Free things to do in Los Angeles. 

Los Angeles is the home of the rich and famous. It is a place where going to the nicest restaurants and trendiest bars is expected, as is dropping a lot of money. If your budget doesn’t include dates at Disneyland, or if you simply aren’t in the mood to spend loads of cash, then this list is for you!

 

Free Attractions

La Brea Tar Pits and Museum

Have a want-to-be paleontologist in the family? Or maybe you just find history intriguing? If so, then check out the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. Back in 1875, a group of amateur paleontologists discovered animal remains in the pits at Rancho La Brea. Some 130 years later, the pros are still at work here, having dragged more than 3.5 million fossils from the mire! Reserve a spot on the Excavator Tour (free with museum admission), which includes stops at the Fossil Lab, the Lake Pit, the Observation Pit and Project 23, where you can see archaeologists at work. Inside the museum, see the bones of everything from jackrabbits to a 160-pound bison to a 15,000-pound Columbian Mammoth!

Venice Canals

Always dreamed of taking a trip to Italy, but don’t have a European vacation in your budget? Well then, take a trip to the Venice Canals to feel like you have been transported to Venice, Italy. Tucked between the Venice Boardwalk and Abbot Kinney, the Venice Canals gives you a different look at waterside Californian living! Take a stroll and enjoy the views!

Griffith Observatory

"If every person could look through that telescope," declared Griffith J Griffith, "it would revolutionize the world." 

The Griffith Observatory is open to the public 6 days a week and admission to the building, grounds and parking are always free! You could comfortably spend a few hours here just taking in the exhibits and the shows. Enjoy a trip through space at the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, or swing by at night to view the stars through the public telescopes!

 

Free Museum

The Broad

LA's newest contemporary art museum, the Broad, is the public home for Eli and Edythe Broad's collection of 2,000 post-war works. The free museum, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, has added yet another cultural anchor to Grand Avenue, joining the ranks of Walt Disney Concert Hall, REDCAT and MOCA. Find out more here!

Getty Center

The Getty Center is known for is well known for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles. The Center sits atop a hill connected to a visitors' parking garage at the bottom of the hill by an electric tram. This is a big place. To the west of the plaza is a café, a restaurant and the circular Research Institute, which houses one of the world's largest art and architecture libraries, and a roster of public exhibits. Beyond it is the Central Garden, designed by Robert Irwin. North is the Harold M Williams Auditorium, where talks and symposia alternate with concerts and film screenings. And to the south, up a grand Spanish Steps-style stairway, is the museum lobby, which is a sight to see in and of itself!