The best things to do in Los Angeles this week

The LA Opera and the United Theater on Broadway (formerly the Ace) once again join forces for a chilling mash-up of live music and film. No, it's not Andrew Lloyd Webber's bombastic megamusical; in fact, quite the opposite. The most faithful film adaptation of Gaston Leroux's illustrious novel comes in the form of this 1925 silent horror film—celebrating its centennial this year—starring Lon Chaney as the ghoulish masked man. Behold the iconic work at the historic Downtown theater, with the LA Opera Orchestra playing Roy Budd's score live. There are still tickets left for the Halloween-night screening, which will be followed by an after-party with themed drinks, a DJ and a costume contest.

Watch both vintage and modern French films alongside TV premieres at this annual film festival for Francophiles. Formerly known as COLCOA, the American French Film Festival imbues Los Angeles with a dose of Parisian flair each fall. This year’s starry centerpiece film is Nouvelle Vague, a reimagining of the making of the Jean-Luc Godard film Breathless, making its L.A. premiere on October 30. Director Richard Linklater, as well as stars Zoey Deutch and Guillaume Marbeck, will be on hand for a post-film conversation. Free happy hour panels, followed by wine and cheese receptions, a spotlight series of the next generation of French filmmakers, enlightening documentaries and a competition of new French short films round out the roster of events at the Directors Guild Theater Complex. See the full schedule here.

Walk in James Dean’s footsteps as the Griffith Observatory hosts two special anniversary screenings of Rebel Without a Cause—right where key scenes from the movie were filmed. The anniversary aspect here is twofold: First, the Griffith Observatory is celebrating its 90th anniversary and has been marking the occasion all year long with special public programming and events. 2025 also marks 70 years since Rebel’s theatrical release. See the film in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater and enjoy after-hours access to the observatory, which is typically closed on Mondays.

Each year the Walt Disney Concert Hall adds a little bit of Frank Gehry architecture to Halloween with a silent film screening accompanied by a live soundtrack by organist Clark Wilson for an extra eerie feel. This year, take a seat for the silent 1923 masterpiece The Hunchback of Notre Dame, starring Lon Chaney as Quasimodo.

This is one of the largest Halloween street parties in the world, and there’s really no better place to be on October 31st. Sure, the crowd is huge (like, a half-million people huge) and a bit belligerent, but the amazing display of costumes and general merry-making spirit deem it at least a worthy stop, if not your main destination for the evening. There will be dancing, drinking and many impromptu costume contests. Even if you don’t plan on entering one, it’s best to still come dressed to the nines—no one likes a party pooper in jeans and a T-shirt. Find it along Santa Monica Boulevard, between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard.

See our guide to the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval.

The multi-story Clifton’s Republic, with its vintage glamour and multiple concepts under one roof, is an epic setting for a Halloween party. This year, the historic spot is teaming up with MonstraMedia for a bash that promises a “descent into the underworld of downtown nightlife,” with plenty of demonic delights, themed cocktails, a costume contest and live music from spooky L.A.-based songstress KiNG MALA. VIP tickets will get you a free cocktail and no-wait entry to upstairs tiki bar Pacific Seas, while the pricier ultra-VIP tickets include access to the exclusive Shadowbox speakeasy.

The frontman of the moody OC surf rock band the Growlers has since gone solo, but he continues the band’s tradition of performing Halloween shows at the Hollywood Palladium. Expect a set made up entirely of songs from his surf-psych band.

Part Halloween screening, part haunted house, Street Food Cinema follows up its popular La La Land in Concert with three nights of The Evil Dead (rated NC-17, it’s by far the scariest and darkest of the Sam Raimi trilogy) in October. Composer Joseph LoDuca’s score will be performed live to film by a seven-piece orchestra. But before watching the cult classic, head downstairs for the debut of “The Cellar: An Underground Evil Dead Experience,” where you can brave the Necronomicon universe and a host of deadites yourself.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery claims to host the largest Day of the Dead celebration in California, and we wouldn’t doubt it: Each year, the cemetery grounds are covered with altars to the dead created by community artists, dance rituals, arts and crafts projects, amazing costumes and food vendors (and crowds) aplenty. 

Though it’s promising an intimate, community-centered format this year, the display is sure to be spectacular, as always. A few programming notes: It looks like this year the musical performances are being replaced with two showings of Disney’s Coco. The 2025 edition will again be split into sessions: three, to be precise (1–3:30pm, 4:30–9pm and 9:30pm–1:30am), and you’ll have to exit once your time slot is up. Ticket prices differ depending on what time you’re attending. The later two sessions include a Coco screening, and the 4:30pm slot in particular will feature a drone show after the film. We suggest trying to go then: Besides the drones, the glowing, flickering altars look absolutely incredible after dark—though that’s also when the crowds tend to be the thickest.

The Line Hotel’s greenhouse-like Openaire restaurant will host an immersive ghostly dinner experience all Halloween weekend, pairing a three-course dinner of autumnal dishes with curated cocktails, close-up magic, mentalism and even levitation—all inspired by Korean folklore and ghost legends. The hotel is hosting some other Halloween happenings, too. Karaoke bar Break Room 86, which already feels like a time machine to the ’80s, will host Thriller: An ’80s Halloween Party on October 31 (9pm). You can also boogie over next door to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the hotel’s in-house nightclub, for Le Freak: A ’70s Disco Halloween Party—check out both parties for one $38 ticket.

Carpenter didn’t just direct seminal thrillers like Escape From New York and The Thing; he also composed their creepy, synthesizer-ridden soundtracks. He’s expanded upon the aesthetic with his four Lost Themes albums, creating original electronic arrangements that would be at home on the score of yet another Halloween sequel. Expect to hear some of Carpenter’s latest work and classic cues from his films during this residency at the Belasco theater Downtown—his first live performances since 2018—just in time for Halloween.

The Houston Brothers’ eight-in-one nightlife destination, Downtown’s Level 8, is celebrating Halloween with a hedonistic party. Each of the venue’s concepts will represent a different deadly sin, with dancers, acrobats and actors bringing envy, lust, sloth, gluttony, pride, wrath and greed to life (the eighth one is FOMO, apparently). If you upgrade to a VIP ticket, you’ll get access to a three-hour open bar and Sinners y Santos nightclub, though a GA ticket will still get you a free welcome drink.

Not to be confused with the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval on Santa Monica Boulevard (though you could certainly hit up both on Halloween night), Sunset Strip nightclub Keys will host its carnival from Thursday through Sunday, but the main event is Friday night, when genre-bending DJ and producer Kaytranada (1.6 million followers strong) and Kitty Cash will provide the soundtrack. Come in costume (carnival-themed outfits are encouraged), and enjoy drinks from a hosted bar.

The historic Hollywood Roosevelt hotel will turn into a 40,000-square-foot adult playground on Halloween night for Maxim’s “Where the Wild Things Are” party, where celebrities and costumed models will mingle with guests for a night of Hollywood glamour. DJ Ruckus will headline the spooky and sexy shindig. In the same space but worlds apart, the hotel will also host “Well Dressed: A Night of Stand-Up Comedy & Live Jazz,” which promises an “elegantly eerie” evening of classy costumes and spooky surprises in the hotel’s Cinegrill Theater (7:30–10pm, tickets $27, food and drink minimum $30).

Head to Gloria Molina Grand Park for a two-week display of 19 altars created by professional artists and community organizations. This year, in light of the recent ICE raids, the ofrendas will not only honor deceased loved ones but also L.A.’s immigrant communities. The displays officially kick off on October 25, during Grand Ave Arts: All Access, complemented by an afternoon of face painting, printmaking and sugar-skull crafting, plus live mariachi music (11am–4pm). On November 2, the event closes with the illuminating Noche de los Muertos, which will feature an Aztec ceremonial dance, local artisans selling goods at a mercado, and activities including lantern-making. Latin Grammy nominee Lupita Infante will wrap up the celebration with a candlelight set (3–7pm). All of the festivities are free.

Local indie folk band Lord Huron began as lead singer Ben Schneider’s vision and now involves three additional members, who offer campfire-ready, harmony-laden folk-pop. You can hear echoes of the old West flowing through their music: the Ennio Morricone-immortalized whistles, the John Jacob Niles-like plaintive vocals and the enormous reverb suggesting the vast, empty prairie—though many likely just know the band through its TikTok-famous “The Night We Met.” The band is playing the Forum, with Feist opening—it’ll be interesting to see how their folksy sounds fill the space.

Peruse altars in the plaza of El Pueblo at this Day of the Dead celebration, which incorporates pre-Columbian, Aztec, Mayan and Catholic traditions. Expect plenty of festive wares from the merchants on Olvera Street, along with altars that go on display each morning and a candlelight procession every night for nine nights. Stop by during weekends for face painting (for a fee) and theatrical performances. And on Día de los Muertos itself, November 1, there’ll be a 5K race through the area, which you can register for here.

Celebrate Day of the Dead at the end of Route 66 with this two-day art installation surrounding the Santa Monica Pier’s historic carousel, which will be decked out in marigolds and papel picado during the free, family-friendly event. Saturday’s celebration will start with an Aztec blessing and parade beginning at the west end of the pier—Día de los Muertos attire is encouraged—followed by a blessing of the ofrendas in the carousel building, ballet folklorico performances and live music. (Sunday’s programming has yet to be announced.) In addition to altars made by local artists Sylvia Sanchez and Yolanda Medina, there will also be a community altar, and attendees can pay tribute to loved ones who’ve passed away by sharing stories and photographs of their favorite Pier memories.

Go behind the scenes of classic Warner Bros. horror films, and then watch them on the studio lot during a series of after-hours tours and accompanying screenings at the Stephen J. Ross Theater. See filming locations, original props and costumes from frightful fan favorites on an hour-long tour. Then, before the feature presentation, you can buy themed snacks and drinks on the backlot’s Brownstone Street. First up on the movie lineup is It (Oct 24) and sequel It: Chapter Two (Oct 25), followed by both The Conjuring (Oct 30) and its sequel, The Conjuring 2 (Nov 1). Each film will be introduced by special guests. 

Before the tour, check out the free display in the WB Studio Tour lobby, where you can see the Annabelle doll in her original glass case, Sister Irene’s costume from The Nun II and artifacts from The Exorcist and It.

The h.wood Group’s celeb-favored, ’20s-inspired lounge Delilah is throwing two parties this Halloween. First up, kick off the celebrations early at a special edition of the bar’s Throwback Thursdays series dubbed Monster Mash. Sip a pumpkin espresso martini as you dance to the sounds of We the Band (Justin Bieber’s backing group). The following night, don your finest masquerade mask and enjoy drink specials and Halloween tunes from the house band.

The San Bernardino rave scene injects itself with a bit of Halloween flair at this annual music fest. Insomniac Events—the group behind EDC and the Wonderland series—is setting up multiple stages at the NOS Events Center; headliners include Marshmello B2B DJ Snake, Alesso, RL Grime, Porter Robinson, deadmau5 and more. Explore the grounds to find mazes alongside ominous artwork and freak show performers.

Boyle Heights–adjacent gallery and community center Self Help Graphics & Art has presented this Day of the Dead celebration for over half a century. And though its brick-and-mortar location is currently under renovation until 2026, SHG will still stage its annual tradition, albeit with a few off-site tweaks. The event will still begin with a procession at Mariachi Plaza (2pm), but it’ll then move a few stops east on the E Line to East L.A. Civic Center Park, where you’ll find altars, a marketplace, food, face painting and live entertainment. Look out for some themed, family-friendly art workshops in the lead-up to the event, too, at the East L.A. County Library (Oct 18, 25: noon–3pm).

SoCal’s most recognizable cemetery chain—we’re not the only ones who think it’s strange that’s a thing, right?—is honoring the dead with Día de los Muertos celebrations at four of its locations. The Glendale, Cypress, Covina Hills and Cathedral City locations all typically host altars, six-foot-tall Catrinas, hand-painted alebrijes, folkloric dance and mariachi performances.

Downey’s annual Day of the Dead celebration returns to the city’s civic center, where over 25,000 guests are expected. The sprawling free festival features seven art exhibits by Latinx artists, crafts, face painting, a chalk walk, live entertainment, food trucks and a beer and wine garden. Kids can enjoy storytimes and puppet shows, and decorate their own sugar skulls. And, of course, there are altars: Besides a community altar, you’ll find altars displayed on and in classic cars, a Dodger blue altar, a pet altar and shoebox altars.

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.

Dealing with a difficult subject head-on, the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA’s new show, “Monuments”—co-presented by the museum and nonprofit the Brick (formerly LAXART)—juxtaposes both intact and vandalized Confederate monuments with contemporary artwork. The show looks at the recent wave of monument removals from a historic perspective and encourages discourse about challenging topics amid an ongoing national debate about the role of these statues and what they represent. Tickets for the special exhibition are $18, though if you book far enough ahead of time, you can take advantage of free admission on the first Friday of every month.

Anaïs Mitchell’s transporting musical makes a hit from a myth, transporting audiences to the underworld alongside Orpheus, Eurydice, King Hades and Persephone. Check out our full review of Hadestown during its Broadway run before the Tony winner for best musical returns to Los Angeles, this time around stopping at the Pantages.

Step inside a historic—and haunted—Glendale theater to find a supernatural shindig full of magic, spirits and mystery. Don your best gothic glamour—the vibe here is dark elegance—and set out on a chilling journey with themed drinks in hand (not included in the ticket price). Formerly known as House of Spirits, Haunted Soiree is an adults-only, two-hour immersive experience that allows you to roam around and discover all sorts of macabre performances and pop-ups. This year’s fang-tastic experience is all about vampires.

Why settle for just one Halloween party when you can host three? That seems to be the thinking at the Mondrian’s Skybar, which will host a Halloween-themed edition of its regular disco series, the Hustle, on the Saturday before Halloween, playing groovy hits from the ’70s. Then, on Halloween itself—with the popular West Hollywood Carnaval going down only blocks away—you can swing by again for a costume party set to pulse-pounding beats. And on Saturday, November 1, the hotel keeps the festivities going with a Día de los Muertos edition of Deep House Halloween.

The Hammer Museum’s excellent, ongoing series of biennial exhibitions ups the ante with each edition of its spotlight on emerging and under-recognized L.A. artists. This October’s exhibition—the seventh such show—brings together works from 28 artists, spanning film, painting, theater, photography, sculpture and video, that engage with the city of Los Angeles. A 20-foot-high inflatable, Buggy Bear Crashes Made in L.A. by Alake Shilling, welcomes you to the museum on the corner of Wilshire and Glendon. 

American Contemporary Ballet opens its 14th season with two new mysterious new ballets—the perfect way for culture vultures to get their Halloween fix. The program consists of “Death and the Maiden,” an otherworldly work set to Franz Schubert’s meditation on death that features opera singers and levitating dancers, followed by “Burlesque: Variation IX,” a follow-up to last October’s “Burlesque”—both performed to live music. You’ll find the hour-and-a-half show at the Bank of America Plaza in DTLA. Stick around afterward for a reception with the dancers and musicians.

For the Record, a live production company known for transforming the soundtracks of favorite filmmakers into immersive musicals, is back with its most impressive display yet: CineVita, the world’s largest Spiegeltent, is FTR’s new home in Hollywood Park, next to SoFi Stadium. After its opening in February, it’s bringing back Tarantino Live, which celebrates 30 years of Pulp Fiction and re-creates memorable musical moments from the director’s films including Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained.

Stroll through a mile-long trail filled with all things Halloween, including an illuminated forest of jack-o’-lanterns, during Descanso Gardens’ annual Carved. For four weeks this fall, the event will line a loop of the botanical garden with thousands of professionally carved pumpkins. For the 2025 edition, Carved is introducing a new route, as well as new vignettes on the Pumpkin Trail, treats at Harvest Acres (order the churro) and new characters carved from logs by chainsaw—plus ghostly wire sculptures haunting a garden filled with twinkling lights. The gardens’ model trains are also illuminated for the event, and the popular neon-hued Rhizome light sculpture is back.

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. 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. The event’s 2025 “Summoned by the Seas” iteration dives further into the ocean liner’s lore with new and reimagined mazes set in the ship’s swimming pool, kitchen and staterooms. When you tire of the terror, take a spin on the carnival rides, sip spirits at secret speakeasies or catch spooky live entertainment.

What could be a better fit for Halloween than spooky films screened in a cemetery? This October, Cinespia will be showing a 50th-anniversary screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Craft, Paranorman and A Nightmare on Elm Street at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Plus, for the first time in a decade, the series is hosting a Halloween-night party in the cemetery itself (it usually hosts a soiree inside a Downtown theater) Catch a screening of Scream on October 31—costumes are mandatory.

Ready or not, spooky season is upon us. The clearest sign? Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights has filled the theme park with haunted houses. Among the highlights: Fallout, inspired by the video game franchise and Prime Video TV show, which takes you through the post-apocalyptic Wasteland. You’ll also find a truly freaky maze celebrating 45 years of Friday the 13th’s iconic villain, Jason Voorhees, which re-creates the summer camp, cabin and forest as the hockey-mask-wearing killer goes on a vengeance tour. And a Five Nights at Freddy’s maze brings the creepy animatronic characters to life at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Over on the studio tour—ahem, Terror Tram—you can expect to encounter a host of Blumhouse villains, including M3GAN. 

West Hollywood’s ultra-chic restaurant and rooftop bar E.P. & L.P. is serving much more than handcrafted cocktails and modern American bites. This October, head to the rooftop for dinner-and-a-movie screenings of Practical Magic, The Exorcist, Silence of the Lambs, Scream, Halloweentown, Nightmare on Elm Street, It and more, including a midnight showing of Hocus Pocus on Halloween.

This traveling horror-themed Halloween cocktail pop-up will have three locations in L.A. this year: Melrose Umbrella Club in Beverly Grove, the Corner Door in Culver City and the Ordinarie in Long Beach. Halloween lovers can sip expertly mixed cocktails amid metal music and goth decor, including the famous 12-foot-tall skeleton from Home Depot. Drink highlights include the Corpse Flower (tequila blanco, ube syrup, Giffard Banane, lime juice, sherry) and the Creature’s Curse (rice-washed rye and rum, sherry, sweet potato or pumpkin syrup, bitters). Non-alcoholic options will also be available.

Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group hosts a chilling series of vignettes that’s been named one of Yelp’s top 10 scariest haunts in the country. Armed with a shoddy flashlight to illuminate their path, guests navigate a labyrinth of terror both before and after watching a series of shocking scenes (over the course of roughly 40 minutes) that will unsettle even the most stoic of horror fans. The haunted house-slash-theater experience is celebrating 20 years of scaring audiences.

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. Night of the Jack returns with an on-foot, mile-long trail this year, plus live pumpkin-carving, food trucks and a “Spookeasy,” too. This year, you’ll find new themed environments and multisensory experiences that make use of projection mapping.

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 on weekends through mid-November. Order the Oktoberfest platter—an epic array of pretzels, brats, schnitzel and sides—alongside a four-liter boot of beer, or a collector’s stein designed by the local Bad Bean Studio. Check the bar’s Instagram for programming updates.

Known for excellent film choices and a steady supply of snacks and booze, Rooftop Cinema Club is your snazzy, comfortable and less stressful alternative to other outdoor movie screenings. You don’t even need to bring your own camping chair—Rooftop Cinema Club provides you with your very own comfy lawn chair. And instead of listening to the movie over loudspeakers, you’ll get a set of wireless headphones so you never have to miss a word. Enjoy a steady stream of recent hits (Sinners, Wicked) modern classics (The Dark Knight, Pride & Prejudice) and local favorites (La La Land, Friday), as well as the occasional TV marathon—this month, it’s fall favorite Gilmore Girls. You’ll also find a handful of September “Singles Night” screenings.

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. New this year is a Día de los Muertos sequence that pays tribute to the holiday, as well as a sneak peek of BBMT’s upcoming Choo Choo Revue—its first new show in 40 years. Once October arrives, each show will include a costume parade, so dressing up is encouraged.

Encounter free-roaming monsters and 10 terrifying mazes—think: a zoo with animal-human hybrids, a convalescent home with “spider-possessed residents” and a greatest-hits parade of past Knotts monsters—as well as a “boo-fet” dinner and all sorts of other haunted houses and attractions at the OC theme park for 26 nights during Halloween season.

This Denver-originated Halloween attraction returns to L.A. with thousands of hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns lining a pathway at a new location this year: the beautiful South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes. Pumpkin light shows, bounce pads, inflatables and festive food complete the family-friendly experience.

The iconic Hollywood Roosevelt hotel is hosting some poolside screenings this sumer. Tickets are super reasonable ($12). And don’t worry if it’s a chilly night: Towels, blankets and heaters are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Find the series running every Thursday night.

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 7 and November 9, 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, Thursday and Sunday nights, as well as Saturday afternoons, just book ahead online.)

L.A.’s star-studded lecture series returns—both virtually and in person—with a lineup of writers, artists, performers, scientists and business leaders who will graciously blow your mind. For both online and IRL events, you’ll often have the option of purchasing a signed copy of the speaker’s book, as well. October highlights include talks with Werner Herzog, Tim Curry, Judd Apatow and Marc Maron.

Head to the mountains for the annual Oktoberfest at Big Bear Lake, where you’ll be able to clink steins every weekend from September to early November. Beer will be flowing, knockwursts will be cooked up, and dirndls will be worn. The entertainment lineup includes numerous bands—many straight from Germany—and other performances, and one lucky damsel will be named the Oktoberfest Queen when she wins the stein-carrying contest. Others can test their skills with free log-sawing, stein-holding and chugging competitions.

Don’t go in the water, but do go to the Academy Museum to see the largest exhibition ever dedicated to Steven Spielberg’s original summer blockbuster, Jaws—which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The museum was already home to the last surviving model shark from filming, but now you can go behind the scenes and see some 200 original objects from the film across multiple galleries. Some highlights: a re-creation of the Orca fishing boat, the dorsal fin used both in Jaws and its sequels, costumes worn by the central trio and a room full of vintage film posters and merch promoting the film. There are interactive elements, too: You can have your own Chief Brody dolly-zoom moment (and see the lens used to film the famous shot), play the iconic John Williams two-note score and control a replica of the mechanical shark.

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 are in enclosed habitats.) 

Japan House Los Angeles is bringing an exhibition of shokuhin sampuru—hyper-realistic food replicas that have crossed over from marketing tool to art form (think Is It Cake? but cultural)—to Los Angeles for the first time. See mouthwatering faux food representing each of Japan’s 47 prefectures, from coffee house parfaits to izakaya skewers, as well as Chinese and Western cuisine, and try your own hand at food presentation by filling a bentō box yourself.

Not over last weekend’s Oasis shows at the Rose Bowl yet? Revisit the Gallagher brothers’ early days of fame, captured through the lens of music photographer Kevin Cummins, at Musichead Gallery on Sunset, which is displaying an exhibition of band portraits through October 28.

The Getty Villa reopens to the public five and a half months after its Palisades Fire closure with this international loan exhibition dedicated to the Greek Mycenaean civilization and the kingdom of Pylos, which Homer immortalized in the Iliad and Odyssey. It’s the first major museum show in North America devoted to the Late Bronze Age Mycenaeans. See treasures excavators unearthed from Messenia, the Palace of Nestor and burial sites including the tomb of the Griffin Warrior (1450 BCE)—think clay tablets, gold cups, ornate weapons and tiny signets and sealstones adorned with awe-inspiring amounts of detail. 

On the 50th anniversary of the Norton Simon Museum, look back to when Simon took over management of the Pasadena Art Museum in 1975, then ahead to the museum’s exciting future at this retrospective exhibition. See rare photos from the museum’s archives, and learn about the history of its major acquisitions, exhibitions, building and gardens—which are currently undergoing a transformation.

The Natural History Museum’s taxidermy dioramas turn a century old this year, and to celebrate the museum is reviving an entire hall of displays that’ve been dark for decades. Expect some fresh approaches to these assembled snapshots of the wilderness, including alebrijes made of recycled materials, a crystalline depiction of pollution and a tech-driven display of the L.A. River.

More than 50 works on display at the Autry showcase how Indigenous artists have crafted visions of alternative futures in the face of enduring colonial trauma, with surreal spacescapes from Wendy Red Star, pop culture commentaries by Andy Everson and a site-specific space odyssey created by Virgil Ortiz.