The best free attractions in L.A.

The vista here is stunning, particularly at night when Los Angeles twinkles below. Inside (the museum is closed on Mondays, though the grounds are open) you’ll find a bevy of exhibits, including a Foucault pendulum, Tesla coil and planetarium show ($10). Give yourself plenty of time before the 10pm closing to gaze through the 12-inch refracting telescope on the roof, otherwise you can look through the far less crowded modern, reflecting telescope on the front lawn.

Time Out tip: Just a heads-up that parking now costs about $10 per hour, though you can take a DASH bus for only 50 cents—or a measly 35 cents if you have a Metro TAP card.

Three words: Infinity Mirror Rooms. Downtown’s persistently popular contemporary art museum has two of Yayoi Kusama’s immersive, mirror-laden rooms (one that you can step into and one that you only pop your head into). Elsewhere in the free museum, Eli and Edythe Broad’s collection of 2,000 post-war works includes artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jeff Koons. The entire permanent collection is free to check out, though special exhibitions usually require separate, paid tickets.

Time Out tip: Walk-up admission is allowed, but the museum recommends reserving a free timed ticket in advance (that way you can add on a reservation to the ground-floor Infinity Mirror Room and avoid the lines).

Industrialist Armand Hammer founded this museum in 1990, primarily to house his own collection, and it opened just three weeks before he died. Now the free, UCLA partner institution stages fascinating shows of modern art, photography and design, often with an emphasis on local artists.

Time Out tip: The Hammer’s shows are supplemented by a public events calendar (arguably one of the best in the city) chock-full of free lectures, concerts and screenings.

Back in 1875, a group of amateur paleontologists discovered animal remains in the pits at Rancho La Brea, which bubbled with asphalt from a petroleum lake under what is now Hancock Park. Some 140 years later, the pros are still at work here, having dragged millions of fossils from the mire in the intervening years. Though the indoor museum and excavation tours will cost you, it’s free to explore the tar pits in the surrounding park.

Time Out tip: After strolling around the tar pits, you’re in a particularly good spot to explore L.A. on foot. Snap a pic between the lamp posts of LACMA’s public artwork Urban Light, or walk up to the Grove and take a ride on the trolley.

In 1974, oil magnate J. Paul Getty opened a museum of his holdings in a faux villa in Pacific Palisades, based on the remains of the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum. Eventually the decorative arts and paintings were moved to the Getty Center (see below), but the villa remains as the home of Getty’s collection of Mediterranean antiquities. Today, there are roughly 1,200 artifacts on display at any one time, dated between 6,500 BC and 500 AD. Even if you’re not interested in the art, the palatial courtyards and manicured gardens are worth a visit. Admission is always free (with a timed reservation), though you’ll have to pay for parking ($25).

Time Out tip: To score a better deal on parking, head over after 3pm, when rates lower to $15, and stick around to watch the sun set over the ocean.

Tucked between the chaotic Venice Boardwalk and the posh Abbot Kinney, the Venice Canals showcase a completely different side of the famed beachfront neighborhood. Take a stroll through these three canal-lined blocks—hence the name, Venice—and you’ll discover an idyllic scene: arching pedestrian bridges, charming beach houses, bunches of ducklings and even the occasional paddleboarding bulldog.

Time Out tip: You can bring your own non-motorized boat to the canals and tour the neighborhood at water level (enter via the launch ramp at Venice Boulevard). 

Endeavour is currently off display as construction continues on its permanent home.

The main attraction at this kid-friendly museum is the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which was very publicly paraded through L.A. to reach its temporary home at the Samuel Oschin Pavilion—a permanent structure slated to display the ship upright is in the works. In the meantime, there are lots of other hands-on, educational exhibitions to check out. While the permanent galleries are free to visit, some special exhibitions and IMAX movies required a paid ticket.

Time Out tip: From now until the 2028 Summer Olympics, kids can get in the game with “Game On!,” which teaches about the science behind sports with interactive challenges.

The city’s main library is worth a look even if you’ve no interest in borrowing books. The exterior is an Egyptian and Mediterranean beauty, topped with a dramatic, tiled pyramid tower and decorated with bas-reliefs. The most stunning features, though, reside in the second-floor rotunda, with its deco-meets-arabesque dome, California-history mural and globe chandelier.

Time Out tip: Besides books, a Los Angeles Public Library card can score you access to a ton of other free perks, from free parking to museum passes to movie tickets.

Just inland from the Pacific Coast Highway and easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there, the mystical Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine is run by a non-denominational order that welcomes visitors but doesn’t proselytise to them. Set on a 10-acre site that was used as a film set during the silent era, the lovely gardens evoke old Hollywood: Look out for the Dutch windmill chapel, the Mississippi houseboat and a number of gliding swans. The East, meanwhile, is represented by a gilded lotus gate enclosing a shrine that contains some of Gandhi’s ashes. You’ll need a reservation to visit the meditation gardens—which are open for free from Wednesday through Sunday—and spots fill up quickly.

Time Out tip: For some peace and quiet, take a seat on one of the benches under the Golden Lotus Archway, look out at the lake and enjoy the stillness.

Officially known as the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, this 22-mile bicycle path traces nearly the entire extent of L.A.’s westward-facing coastline. The path starts at Will Rogers State Beach and winds its way all the way down to Torrance County Beach.

Time Out tip: If you’d rather take the path at a walking pace, you’ll find pedestrian-friendly forks in Santa Monica, Venice and Manhattan Beach—perfect for snooping on the stunning oceanfront real estate.

The iconic amphitheater doubles as a semi-secret county park. As long as the venue isn’t holding a performance (an admittedly rare occurrence from June to September), you’re welcome to park for free and stroll about the grounds as you please. Hike all the way up the hilly environs to admire the views or walk into the seating area where, chances are, you’ll see people working out on the stairs.

Time Out tip: If you’re lucky, you can catch an open LA Phil rehearsal during the summer (these days vary, so call 323-850-2000 for a schedule). 

The Getty Villa’s sister institution, the Getty Center, opened in 1997 and is a remarkable complex of travertine and white metal-clad pavilions housing ornate French furniture, recognizable Impressionist pieces and rotating exhibitions. Its relative inaccessibility (you have to take a tram up a hill to reach the entrance) is more than compensated for by the panoramic views, from the hills and the ocean in the west all the way around to Downtown in the east. Admission is free (with a timed ticket), but you’ll have to pay $25 for parking.

Time Out tip: If you don’t mind driving the 20–45 minutes between the Getty Center and the Villa in the same day, you can pay once and park twice (Wed–Sun), giving you more bang for your buck.

After a massive makeover a few years back, this former reservoir finally became a family-friendly destination worthy of its bold backdrop: the Downtown skyline amid the lotus flower blooms, fountains and the Lady of the Lake statue. You can push your way through the lake in a pedal or swan boat ($13 per hour), but it’s totally free to just stroll around the path that hugs its borders.

Time Out tip: If you’re up for it, from the lake you’re just a short (uphill) walk away from the gorgeous Victorian homes of Angelino Heights, many of which you might recognize from movies and TV shows—even the “Thriller” music video.

The Bradbury Building’s nondescript, brick exterior belies any sense of significance. Walk through the archway entrance on Broadway, though, and you’re greeted with a stunning, light-flooded alley of wood, iron and brick—which you might recognize from Blade Runner and (500) Days of Summer. You’ll have to do all of your gawking from the ground floor (and half a flight of stairs) as the rest of the building is private office space.

Time Out tip: When you step outside, you’re right across the street from historic food hall Grand Central Market—which isn’t free but is budget-friendly and boasts dozens of vendors that will satisfy any craving.

The grand, white concrete tower has stood tall as a city icon since 1928, and today it’s the easiest way to take in an elevated view of Downtown and beyond. If you’re ever passing through the Civic Center during public hours—weekdays 9am–5pm, enter on Main Street—then you owe yourself a visit to the 27th-floor observation deck.

Time Out tip: While you’re there, walk around the surrounding park and look for the 1984 Olympic torch near the Spring Street exit.

It spans an impressive 4,210 acres, so it’s easy to get lost in L.A.’s largest public green space, much of which remains unchanged from the days when Native Americans settled here. For more activity-minded folks, there are myriad attractions (the L.A. Zoo, the Observatory, Travel Town, the Autry Museum), plus hiking routes and horseback riding trails.

Time Out tip: If you plan on hiking, we highly suggest downloading Ellen Reid’s Soundwalk, a location-based musical composition that transforms as you move about Griffith Park.

Considered the focal point of Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica Pier includes Pacific Park, an admission-free amuseument park stocked with paid attractions: a Ferris wheel, aquarium, fairground games, cotton candy stands and a new funhouse. You can enjoy the coastal views, though, without spending a dime—parking rates aside.

Time Out tip: A 15-minute walk away is Third Street Promenade, a four-block pedestrianized stretch of shopping and dining that’s admittedly less of a draw than it once was—though it does boast a stellar farmers’ market.

The West Trail is closed until further notice due to damage caused by the Sunset Fire, but the rest of Runyon Canyon remains open.

This 160-acre park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains has one main loop, plus a bevy of dirt hiking trails. The sea of buff trainers and their sleek, sweaty clients can get to be too much during the busy morning and weekend workout traffic, but you’ll be rewarded with some of the best views of the city (and, if you’re lucky, a chance to gawk at power-walking celebs).

Time Out tip: If you’re in the mood for a panoramic view but not a hike, you can use the northern entrance off the 7300 block of Mulholland Drive.

The main branch of L.A.’s Museum of Contemporary Art houses thousands of artworks crafted from 1940 to today, and it’s an efficient primer on post-war art. Make a reservation and spend half an hour or an entire afternoon absorbing contemporary pieces from lesser-known artists, punctuated by sightings of Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock works.

Time Out tip: Sister location the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA consistently hosts some of the best exhibitions in the city. Specially ticketed shows charge $18 for admission, but you can book free tickets for the first Friday of each month.

Originally created in 1923, the then-“Hollywoodland” sign was supposed to be up for only a year and a half, yet here it is almost a century later. Getting close to the Hollywood Sign, though, is an often contentious issue, thanks to pressure from local homeowners. You can catch a dead-on glimpse of the sign on Beachwood Drive, or farther up the hill near Lake Hollywood Park.

Time Out tip: Looking to get even closer to the sign? Lace up for a trek along the closed-to-public-vehicles road on Mt. Lee Drive. You’ll end up directly above the Hollywood Sign, where you can experience a 360-degree view of the cityscape.

Walk through old-world Mexico in Downtown L.A. at this historic pedestrian plaza, part of the original settlement of L.A. Tourists and locals alike roam the promenade dotted with restaurants and stores to pick up Mexican candies, souvenirs and huaraches while sampling eateries along the way.

Perched over the Pacific sits one of the most idyllic spots in all of L.A.: the Korean Bell of Friendship. The mighty metallic bell’s rusty green finish complements the ornately painted hipped roof—its paint job has seen better days, but that doesn’t detract from the beauty of the 1976 goodwill gift from South Korea. If you plan your visit for the Fourth of July, National Liberation Day of Korea (Aug 15), during Constitution Week in September, or on New Year’s Eve, you can hear the bell ring, which only happens four times each year.

Time Out tip: The exposed, grassy bluff surrounding the bell is an ideal spot to fly a kite or just lounge in the grass of Angels Gate Park.

Bigger than it looks from the outside, this handsome museum, conference center and research library focuses on the artistic and historical achievements of African Americans. The permanent exhibit loosely tells the story of African Americans’ journey from Africa, through emancipation and into the 21st century, using an assortment of paintings, textiles, photographs, ceremonial objects, personal testimonies and other memorabilia.

Time Out tip: Keep an eye on the museum’s calendar; in addition to traveling exhibitions throughout the year, you’ll find occasional screenings and workshops. The museum usually hosts an edition of KCRW Summer Nights each year, too.

The owners of Hollywood Forever have been criticized for promoting the place as a tourist attraction, but any cemetery that houses the remains of such celluloid luminaries as Cecil B. DeMille and Jayne Mansfield would probably become one regardless. Consider this Hollywood’s most lavish public park, which is also home to summer outdoor movie screenings, a popular Day of the Dead festival and a number of unique concert events.

Skip the paid lots at Zuma and Point Dume and search for free all-day street parking between the two (Westward Beach Rd between Pacific Coast Hwy and Birdview Ave). Plenty of spots are available along the Pacific Coast Highway and among the ritzy neighborhoods farther up the Malibu coastline, but those beaches aren’t nearly as spacious as the one here.

Time Out tip: Zuma Lagoon, which divides Zuma and Westward beaches, is a popular birdwatching spot, where beyond gulls you might spot a range of shorebirds, waterfowl and birds of prey.

Located in the northwest corner of Griffith Park, Travel Town could be thought of as a petting zoo for railroad cars, including engines and cabooses from the late 1800s. But it’s not the only destination in the park for budding railroad aficionados: The adjoining Walt’s Barn offers a glimpse into Walt Disney’s model-railroad workshop (relocated to the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum from his former home in Holmby Hills) on the third Sunday of each month.

Time Out tip: While not free, you can hop on a kid-friendly train ride at Travel Town or the Live Steamers Railroad Museum for just $4.