No visit to the northern side of Los Angeles is complete without a trip to Griffith Park. The 4,210-acre green space offers trails for horseback riding, biking and hiking. The Griffith Observatory, seen in the James Dean classic "Rebel Without a Cause," has a 300-seat planetarium, a 200-seat theater and telescopes for spotting constellations on clear nights. The iconic Hollywood sign also lies within Griffith Park. The park's Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens houses more than 1,100 animals representing more than 250 species. And the park's Autry National Center, named for "singing cowboy" Gene Autry, offers programs and artifacts designed to tell the story of people populating the American West. Visitors can also camp and bird-watch at Griffith Park.
This cemetery is more than an eternal resting spot for thousands of people. It's also part museum and part architectural marvel, a 300-acre cluster of buildings housing a world-renowned art collection. Visitors can take in replicas of Michelangelo's greatest works, as well as a stained-glass recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper." Forest Lawn also boasts bronze and marble statues throughout, as well as rare coins, 13th century stained glass and a wedding chapel. A labyrinth allows for peaceful contemplation, and thousands of tourists flock each year to the cemetery's Heron Fountain. As for the cemetery itself, it's the final resting place for major stars including Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Sammy Davis Jr., Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson. Not all celebrity graves are accessible to the public.
L.A.'s northern side is home to some of the world's biggest movie and television studios. Start with Universal, whose Universal Studios Hollywood is part theme park, part working studio. A guided tour will show visitors where some of Hollywood's biggest movies are made. The park's special effects stage teaches visitors about 3-D technology and computer-generated images. Tourists can also take roller coaster rides based on the studio's "Revenge of the Mummy," "Jurassic Park" and "Shrek." And Universal CityWalk offers shops, restaurants and movie theaters. At Warner Bros., visitors will see actual filming and production on famous movie and TV sets, and they might even encounter stars on the way to a day of filming. Tom Cruise and Martin Sheen are among the celebrities who've surprised visitors with impromptu appearances. Visitors can opt for in-depth tours of the studio's wardrobe department, scenic-arts division, sound-recording center and car museum.
This 2,000-acre flood-control basin features two parks, an 80-acre sports field, an archery range, three golf courses, a lake with boat rentals and fishing, playgrounds, tennis courts, a Japanese garden and an off-leash dog park, among other attractions. The 225-acre wildlife reserve is home to more than 200 species of birds, including migratory waterfowl stopping to rest on their journeys north and south. Visitors looking to do a little good in their downtime can join volunteer cleanup crews.
