Here are the 15 Best Things to Do in Los Angeles. From Hollywood Blvd. to the Getty Center to Dodger Stadium, this list will help guide your trip in LA today.
Start with Hollywood Boulevard and the TCL Chinese Theatre for classic LA, then head to Griffith Park for the Hollywood Sign and Observatory views. Art lovers should know LACMA’s brand-new David Geffen Galleries building just opened in April 2026 — it’s a completely different museum experience than before. All 15 picks below are confirmed open and current as of July 2026.
Whether you just landed in LA or you’ve lived here for years, these are the 15 spots that define the city — and a few things have genuinely changed since our last update. LACMA’s original Wilshire Boulevard buildings are gone, replaced by the Peter Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries, which opened to the public April 19, 2026. Universal Studios Hollywood’s Super Nintendo World, once the park’s newest attraction, is now a fully established, always-busy land rather than a “coming soon.” We rechecked every address, ticket link, and admission detail below in July 2026.
LA’s most famous stretch of pavement, home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s 2,700-plus stars. Nearly five miles long, it’s LA’s single densest concentration of film-history landmarks — give it a couple of hours minimum.
The forecourt’s handprint-and-footprint blocks from Hollywood legends draw crowds year-round, and the theater itself still runs one of the largest IMAX screens in the country. Guided tours cover the building’s history beyond the sidewalk.
One of the largest urban parks in the country, with trails leading to Hollywood Sign viewpoints, the free Griffith Observatory, and the LA Zoo & Botanical Gardens all inside the same park boundary.
LACMA’s biggest change in decades: the Peter Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries opened to the public on April 19, 2026, replacing the museum’s old Wilshire Boulevard buildings as the new home for its permanent collection. Chris Burden’s Urban Light lamppost installation remains out front. If you visited LACMA before 2026, it’s worth another trip — this is a genuinely new building, not a renovation.
A working studio backlot plus a full theme park — ride the Studio Tour past real production sets, then walk into Super Nintendo World, now a fully established, hugely popular land rather than the “coming soon” attraction it once was. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is next door.
The pier's carnival rides, arcade, and aquarium sit right over the sand, with the beach path stretching for miles in both directions for biking, rollerblading, or a walk. Free Saturday-morning yoga and a group run return to the pier's west end for the 2026 season, April through October.
LA's iconic outdoor amphitheater runs concerts, movie nights, and the LA Phil's summer season almost nightly in season. Box seats can be paired with a pre-show picnic dinner delivered right to your row.
Three blocks of the world's most recognizable luxury storefronts, plus some of Beverly Hills' most photographed architecture. Even without a shopping budget, it's a worthwhile stroll for the scenery alone.
An open-air shopping and dining plaza with a trolley, dancing fountain, and an AMC theater, right next to the historic Original Farmers Market. It's a lower-budget alternative to Rodeo Drive with the same LA-postcard energy.
Frank Gehry's stainless-steel curves make this one of the most photographed buildings in Downtown LA, and it's genuinely one of the best-sounding concert halls in the world — home to the LA Philharmonic and LA Master Chorale. Free self-guided audio tours run most days even without a ticket to a show.
The stretch of Sunset Boulevard through West Hollywood has hosted legendary music venues for decades and still delivers on nightlife, people-watching, and billboard-sized ads for whatever the entertainment industry's pushing next. Driving it at night for the view alone is a classic LA move.
Perched in the Santa Monica Mountains, Richard Meier's white travertine campus houses works by Monet, Van Gogh, and Degas — and admission itself is free, though a timed ticket and a paid parking fee (or tram/bus alternative) are required. Reserve your visit time online before you go.
One of the most beloved ballparks in baseball, and a full LA experience beyond just the game — the stadium has also hosted everything from stadium-wide concerts to a papal mass over the decades. Dodgers tickets sell fast in season, so lock in dates before your trip.
DTLA packs Grand Park, historic Olvera Street, Chinatown, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and some of the city's tallest skyscrapers (Wilshire Grand Center among them) into a walkable core. It's the most culturally dense single neighborhood on this list.
A working studio tour through Warner Bros.' Burbank backlot — the actual sets, soundstages, and prop archives behind decades of TV and film production, from classic sitcoms to current-day shoots. Tours are guided and require advance booking; check their site for which sets are open on tour day.
Admission is free, but you need a timed reservation and there’s a parking fee (or you can take public transit to skip it). Reserve online before you go.
The museum’s original Wilshire Boulevard buildings were replaced by the new David Geffen Galleries, designed by Peter Zumthor, which opened April 19, 2026. It’s the new home for LACMA’s permanent collection.
Yes, tours are guided and book up in advance, especially in summer. Reserve through their site before your trip.
Realistically 3–4 days if you want to spend real time at each spot rather than just drive by. Griffith Park and Universal Studios alone can each eat a full day.