This is the second half of the 104 top things to do in the greater LA area.
Be sure to also check out the first half of this 2-part series, where we already covered the coastal region from Malibu to Long Beach, some amusement parks, and the area from Pasadena to Burbank.
We ended the first part with number 52, so we’ll start this one with…
53. Bel Air
This residential neighborhood in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains is famous for its luxury: Large villas, swimming pools, and tennis courts.
54. Beverly Hills and the Rodeo Drive
Known for its celebrity residents, luxury homes, designer labels, and couture fashion stores along Rodeo Drive. You will also experience unique architecture, lush parks, and magnificent bars and restaurants.
One of the most classic things to do in LA!
55. The Greystone Mansion
This place is just a 10-minute drive from Rodeo Drive. When it was built in 1928, the 55-room estate was the most expensive home in California.
It’s featured in numerous movies like The Big Lebowski, The Bodyguard, and X-Men.
56. Sunset Strip
Passing through West Hollywood, this 1.5-mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard is known for its gigantic, colorful billboards, restaurants, nightclubs, and boutiques.
57. Melrose Avenue
This is one of LA’s most famous streets. Especially its most western part has lots of shops, restaurants, and entertainment destinations.
58. The Paramount Pictures Studio Tour
As this is a working studio, what you’ll see during your tour is unpredictable. If you’re lucky and you really want to go behind the scenes of a movie production, you’ll love this tour!
59. The Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Just a short walk away, this cemetery serves as a resting place for many Hollywood stars. It also hosts live music events and summer movie screenings.
60. Go on a Hollywood and Celebrity Homes Tour
Experience all the famous Hollywood attractions and see some gorgeous mansions owned by famous film stars while sitting in an open minibus.
61. Madame Tussaud’s Hollywood
This wax museum features 125 figures of famous celebrities.
62. The Dolby Theatre
Formerly known as Kodak Theatre, this live-performance auditorium is the venue of the annual Academy Awards ceremony.
63. The TCL Chinese Theatre
Being one of the most famous Hollywood cinematic icons, this theatre has the biggest IMAX auditorium on Earth.
64. The Walk of Fame
Right in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre, the Walk of Fame stretches over 18 blocks. It honors legendary figures in the entertainment industry.
This is one of the most iconic things to do in LA!
65. The Runyon Canyon Park
Due to its adjacency to Hollywood and the Hollywood Hills, this dog-friendly park is known for celebrity sightings. You can also experience great views towards Downtown Los Angeles.
Our next destination is about a 15-minute drive away:
66. The Grove and the Original Farmers Market
Known for high-end shopping and dining, this retail and entertainment complex is completely outdoors.
Probably the most visited part of The Grove is the Original Farmers Market, featuring prepared food stalls, empanada bakers, specialty food stores, and more.
67. Visit the La Brea Tar Pits
This excavation site of Ice Age fossils with adjoining museum is worthwhile for everyone interested into prehistoric nature.
68. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The LACMA with the Urban Light right in front of its entrance is one of the best things to do in LA, especially for art lovers.
With over 150.000 works ranging from ancient times to the present, this is the western US’s largest art museum. The Urban Light installation consists of 202 restored street lamps from Southern California from the 1920 and 30s.
Just a 4-minute walk away is…
69. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Just opened in 2021, this is the country’s biggest museum devoted to the history, science, and cultural impact of the movie business.
70. Walk up to the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
Walking these 282 steps that are also known as the ‘Culver City Stairs’ are worth it: You’ll experience panoramic views up top of LA and stunning sunsets.
Located less than 1.5 miles away is our next stop:
71. Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
Called ‘LA’s Central Park’ because of its size, this park features a great variety of trails, a native coastal sage scrub habitat, and stunning vistas.
The next few things to do are all located in Exposition Park, about 6.5 miles east.
72. The California Science Center
This museum bills itself as the West Coast’s biggest hands-on science center, so if you’re interested in science, this place is perfect for you!
Right next to it:
73. The Natural History Museum of LA County
You’ll see more than 35 million exhibits, from insects to T-Rex skeletons.
74. The California African American Museum
The CAAM conserves over 6.300 paintings, photographs, sculptures, and artifacts and its library has a collections of more than 20.000 books.
75. The LA Memorial Coliseum
This multi-purpose stadium will be the first stadium that hosted the Summer Olympics three times after the 2028 Summer Olympics.
76. Watch a Lakers, Clippers, or Kings game
Formerly known as StaplesCenter, the crypto.com Arena built in 1999 hosts nearly 250 events per year.
77. The Grammy Museum
For all the music lovers out there, this museum features history, interactive exhibitions, and a guide on how to win a Grammy award.
78. Pershing Square
This park hosts events and concerts in the summer months, but is a great spot to enjoy public artworks too.
79. The Last Bookstore
Amazon hasn’t taken every bookstore out of business yet. This 22,000 square foot bookstore is in an old bank, you are bound to find something good to read here!
80. The Downtown LA Art Walk
A series of galleries and shops offering small artists and businesses a place to let their creativity shine.
81. Grand Central Market
For a bite to eat, this market has cuisines from all over the globe, surely to satisfy every appetite.
82. The Bradbury Building
For the architecture fan, this nearly 130 year old building has been seen in many movies and photographs.
83. Angels Flight
The worlds shortest railway will take you from Hill Street and Grand Avenue on Bunker Hill.
84. The Museum of Contemporary Art
The only artist-founded museum in LA is also the only museum devoted exclusively to contemporary art in the city.
85. The Broad
This museum with its unique architecture opened in 2015 and has an amazing collection of contemporary art from the 1950s to the present.
86. Walt Disney Concert Hall
This unique building designed by Frank Gehry is home to the LA Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel.
87. Grand Park
This open space is great for a picnic, to take your pup for a play date at the dog run, or for your little ones to play at the splash pad on a hot day.
88. Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels
Both criticized and regarded for its modern design, this is one of LAs largest cathedrals.
89. Los Angeles City Hall Observation Deck
For a priceless view of downtown LA, head to the 26th floor of city hall.
90. Little Tokyo
For a taste of Japan in the US, head over to what was once the largest Japanese community in the US.
91. The Arts District
This area features unique shops, cafes, restaurants, and murals. Check out Dover Street Market for fantastic fashion finds and La Chachacha for a rooftop cocktail.
92. Smorgasburg
This once a week open air market is filled with delicious treats and savory bites.
93. Union Station
The largest rail terminal in the Western US, this station has a series of magnificent artworks for exploring and food for tasting.
94. El Pueblo de Los Angeles
This is the birthplace of LA, settled by 44 people in 1781 under Spain.
95. Olvera Street
This historic, block-long Mexican marketplace by El Pueblo is a romanticized version of the old Los Angeles.
96. Chinatown
Described as one of the easiest ways to get out of LA without leaving LA, the pagoda-like houses with its red lanterns and the great Chinese restaurants are worth a visit.
97. Los Angeles Historic Park
Considered the ‘Ellis Island of LA’, where new arrivals from the East first embarked, this 32-acre California State Park offers great views of downtown and public events.
Just a 5-minute drive away:
98. The Dodger Stadium
The home of the LA Dodgers is the third-oldest baseball stadium in the US and the largest in the world by seat capacity.
99. Echo Park
A fountain in the middle of a large lake full of lotus flowers, a stunning view of the LA skyline, and some incredible street food close by. You can even go paddle-boarding!
Another one mile away is our 100th thing to do in LA:
100. Vista Hermosa Natural Park
This charming park in the middle of the city is a natural oasis full of trees and beautiful flowers. Great trails with spectacular views of Downtown LA and many playgrounds for children.
If you wanna learn about more natural places in the Golden State, be sure to check out our blog post about the 30 most beautiful nature spots in California!
A little bit more than 20 minutes away:
101. The Watts Towers Art Center
These 17 towers, sculptural features, mosaics, and more, were built solely by the artist Simon Rodia over a period of 33 years.
Another 20-minute drive away:
102. Watch a Rams or a Chargers game at SoFi Stadium
This sports and entertainment complex will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Summer Olympics. You can see it before landing at LAX, it’s just 3 miles east.
One of the best things to do in LA for sports enthusiasts for sure!
103. Visit an event at The LA Forum
Located immediately north of SoFi Stadium, this multi-purpose indoor arena was home to the LA Lakers and the LA Kings till 1999. Today, The Forum is mostly used as a concert venue.
104. Visit some of the beautiful nearby towns
We know, that’s not a thing to do in Los Angeles, but we wanted to add these charming California beach towns anyway.
Huntington Beach, also known as Surf City USA, is known for its long stretch of sandy beach, perfect surfing conditions, and beach culture.
Newport Beach also has great beaches, the charming Balboa Island with its many local businesses, and is a popular destination for all boating activities.
Laguna Beach, probably Orange County’s least overdeveloped beach town, is also one of the prettiest. Gorgeous beaches, a thriving art scene, bohemian chic, an array of water sports, and a great network of trails.
Santa Barbara, the American Riviera, is located between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the ocean and has great, sandy beaches. This town also has some excellent restaurants, a beautiful mission, amazing wines and charming Spanish-revival architecture .
Distances from LAX: Huntington Beach is about an 45-minute drive away, Newport Beach a little more than 50 minutes, Laguna Beach almost an hour. The drive to Santa Barbara, the only city up northwest mentioned here, takes about 2 hours on the freeway. If you take the prettier route through Malibu, it takes a little longer.
So these are the 104 things to do in and around LA.
If you want to see more, check out our list featuring the best movie locations you can visit in Los Angeles!
If you enjoyed reading this list, you’ll LOVE watching it in video-format:
