spot The Abbey, where you can enjoy crotch-thrusting male podium dancers while sipping mimosas on a cheeky Sunday afternoon.
Museum Of Jurassic Technology
Founded by a husband-and-wife team in the late 1980s, the Museum of Jurassic Technology is a public display of strange and unexplained historic, artistic and scientific items.
There’s a high benchmark for weirdness when it comes to LA museums, but this perplexing collection will satisfy deep thinkers and those tired of looking at impressionist paintings in brightly lit rooms.
Huntington Library, Art Museum & Botanical Gardens
There’s over 7 million manuscripts and 400,000 rare books on the shelf at Huntington Library, including the original letters and writings of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln. The collection largely focuses on British and American History, but you can also catch a glimpse of classic first editions from authors like Charles Bukowski, William Blake and Mark Twain.
The library is surrounded by 130 hectares of sprawling themed gardens (including exquisite Japanese, jungle and desert gardens) which exist to promote botanical research and conservation.
See A Gig At Hollywood Bowl
There’s always something happening at Hollywood Bowl–an enormous amphitheatre scooped into the basin of the Hollywood Hills. It’s been attracting the world’s biggest touring artists since the 1920s, with acts such as The Beatles, Monty Python and KISS gracing its stage.
Check out the gig guide to see who’s playing next–and don’t forget to pre-order a picnic hamper for the show.
Grand Central Market
The first stop for any LA foodie expedition should be Grand Central Market: a food hall where you can sample some of the best-known eateries in town. Popular stalls include Eggslut, Wexler’s Deli (try the pastrami sandwich), Broad Street Oyster Co. (go the lobster roll) and Shiku for a Korean lunch set. There’s also freshly baked bread, barbecue meats, coffee, fresh fruit and vegetables to take home.
There’s cafeteria-style seating available, but we suggest grabbing your food to go and heading across the road to the Angels Flight funicular railway. It costs $1 to ride and lands you on the doorstep of Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA).
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Image credit: Grand Central Market | Website
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