Things to do in Los Angeles

The nine white letters in the Hollywood Hills are the most recognized symbol of the movie industry.

A hilltop planetarium and free public observatory with some of the best views in the city.

A hilltop art campus with European masterpieces, gardens, and free admission for everyone.

A classic wooden pier with a solar-powered Ferris wheel, arcade, and the official end of Route 66.

A working movie studio turned theme park, home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the Studio Tour.

Walt Disney's original 1955 theme park, still anchored by Sleeping Beauty Castle.

A freewheeling beachfront strip of muscle-beach bodybuilders, street artists, and skate parks.

The pagoda-style 1927 movie palace famous for the handprints and footprints in its forecourt.

The largest art museum in the western United States, next to Chris Burden's iconic streetlamp forest.

A sprawling San Marino estate of rare-book stacks, Gainsborough paintings, and a dozen themed gardens.

A coaster-lover's theme park in Valencia with one of the largest roller coaster collections anywhere.

America's first theme park, still rooted in its Old West ghost town and famous boysenberry pie.

A century-old downtown food hall packing dozens of stalls from tacos to ramen under one roof.

A historic open-air produce market bolted onto an outdoor shopping mall with a trolley connecting the two.

A car-lover's museum in a striking stainless-steel-ribboned building on Museum Row.

A restored 1930 Art Deco movie palace that now hosts touring Broadway musicals.

A working-studio walking and tram tour through real soundstages, backlots, and prop archives.

A Mediterranean-feeling island getaway an hour by ferry from the mainland, with a golf-cart-only town.

A beachfront Santa Barbara motel directly across from East Beach and the harbor.

A Ventura County town known for outlet shopping, wineries, and easy access to the Channel Islands coast.

Home to the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl, with Arts and Crafts architecture and a walkable downtown.

Home of Disneyland Resort and Orange County's convention and entertainment hub.

Ventura County beach town with seven miles of coastline and the gateway harbor to Channel Islands National Park.

Official tourism site for Temecula Valley, Southern California's wine country region.

High-speed passenger ferry to Santa Catalina Island from San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point.

Southern California wine region near San Diego and LA, home to nearly 50 wineries open for tastings and tours.

Official visitor info for Santa Monica, from the pier and beach to Third Street Promenade shopping.

A guided walking and golf-cart tour of the working Paramount Pictures studio lot in Hollywood.

A free museum in downtown Santa Barbara with artifacts and exhibits on Ronald Reagan's life and presidency.

Board a retired Air Force One and tour exhibits on Ronald Reagan's life and presidency in Simi Valley.

Plan a visit to Catalina Island, a Southern California island getaway reached by ferry for harbor town charm and hiking.

Shop discount fashion outlets inside a landmark building modeled on an ancient Assyrian citadel.

Walk through oddities, illusions and strange artifacts at Ripley's museum on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

A 600-passenger catamaran ferry making the roughly 90-minute crossing between Newport Beach and Catalina Island.

Year-round whale and dolphin watching cruises departing from Newport Beach harbor.

A free Navy museum in Port Hueneme telling the history of the Seabees and the Civil Engineer Corps.

Official tourism arm of Surf City USA, promoting Huntington Beach's coastline, pier, and surf culture.

A 22-block historic downtown district in Pasadena with shopping, dining, and nightlife in restored early-1900s buildings.

Southern California's year-round alpine slide, plus a mountain coaster and go-karts in Big Bear Lake.

Year-round outdoor park in Big Bear Lake with the region's longest tubing runs, a go-kart speedway and a ropes course.

Family entertainment center with miniature golf, go-karts, a video arcade and a kiddie train.

Self-guided trail linking over 20 walkable wine tasting rooms across downtown Santa Barbara neighborhoods.

Walkable stretch of beaches, harbor and Stearns Wharf with boating, whale watching and waterfront dining.

Open-top bus sightseeing tours of Hollywood, Beverly Hills and celebrity home neighborhoods.

Open-air outlet shopping center off I-10 near Palm Springs with brand-name retailers.

Family-friendly Southern California city in the Inland Empire with dozens of parks, trails and a lively town square.

Historic 18th-century Spanish mission and museum known for its ruined Great Stone Church and swallow legend.

Family-friendly escape room venue near Anaheim with pirate, speakeasy and mystery-themed rooms.

Official visitors bureau for Ventura, California, with guides to beaches, Channel Islands access, dining and downtown culture.

Official Los Angeles tourism site with trip planning, neighborhood guides and a visitor perk pass.

Docent-led tours of a restored 1906 Queen Anne Victorian house museum run by Long Beach Heritage.

See roughly 300 animals across 109 species at this 30-acre oceanview zoo in Santa Barbara.

Natural history museum on a wooded Santa Barbara campus with fossils, wildlife, Chumash culture and a planetarium.

Long-running open-air arts and crafts market along Santa Barbara's waterfront, held every Sunday.

Guided electric railbike rides along historic tracks through Ventura County citrus groves.

The historic downtown district of Santa Barbara, anchored by the State Street corridor of shops, restaurants and paseos.

Downtown Santa Barbara bike shop renting cruisers, e-bikes and road bikes, plus guided bike tours and surf lessons.

High-speed catamaran offering year-round whale watching trips from Santa Barbara harbor.

90-minute amphibious Land Shark tour covering Santa Barbara landmarks by road and the harbor by sea.

Family owned Santa Barbara pizza parlor making handmade pizza since 1969.

Free Santa Barbara museum tracing the region's Chumash, Spanish, Mexican and American history.

Harborside museum on Santa Barbara's maritime history with interactive exhibits and a theater.

Santa Barbara charter fishing boats running half and three quarter day trips to the Channel Islands.

Wine country destination marketing group for six Santa Barbara County towns across the Santa Ynez Valley.

Official visitor guide to Big Bear Lake, a four season mountain resort in the San Bernardino National Forest.

Orange County's cultural hub, known for its historic downtown, 200+ murals, and diverse dining and arts scene.

Surf lessons, camps, and board rentals for all skill levels on Santa Monica Beach.

Southern California's largest aquarium, home to more than 11,000 animals across 100-plus exhibits in Long Beach.

Presidential library and museum on the site of Nixon's birthplace, covering his life and presidency.

A sprawling independent record store on Hollywood Boulevard selling new and used vinyl, CDs, and movies.

Ferry service to Channel Islands National Park for day trips, camping drop offs, and whale and wildlife watching cruises.

An immersive storybook forest of handcrafted art, miniatures and puppetry built around original fairy tales.

Sunday flea market at Fairfax High School with vintage clothing, handmade crafts and live music.

An outdoor outlet shopping center on the I-15 corridor between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

A waterfront shopping and dining village at Ventura Harbor with boutiques, seafood restaurants and harbor activities.

Santa Barbara's only cat cafe, where visitors socialize with adoptable rescue cats in a cage-free lounge.

Simi Valley's tourism office promoting the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and local attractions.

Whale watching, dolphin cruises and sportfishing charters departing daily from Dana Point Harbor.

Indoor golf simulator bays with soccer, hockey and baseball games, steps from Disneyland Resort hotels.

Pirate-themed dinner theater with sword fights and aerial stunts staged around an indoor lagoon in Buena Park.

Southern California coastal city known for its harbor, beaches and Fashion Island shopping.