Things to do in L.A. this weekend: Oct 2–4

Frogtown Arts’ monthly riverfront event fills the neighborhood with food, arts and crafts, games and music. Start at Salazar and stroll past a dozen participating spots along the river, including Spoke Bicycle Cafe, Lingua Franca, Just What I Kneaded, Justine’s Wine Bar and Frogtown Brewery—about a 30-minute walk in all. Expect gallery exhibitions, music, family-friendly activities, pet adoptions and more. Parking in Frogtown is notoriously hard to come by, so ridesharing is encouraged.

Stroll through a mile-long trail filled with all things pumpkins, including an illuminated forest of jack-o’-lanterns, during Descanso Gardens’ annual Carved.

For a month this fall (Oct 2–Nov 1), the event lines a loop of the botanical garden with pumpkins in all sorts of forms: as a sea monster rising from a pond, in thick clusters on the ground and cobbled together into a house.

Last year, the event introduced a new route, and for the 2026 edition, the popular neon-hued Rhizome light sculpture will move into the dramatic Oak Grove, and the labyrinth will feature immersive new sculptures by Helsinki-based artist Alexander Reichstein. The gardens’ model trains will again be illuminated during the event. Timed tickets ($29–$52, kids 2–12 $19–$37) are on sale now. This year also sees the introduction of a new “anytime” ticket that can be used on any date—though at a pricey $85, it makes a case for just committing to a day and time.

Look out for the expanded Día de los Muertos ofrenda altar near the entrance on your way to the two main jack-o’-lantern areas. The first is a forested section lined with expressively carved (but fake) pumpkins, some of which have been arranged into wonderfully whimsical characters (a crow-like scarecrow and a pumpkin holding its own head, among them). Meanwhile, there’s a pavilion in the rose garden with real gourds whose designs are inspired by pop culture characters (plus a station where you can see them being carved).

There are a few familiar sights if you’ve ever attended Descanso’s other holiday tradition, Enchanted, but tweaked for Halloween. Like Enchanted, the music is moody (but not spooky or scary; this is definitely made for families), and the installations are artfully assembled: Sure, they could’ve just dumped a bunch of jack-o’-lanterns everywhere, but supplementing them with woven straw lanterns, glowing boxes and a neon tangle of web-like ropes was a way more creative choice.

Depending on the crowds and how often you stop for photos, expect to spend at least 45 minutes walking around—plus some extra time if you stop for snacks and drinks in the courtyard or some sweets in the rose garden (the churro is great). Alternatively, while you’ll miss out on all of the after-dark elements, the decor is all still visible during a daytime trip to Descanso; it’s also considerably cheaper ($18) this way, and while nothing will be illuminated (which is admittedly the essence of Carved), you can still pose in front of the pumpkin house or navigate the hay maze.

Swing by gallery shows, open studios, parties and pop-up shops during this illuminating design series that is honoring 130 designers, studios, galleries and brands that make up the local creative community. For the third annual L.A. Design Weekend, the event is expanding from three to five days and partnering with dublab. Expect programming in a different cluster of neighborhoods each day: Wednesday will bring programming to DTLA, the Fashion District and Boyle Heights; on Thursday the action takes place in Chinatown; Friday is all about the Arts District; Saturday is full of workshops and open studios in Northeast L.A., Lincoln Heights, Silver Lake, Highland Park and Frogtown; and Sunday sees more open studios and group shows in neighborhoods including Echo Park, Los Feliz, East Hollywood and Atwater Village. Most events are free, though some workshops and lunches have fees to cover the cost of materials. Whichever route you take through the event, you’re sure to come away filled with creative inspiration.

Enjoy crunchy tacos and support the arts at the Westside’s locally beloved Tito’s Tacos, which is teaming up with Tito’s Handmake Vodka to raise funds for the Culver City Arts Foundation. The ninth annual Tito’s Fiesta Mexicana will feature the longtime restaurant’s tacos, burritos and flan, Tito’s vodka-based cocktails and five hours of music acts, including Mariachi Sol De Mexico de Jose Hernandez. The event will also include traditional folklórico dance performances and a piñata station. Each $35 admission ticket nets you three food items and three cocktails, and there’s also a $20 alcohol-free ticket for designated drivers and anyone else who’d rather not imbibe. 

She & Him’s Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward offer their perfectly breezy pop confections, setting exactly the right tone for a lazy, hazy evening. The duo hasn’t toured for four years but will be performing material from their three original albums—including the resurgent hit “I Thought I Saw Your Face Today”—on the Pump Up the Volumes Tour, which stops for two nights at the Orpheum.

Idyllic Montana Avenue shuts out cars from 7th to 17th Streets and turns into an artistic hub during this annual neighborhood event. Browse art and goods from over 150 vendors, hear live music from an expanded lineup of local musicians, and frequent the independent shops and eateries along the Santa Monica stretch. This year’s edition celebrates the centennial of Route 66 with themed artwork, immersive installations and a classic car showcase, plus a MINI automotive activation. And if you’re in need of a mindful moment, stop by the new Wellness Pavilion.

Shop and browse centuries’ worth of rare volumes and hear literary talks during this biannual book fair. Over 50 exhibitors from London, New York and elsewhere will fill the historic Union Station with first editions, hard-to-find books, prints, photographs, maps and other ephemera. This Halloweentime edition celebrates the 50th anniversary of Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire with a special exhibit of vampire-related books and memorabilia, plus a talk with Rice’s son. Proceeds benefit the Library Foundation of Los Angeles.

The Outsiders graduates from required reading to a Tony–winning musical, which got its start in San Diego before taking Broadway by storm (read Time Out theater critic Adam Feldman’s full review here). Now the production is stopping at the Hollywood Pantages as part of its national tour, and settling the decades-old feud between Greasers and Socs.

Think men could do a bit of a better job listening when it comes to dating? This Bachelorette-style game show runs with that conceit as its one rule: The four men competing for a date can’t speak. Instead, they’ll nod and doodle while host Allison Goldberg searches their phones and dials their moms. You can usually find Love Isn’t Blind staged monthly (and you can even apply to participate in it).

It’s been almost a decade since 24K Magic, but its foot-tapping facsimile of ’70s funk, ’80s disco-pop and ’90s R&B still hasn’t lost its sheen, and we’re betting that Mars’s party tunes will still have enough funk to get you uptown—or to SoFi Stadium, where Mars is stopping for four nights in October on his Romantic Tour. The outing marks the singer’s first global headline tour since his 24K Magic World Tour (though L.A. was treated to a couple of shows in summer 2024 when he christened Intuit Dome as its first performer). Opening the shows will be Raye and Mars’s Silk Sonic collaborator, Anderson .Paak, who’ll perform as DJ Pee .Wee. 

If you’ve had your fill of Oktoberfest fare, you can swap out giant pretzels for dumplings at the returning Dumpling & Beer Fest at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse. General admission, live entertainment (think K-pop and a dance party) and carnival games are free. Beer garden tickets include unlimited tastings from participating breweries and exclusive access to special pours. Meanwhile, dumpling vendors and assorted food trucks will be on hand to sell an array of fried and steamed dumplings—in fact, nine SoCal dumpling makers will compete live in the inaugural JoySauce Dumpling Bowl. 

It feels like Oktoberfest all year round at Silver Lake’s long-running Red Lion Tavern, but it’s especially festive in the fall, when it celebrates the Bavarian tradition all the way through mid-November. Order the Oktoberfest platter—an epic array of pretzels, brats, schnitzel and sides—alongside a four-liter boot of beer. You’ll also find live music and stein-holding contests on select nights. Check the bar’s Instagram for programming updates.

Every weekend through October 24, this Venice gastropub is throwing a Bavarian celebration with lederhosen and finger-licking fare. Dive into a savory rattlesnake and rabbit hot link topped with onions and peppers, choose from a selection of German and Belgian beers on draft, and enjoy yodeling and live German music. The best part? Each ticket (with noon or 5pm start times on Saturdays and 2pm start times on Sundays) includes a Wurstküche beer stein, with the first fill-up included. Entry isn’t cheap ($72 and up), but the seatings regularly sell out.

You may have come across Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s massive troll sculptures—which he makes from reclaimed wood and hides in nature to encourage people to get out and enjoy the outdoors—on Instagram. But you don’t need to book a trip to Denmark to see the gentle giants. The 87 acres of Palos Verdes’s South Coast Botanic Garden are currently home to 12 of the whimsical figures, and you can glimpse them all with your general admission ticket. For $33, you can take a guided walking tour of the Twelvelings (with general admission included). To see the trolls in a different light, one night a month, the gardens will host the Canopy Club—an after-hours dance party in the woods with pop-up performances, food and drinks ($34–$50).

Listen to classical and jazz in a dome more than a mile above L.A. during this mountaintop concert series curated by artistic director Cécilia Tsan. The Mount Wilson Observatory is once again hosting monthly concerts this summer inside the dome of its 100-inch Hooker telescope—which was the largest telescope in the world for much of the first half of the 20th century. Tickets cost $65 (that also includes access to the exhibit at the observatory), and it’s highly recommended that you buy them in advance since seating is limited. Note: You’ll need to be able to climb 53 steps to reach the dome, and children under 12 aren’t permitted. 

If you loved Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (or even, gasp, Louisa May Alcott’s original), head to the Heritage Square Museum and step into the lives of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy in this immersive ballet—the autumn installment of a seasonal trilogy developed by Emma Andres, the resident choreographer for Pasadena Civic Ballet. It’s a triumphant return for the ballet, after its props, merchandise, decorations and many costumes were destroyed by the recent Eaton Fire. Choose from five site-specific performances in the museum’s Victorian mansions over the course of the weekend. A goodie bag and complimentary autumn beverages and desserts are included with admission.

The only thing better than a haunted attraction is a haunted attraction on a giant boat—which has its own haunted history. You’ll find all the usual horrors here—think fog, mazes and countless monsters roaming around. What sets Dark Harbor apart is its use of its surroundings; the dark, cramped confines of the Queen Mary are already pretty spooky even without monsters—just be prepared to climb a lot of skinny staircases. For its 13th anniversary, the event dives further into the ocean liner’s lore with reimagined mazes set both on shore and in the ship’s swimming pool and corridors. New this year is the “Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact” maze, as well as carnival rides Alien Abduction and blacklight bumper cars. When you tire of the terror, sip spirits at secret speakeasies or catch spooky live entertainment.

Following the wildly successful first edition of her Daisy Chain Fields music festival, Olivia Rodrigo is stepping into the spotlight at the Grammy Museum, where a new two-part exhibition is devoted to the pop star. Running through February 22, 2027, “Olivia Rodrigo: the cure unraveled” features an exclusive look at the handcrafted hospital sets, costumes, props, stop-motion animatronics and original artwork from the singer’s music video for single “the cure.” Meanwhile, “note by note,” the second installment, which opens September 25, offers a journey through the prolific singer’s career so far, with outfits and accessories spanning all three of her album cycles and two world tours, plus items fresh from the Daisy Chain Fields grounds.

Walk across the grounds of the scenic King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas as the Santa Monica Mountains hideaway is illuminated with thousands of hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns. (Fun fact: Calabasas has a pumpkin-filled history—it’s actually named after the Spanish word for the gourd: “calabaza”.) Night of the Jack returns with a reimagined mile-long trail this year, plus food trucks and a “Spookeasy,” too. 

For 2026, the family-friendly event is also introducing Jack’s Carnival, with around a dozen kid-friendly rides and games, plus new lantern art, photo ops, projection mapping and a new display in the illuminated field. 

Timed tickets are required each night. As is the case with all similar experiences, they’re not cheap and fluctuate ($34.50–$57) depending on the day of the week and time of night. The cheapest tickets are for the 6pm “Almost Dark” session, where you embark on the trail as it flickers to life during golden hour. The most expensive are the “anytime” tickets, which let you arrive at any point during the night—those cost up to $83. Expect to spend an hour to an hour and a half at the experience, though that could double on weekends (and closer to Halloween) when the entry crowds and food truck lines tick up.

Sure, it doesn’t look so glamorous now, but give it a few years, a billion or so dollars and some steady rain, and the L.A. River will be a point of civic pride for Angelenos. Do your part in the meantime at the Friends of the Los Angeles River’s 36th annual cleanup, which is again taking place over two weekends this year. Rather than focusing on one spot, the events will tackle multiple locations on October 3 and 10: the Willow Street Bridge in Long Beach, Steelhead Park in Elysian Valley, the Sepulveda Basin in the Valley, and Compton Creek just steps from the Metro A Line. Volunteering is free, but you need to register online ahead of time—a couple of sessions are already at capacity.

After a hiatus and a roster change, SoCal’s beloved Growlers are back, led by frontman Brooks Nielsen. The band’s live shows are chock-full of its signature summery, psychedelic ’60s garage rock. This year, instead of a Halloween show at the Palladium, Nielsen is leading a show at the Greek in early October.

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its 35-year run at the museum. Seating for the program is available in the museum’s plaza on a first-come, first-served basis, though you’re welcome to picnic on the grass, too (you won’t really be able to see the show, but you’ll still hear it). You’ll find the series on Friday evenings in LACMA’s welcome plaza (just behind Urban Light) throughout the summer and into the fall. We’re betting it’ll be even more popular than usual this year, with the new David Geffen Galleries in the background.

What could be a better fit for Halloween than spooky films screened in a cemetery? Following its 25th season, Cinespia will return to Hollywood Forever Cemetery this October for Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, a 50th-anniversary screening of Carrie and Jennifer’s Body, leading up to John Carpenter’s The Thing on Halloween night itself. Enjoy spirited DJ sets before and after the movie, and be sure to strike a pose in the free themed photo booth each night.

Artist and composer Emmit Fenn turns an Arts District soundstage into a multisensory music experience during this limited-run performance. The phone-free, roughly two-hour event progresses across three environments: a snowy field where you can enjoy tea, the main music space where synchronized lights appear to float atop a darkened pool of water and a post-show gallery with behind-the-scenes imagery.

Right in time for Halloween season, the Academy Museum seeks to answer the question “Why do horror films matter so deeply to so many?” in this immersive look at the genre whose cultural cachet is always increasing. Knowingly employing horror tropes and exploring the lasting appeal of scary movies, the show will be divided into six subcategories of horror—gothic, psychological, science, slasher, religion and ghosts. Expect re-creations of iconic settings where visitors will encounter creatures, monsters and objects from their favorite horror flicks and, in typical Academy fashion, a behind-the-scenes look at the storytelling and production processes of films from the original Frankenstein to The Shining to Get Out.

Home of the Los Angeles County Fair, the Fairplex turns into a German wonderland for Oktoberfest every Friday and Saturday from October 2 to 17, complete with Bavarian music, beer, games and plenty of chicken dancing. Sink your teeth into bratwurst, knockwurst, pretzels and potato pancakes while knocking back authentic German suds at this 21-plus event with DJs, oompah outfits, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Selena and Journey cover bands. 

This Highland Park biergarten is hosting its second annual Oktoberfest shindig, transforming the space into a Bavarian beer hall. The sister to Wirtshaus and Rasselbock already serves standout sausages and schnitzel year-round (including veggie options), but every Friday and Saturday through Halloween, you can also enjoy food and drink specials, live music, stein-holding contests and more.

He’s why birds suddenly appear—oops, wrong Carpenter. This one may be why birds fall dead from the sky, as L.A. will see when the Academy Museum’s John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness series opens September 26, bringing the horror maestro’s pulsing synth scores, practical monsters and beautifully bleak worldview to the big screen through October 25. The retrospective includes The Thing, Halloween, They Live, Big Trouble in Little China, Christine, The Fog and Prince of Darkness in 35mm, among others. And Carpenter himself will make an appearance on four nights! Basically, consider this your excuse to spend a month being gloriously creeped out at the movies.

Go pumpkin picking in the pines as a Halloween-themed month of activities hits this perennially Christmas Lake Arrowhead amusement park. Each weekend in October, SkyPark at Santa’s Village hosts its Pumpkins in the Pines activities, with pumpkins and hay bales covering the grounds of the park.

Though the park is open select days during the week, the Hallowen activities are limited to Saturdays and Sundays. That’s when you’ll find pumpkin picking and painting, photo ops, a Sleepy Hollow puppet show, a Monster Mash light show, costume contests and trick-or-treating.

Reservations aren’t required, but you can secure a better rate by buying tickets in advance. Also, just a heads-up that some activities cost a few bucks extra.

Scope out B-movie classics and under-the-radar premieres at Beyond Fest. Held in partnership with American Cinematheque (which the fest raises funds for), it includes two weeks of screenings and Q&As with actors and filmmakers. Highlights from this year’s lineup include a day-long celebration of Robert Eggers’s work, the world premiere of V/H/S/MIXTAPE, and M. Night Shyamalan and Bruce Dern retrospectives. You’ll find the films spread across town at the Cinematheque’s three venues: the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, Los Feliz 3 and Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, which is reopening after technical upgrades just in time for the festival.

The 18th annual Hola México Film Festival returns to L.A. with over 20 features and 20 short films originating from our neighbors to the south, highlighting the achievements of Mexican and Latino filmmakers. The fest kicks off with a red-carpet screening of Loco México Mágico at the Montalbán Theater, followed by the L.A. premiere of Memorex + Rexsexex y Más the next day, but you’ll find most movies screened at Regal Cinemas LA Live, as well as theaters in Pico Rivera and Inglewood. LA Plaza de Cultura Y Artes hosts the closing-night film, romantic comedy A Marte, plus a concert by Spaghetti Cumbia.

Face your fears and head to the Natural History Museum’s Spider Pavilion, where you can observe several hundred orbweaver spiders in a living exhibit just outside of the museum. Scared the spiders might be hard to spot in the wild? Fret not. In previous iterations, we’ve spotted ones about the size of an adult’s palm. Gulp. (But don’t worry: The scariest ones—from tarantulas to wolf spiders—are in enclosed habitats.) 

This haunted Griffith Park hayride once again returns to the mid-’80s fictitious town of Midnight Falls, which borrows a little bit of the road culture of Sons of Anarchy and the isolation of Twin Peaks. 

The Griffith Park tradition, which has been running for 18 years now, centers on a relatively lengthy hayride, which runs on select nights from September 18 to November 1. This year’s event features a brand-new maze, “Fallen Angel,” set in a fictitious Sunset Strip theater, where fans try to resurrect a heavy-metal band killed by their pyrotechnics. 

For dinner and a movie, all in one, just follow the food trucks. During the spring, summer and fall, Street Food Cinema throws together a series of outdoor parties that include screenings of some of our favorite movies, paired with an assortment of gourmet food trucks and even a live music performance from a cool local band. The screenings are held in venues across L.A. into October and alternate from week to week, so make sure to check the schedule. Some of the outdoor venues are dog-friendly, allowing you to bring your four-legged cinema lover along.

See more of this season’s outdoor movie screenings in L.A.

This Denver-originated Halloween attraction returns to SoCal with over 10,000 thousand hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns lining a mile-long pathway at the beautiful South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes. This year’s event adds a whimsical circus scene, a Día de los Muertos tribute and an under-the-sea display. Pumpkin light shows, bounce pads, inflatables and festive food complete the family-friendly experience.

Its past installments have found attendees stealthing their way through a Victorian home and embarking on a Blade Runner-esque bounty hunt. And now this celebrated immersive horror theater event is returning to its roots at the Beckett Manion in West Adams for its longest and most interactive play yet.

Delusion, an interactive seasonal event that combines elements of immersive theater with a more story-based approach to a walk-through haunted house, will host visitors on select nights from September 17 through Halloween till November 8. This year’s theme, “Den of the Mosquito,” is set in a New Orleans brothel in the 1920s, with a cast of mobsters, monsters and vampire prostitutes. You’ll play an agent with a secret organization, and the event promises more interactivity and split paths than ever, perfect for those who want to be part of the story.

Hollywood director and action coordinator Jon Braver, who hatched Delusion in 2011, has again teamed up with the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride and Dark Harbor producers Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group for this new iteration of Delusion, which returns to the West Adams mansion where the event began back in 2011.

Tickets don’t come cheap (they start at $143), and the team is warning to expect the most limited ticket availability in Delusion history, but for true Halloween devotees, it might be worth it: Delusion regularly ranks among the best haunted houses in the city. There’s also a VIP tier for $41 more that lets you take go behind the scenes, dawn swamp creature attire and scare guests yourself.

See the marionette theater’s family-friendly take on Halloween during the two-month return of its Hallowe’en Spooktacular—a refurbished production of its long-running “boo-sical revue” where you can see over 100 silly and spooky puppets take the stage. A newer addition is the Día de los Muertos sequence that pays tribute to the holiday. Once October arrives, each show will include a costume parade, so dressing up is encouraged.

Encounter free-roaming monsters, stage shows and 10 terrifying mazes—this year’s new additions are “Inked,” which brings 1930s cartoon characters to life, and the excavation-themed “Unearthed”—as well as a menu of eerie eats and sinister sweets, five scare zones and the theme park’s thrill rides during Knott’s Scary Farm, SoCal’s original and longest-running Halloween theme park event. Also new this year are two shows: Voodoo: Bayou's Edge and Occultum, featuring magicians from the legendary Magic Castle.

Each fall for the past 20 years, the Getty Villa’s Outdoor Classical Theater series has brought a dramatic work to life—often with a unique spin—in the museum’s outdoor, ancient-Greece-style amphitheater. This time around, the Latino Theater Company takes on the tale of the heroine Antigone, setting Sophocles’s story instead in Tenochtitlan, Mexico, and incorporating Aztec mythology. Enjoy the ocean breeze while you dine on concessions like esquites, tortas, tamales and Mexican wedding cookies, then settle in for the show.

Billing itself as “Orange County’s biggest party since 1977,” the Old World Oktoberfest promises enough beers, brats and bands to make you feel like you’re in Munich—albeit with better ocean views. Every Wednesday through Sunday between September 12 and November 8, this re-created Bavarian village will offer a sausage-filled menu, oompah and German bands, a biergarten, dancing and more. While Old World’s Oktoberfest is 21-plus with a cover charge on Friday and Saturday evenings, it’s open to families and revelers of all ages on Saturday afternoons and other nights. (Entry is free on Wednesday and Thursday nights, as well as Saturday afternoons, just book ahead online.)

For more than 50 years, this venue has drawn theater aficionados to its storied, open-air stage for engaging productions in a magical setting. The 299-seat amphitheater in Topanga Canyon hosts audiences of all ages for plays from a wide range of genres, from Shakespearean classics to folk tales. This season, catch William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as a stage version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Noël Coward’s Waiting in the Wings and The People of Pompeii, a new dark comedy Bernardo Cubría wrote in the aftermath of the 2025 wildfires.

“Somehow it’s a happier ending than I thought it would be—it felt so bleak,” Tacita Dean says of crafting this tribute to the then-fading format of analog film back in 2011. But here in the year of The Odyssey, Dean’s commission for the Tate Modern—restaged here at the Marciano Art Foundation’s cavernous theater gallery—feels like a triumphant touting of film’s resurgence: An 11-minute-long collage (all of the cutouts were achieved in camera) plays out on a vertically-oriented reel of 35mm film. The show coincides with Pierre Leguillon’s selection of old advertisements that feature prominent artists promoting commercial brands.

Admire suspended sheets of textiles—including the metallic ones that would be incorporated into the curtains at the new David Geffen Galleries—along with colorful sketches and a recreation of Tokyo store NUNO at LACMA’s showcase of pioneering textile designer Reiko Sudō.

Five photographers who pushed their medium in new directions in the second half of the 20th century present their unique takes on the city in this Getty Center show. Influenced by techniques including social documentary practices, staged scenes and fashion, the photographs of Laura Aguilar, Reynaldo Rivera, George Rodriguez, Patssi Valdez and Ricardo Valverde expanded Chicano and Chicana representation in Los Angeles.

Just in time for silver screen starlet Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, the Academy Museum is presenting a centennial celebration dedicated to the woman and her work, offering a look at the actress beyond her blond bombshell persona. In addition to posters, portraits, letters and rarely seen personal items—including decor from Monroe’s Brentwood home—highlights from the exhibition include screen-worn costumes from Some Like It Hot and the rarely exhibited famous pink dress Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes—which is a show-stopper in a glitzy room of its own. Tucked into the back corner of the exhibit, you can watch a compilation of the star’s onscreen work in CinemaScope—including the iconic subway grate scene.

The inimitable artist, musician and activist—and John Lennon’s other half—is the subject of the Broad’s highly anticipated upcoming show, Ono’s first-ever solo museum exhibition in Southern California. Organized in collaboration with the Tate Modern in London, “Music of the Mind” will allow visitors to directly interact with works from the artist’s seven-decade long career. In conjunction with the show, the museum will transform the olive trees on the outdoor East West Bank Plaza into Wish Trees for Los Angeles, where visitors can tie their own wishes on the branches. Many of the works invite audience engagement, in fact, all working toward a common goal of peace and connection. Also on display will be Acorn Event (1968) and Bed Peace (1969) anti-war works of activism Ono and Lennon worked on together. Tickets for the special exhibition are available at thebroad.org.

Do you get a little thrill every time you go to the Beverly Hills Hotel? You have architect Paul R. Williams to thank, even if you might not know the name. This exhibition at the USC Fisher Museum of Art aims to fix that. “Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered” specifically spotlights the visionary architect’s multifamily housing projects through original drawings, photographs and plans, juxtaposed with new commissions by contemporary artists and architects. The message is clear: Williams didn’t just shape Los Angeles; he imagined a more livable version of it, one gorgeous building at a time. Complementary Williams exhibitions at LACMA and the Getty Center will open later in the year.

The Skirball’s Jack Kirby exhibition may be over, but the museum has followed it up with this expansive look at how comics came to dominate pop culture. Many of the creators of the medium were immigrants and outsiders—including Jewish Americans—who poured their experiences with struggle, aspiration and reinvention into their work. From the Great Depression through Y2K, comics reflected the national moment and actually helped shape American identity. On display, you’ll find original artwork and artifacts relating to beloved comic book characters, from Superman and Black Panther to Little Lulu and Archie.

This L.A.-centric exhibition looks at the Declaration of Independence’s promise of life, liberty and happiness, and how that promise has been fulfilled—or not—throughout the city’s development. Told via the stories of diverse Angelenos alongside historical and contemporary objects, media and art, the show “invites you to step into a conversation that has been shaping Los Angeles for over two hundred years.” 

This show aims to give Black queer culture in California—particularly in Los Angeles—the credit it’s due as a part of the decades-long fight for LGBTQ+ rights and recognition. Through historical materials, photographs, film and vintage newspapers, the exhibition recovers a history that’s been largely excluded from the record, introducing visitors to sites, protagonists and allies who played a role in the fight for democracy and free expression. 

It’s a very Fast & Furious kind of year in L.A. between Universal Studio’s roller coaster and this 25th anniversary exhibition of the movie franchise. The Petersen Automotive Museum is showcasing movie vehicles, stunt cars and production prototypes in its second-floor galleries, including the 1993 Toyota Supra “Stunt #3” and 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) in the original film, Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) 1968 Dodge Charger R/T and 1993 Mazda RX-7, Suki’s (Devon Aoki) 2001 Honda S2000 and more.

The reopened Getty Villa will descend into the underworld with this exhibition, which looks at the ritual spells and religious writings ancient Egyptians employed to garner favor with Re and Osiris in the afterlife. See the Getty’s collection of rare Book of the Dead rare hieroglyphics-adorned and illustrated manuscripts, dating back to around 1000 BCE, which were last displayed in 2023. The show should dovetail nicely with the museum’s “Sculpted Portraits From Ancient Egypt,” which runs through January 2027.

Step into the story of a lovely lady in Studio City when the iconic Brady Bunch house—recently named a Historic-Cultural Monument by the city—opens its doors to the public for a fan’s fever dream. The home’s interiors have been renovated—thanks to HGTV’s A Very Brady Renovation—and meticulously decorated by the owner for a fully immersive experience. Walk up the carpeted staircase to check out the kids’ memorabilia-filled bedrooms; ogle the groovy green and orange kitchen; step into the wood-paneled study; snoop in Alice’s boudoir and more. The experience offers an interactive journey through TV history, and the intimate self-guided tours are limited to a handful of people at a time. Ticket proceeds benefit local dog rescue nonprofit Wags and Walks. The only caveat? They don’t come cheap—the $189 price tag will likely only attract avid Brady fans (though to be fair, the current price is $100 cheaper than the original ticket price of $290).