Top 3 Free Attractions in Los Angeles
If it’s your first time traveling to Los Angeles, California, you might find it a touch overwhelming deciding exactly which places to visit during your trip. Los Angeles is a huge city, and it’s chock full of world-famous attractions, beautiful beaches, and other famous sites. You can be sure you’ll put in some time trying to see all that LA has to offer!
Though it is particularly known around the world for its film industry, Los Angeles is also home to a thriving culinary scene, amazing museums, and family attractions, plus a plethora of fun outdoor activities.
When you’re planning your next trip to LA, consider adding these three places, all of which can be accessed for free, to your list.
1. Griffith Park and Griffith Observatory
While it’s free to explore Griffith Park, which is definitely a big draw for visitors, you will have to pay a small fee to see the shows at Griffith Observatory. Griffith Park is the largest state park in California, covering around 4,210 acres on the eastern side of the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s full of walking trails and places to drive through, as well as stunning views of the surrounding landscape.
Contained within the park are the Los Angeles Zoo, a Greek theater, a riding center constructed for the 1984 Olympics, golf courses, Griffith Observatory and its planetarium, tennis courts, hiking trails, and many more interesting features. You’ll definitely find something to do while you’re visiting the park!
Griffith Observatory’s prime location on the south face of Mount Hollywood and overlooking the Los Angeles basin also offers tourists a top-notch photo opportunity with the world-famous Hollywood Sign.
The observatory is open between noon and 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, with extended hours on the weekends. You can use the special solar telescopes to check out the sun during the day, and in the evening, use the telescopes to check out the night sky! The large Zeiss telescope, used to view the planets, the moon, and other bright celestial objects, is also free for use by the public, as long as the evening is clear.
2. Santa Monica Beach and Pier
Located to the west of Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica is home to one of the most famous beach scenes in the world. Check out the area’s great restaurants and nightlife or rent a bike and traverse the 22-mile bicycle path running parallel to the Pacific Ocean. Santa Monica’s beaches are considered some of the best in the world, boasting a number of fun attractions, great weather, and soft sand. State Beach in Santa Monica experiences an average of 340 days of sunshine each year, and the long-running television series Baywatch was filmed here.
You’ll want to take the time to check out the famous Santa Monica Pier and its famous Ferris Wheel. The iconic Santa Monica Pier is actually two piers in one: an older, longer pier built in 1909 and a shorter section built in 1916. It’s this newer section that attracts the most tourists. The plaza that links the two piers is home to a vintage amusement park with a wooden carousel, an old-school roller coaster, and the famous solar-powered Ferris Wheel. If you want to do a bit of shopping and people watching, check out Third Street Promenade. You can even watch some street performers if you have the time!
3. The J. Paul Getty Museum’s Los Angeles Site
Designed by famous architect Richard Meier, the circular steel-and-concrete Getty Center is home to some of the most well-known works of art in the world. Located on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Getty Center sits on around 110 acres of land and houses artwork dating from the Middle Ages through the present day. Entry into the museum is free, so make sure you come by to enjoy the diverse collection of European and American art. Check out Van Gogh’s Irises, Rembrandt’s The Abduction of Europa, and Monet’s Wheatstack, among other famous works. The collection includes paintings, drawings, and sculptures, along with an impressive collection of 19th- and 20th-century photographs.
Consider taking a guided tour of the museum — there are free 45-minute guided tours for groups of 15 to 30 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and complimentary headsets are available for self-guided audio tours any time during the day. Sculpture-ornamented gardens around the grounds also offer spectacular views of the Los Angeles Basin on clear days. The museum offers a standing collection along with changing extra exhibits throughout the year.
Wherever you go in Los Angeles, you’ll never run out of things to see! On your next trip, add these free attractions to your list, and you’ll be sure to get a diverse introduction to LA.
