From the city guide, checked October 28, 2026.
The city is huge, so plan your weekends by area: downtown, Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire, the coast. Hours and visiting rules were checked October 28, 2026 on each place's official site.
Griffith Observatory
It sits in Griffith Park on the south slope of Mount Hollywood, at 2800 East Observatory Road. Admission is free. It is open Tuesday through Friday from noon to 10 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed Mondays. There is paid parking near the building and free parking downhill; the city's Department of Recreation and Parks runs it, details on the observatory's site.
The Getty Center
At 1200 Getty Center Dr, it shows art from the Middle Ages to today among gardens with city views. Admission is free with a timed-entry reservation. It is open Tuesday through Friday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday until 9 p.m., closed Mondays. Some pavilions are closed for renovation.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The stars run along both sides of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. Construction began on February 8, 1960, the first star (Stanley Kramer's) went in on March 28, 1960, and in 1994 the Walk was extended one block west, from Sycamore to La Brea. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce awards the stars and says about two are added each month, so check its ceremony schedule if you want to see one.
LACMA
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is at 5905 Wilshire Blvd, by the D Line Wilshire/Fairfax station. It is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday until 8 p.m., and weekends from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Wednesdays. The museum recommends buying timed tickets in advance, since walk-up slots can sell out. Jazz at LACMA plays on Fridays from April through October.
The Broad
An art museum downtown at 221 S. Grand Avenue. General admission is free; reserving a time is recommended, and walk-ups are taken daily. It is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday until 8 p.m., weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Mondays. Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored Room needs its own advance reservation.
El Pueblo and Olvera Street
The city began here, at 622 N Main St, in 1781. The city-run historic site has a plaza with a gazebo and statues, the Avila Adobe house, murals and fig trees about 200 years old, and Olvera Street packs in shops, restaurants, museums and galleries. The National Park Service notes that by the late 1800s El Pueblo was no longer the city center and became the site of the original Chinatown and Little Italy.
Santa Monica Pier
Open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a carousel, an arcade, an amusement park, restaurants, street performers and fishing. The pier bridge is being rebuilt through 2027, but the pier itself is open.
Venice Beach
The boardwalk, Ocean Front Walk (1800 Ocean Front Walk, Venice), runs over two miles, with street vendors and performers, the Muscle Beach gym, a skate plaza, a fishing pier and a bike path. The city's Department of Recreation and Parks runs it and estimates 28,000 to 30,000 visitors a day.
Point Dume State Beach
About 18 miles west of Santa Monica on Pacific Coast Highway, at Westward Beach Road. It is a state beach with bluff trails and a viewing platform, and gray whales pass during their December to mid-April migration. Day-use parking is open sunrise to sunset. A notice dated August 28, 2026 says Westward Beach Road is closed, so the lower lot is out of reach; the beach is open, but the free two-hour spots at the top are few, so come early. Dogs are not allowed on the beach or trails.