Los Angeles may be the playground of the rich and famous, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time during your visit.
Theme parks, shopping on Rodeo Drive, dinner at Spago in Beverly Hills … all classic L.A. experiences, but not always easy on the budget. If you’re seeking to balance your days at Disneyland with some no-cost excursions, look no further. Here’s a list of our favorite ways to spend time and save money in Los Angeles. We invite you to share your ideas, as well! Visit our message boards to post your own favorite free things to do in L.A. We’ll keep adding to this page, so keep checking back as the list grows with your suggestions.
1. Walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame: Hollywood Boulevard (between Vine and La Brea) shines with 2,000 stars that commemorate famous people in the TV, film, recording and radio industries. It’s a rite of passage for every visitor to stroll the route and find their favorite stars’ star, but did you know the Walk of Fame dedication ceremonies are open to the public, too? Call 323-469-8311 to see who’s being honored when.
2. The Getty Center Museum: The Getty Center Museum is a stunning architectural showcase – with ocean and city views from a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains – and inside you’ll find European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculpture and decorative arts, and European and American photographs.
3. Free museum visits: Most museums have days or evenings when they do not charge admission: For example, the Norton Simon Museum is free on the first Friday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m.; LACMA is free on the second Tuesday; the Paley Center for Media (formerly the Museum of Television and Radio) and the Fowler Museum at UCLA are always free. Call your favorite museum to ask when its free admission day is.
4. Cruise a legendary road: You might recognize Mulholland Drive from movies such as "Point Break" and "Iron Man," as well as from the famous people who’ve lived along the highway, such as Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis. If you have a car, drive the highway to do some house-gazing, and check out the million-dollar views from the Hollywood Hills. Slide Show: Los Angeles Landmarks
1. Walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame: Hollywood Boulevard (between Vine and La Brea) shines with 2,000 stars that commemorate famous people in the TV, film, recording and radio industries. It’s a rite of passage for every visitor to stroll the route and find their favorite stars’ star, but did you know the Walk of Fame dedication ceremonies are open to the public, too? Call 323-469-8311 to see who’s being honored when.
2. The Getty Center Museum: The Getty Center Museum is a stunning architectural showcase – with ocean and city views from a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains – and inside you’ll find European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculpture and decorative arts, and European and American photographs.
3. Free museum visits: Most museums have days or evenings when they do not charge admission: For example, the Norton Simon Museum is free on the first Friday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m.; LACMA is free on the second Tuesday; the Paley Center for Media (formerly the Museum of Television and Radio) and the Fowler Museum at UCLA are always free. Call your favorite museum to ask when its free admission day is.
4. Cruise a legendary road: You might recognize Mulholland Drive from movies such as "Point Break" and "Iron Man," as well as from the famous people who’ve lived along the highway, such as Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis. If you have a car, drive the highway to do some house-gazing, and check out the million-dollar views from the Hollywood Hills. Slide Show: Los Angeles Landmarks
5. Hollywood Bowl rehearsals: Here’s a great tip from Frommer’s: Few people know about the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s morning rehearsals at the Bowl (http://www.hollywood-bowl.com), which are open to the public and absolutely free. Bring coffee and doughnuts and enjoy the best seats in the house.
6. Go to the beach: From Malibu (of "Baywatch" fame) to Redondo (popular for surfing), you can’t go wrong spending a day at the beach. There are 30 miles of beaches in Los Angeles, so whether you like to in-line skate, surf or just dig your toes in the sand, you have plenty of choices.
6. Go to the beach: From Malibu (of "Baywatch" fame) to Redondo (popular for surfing), you can’t go wrong spending a day at the beach. There are 30 miles of beaches in Los Angeles, so whether you like to in-line skate, surf or just dig your toes in the sand, you have plenty of choices.
7. Spend the day at Griffith Park: This 4,210-acre green space is the largest urban park in America (by comparison, Central Park in New York is 843 acres), and there are miles of hiking and equestrian trails, picnic spots galore, a famous observatory (free to enter, but there’s a cost for the planetarium show), and more.
8. Ocean Front Walk at Venice Beach: Once the beating heart of L.A’s hippie scene, today Venice Beach is Los Angeles at its bohemian best. According to Frommer’s, "On any given day, you're bound to come across all kinds of performers: mimes, break-dancers, stoned drummers, chain-saw jugglers, talking parrots, and the occasional apocalyptic evangelist."
9. Visit cemeteries where celebrities are buried: A bit morbid, perhaps, but still a great way to pay tribute to entertainment legends, from Cecil B. DeMille to John Candy. Some cemeteries even provide free maps to the graves.
8. Ocean Front Walk at Venice Beach: Once the beating heart of L.A’s hippie scene, today Venice Beach is Los Angeles at its bohemian best. According to Frommer’s, "On any given day, you're bound to come across all kinds of performers: mimes, break-dancers, stoned drummers, chain-saw jugglers, talking parrots, and the occasional apocalyptic evangelist."
9. Visit cemeteries where celebrities are buried: A bit morbid, perhaps, but still a great way to pay tribute to entertainment legends, from Cecil B. DeMille to John Candy. Some cemeteries even provide free maps to the graves.
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