Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States, and it is a nationally known center for culture and tourism. Visitors to Los Angeles can find a wide array of things to do during their stay. Among the attractions in LA are those that you can enjoy in all types of weather. These indoor destinations relate to the arts, the film industry and natural science and provide things to do when the weather is inclement or extremely hot during your vacation in Los Angeles.
The Getty Center is in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. Dedicated to European fine art, the indoor museum opened in 1997. The attraction holds "Zagat" travel guide ratings of "extraordinary to perfection" for its appeal and facilities and "very good to excellent" for its service as of October 2010. The museum collection covers five main pavilions and a gallery. Works range from medieval to contemporary pieces with paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs among the represented media. Visitors can view works by a variety of notable European masters like Rembrandt, Vincent Van Gogh and Peter Paul Rubens.
The Getty Center is open Tuesday through Sunday in 2010; it closes every Monday and on some major holidays. Admission to the museum is free, and parking is available on-site for a fee.
Grauman's Chinese Theatre is on Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles. The theater opened on May 18, 1927 and remains a well-known location for Hollywood premieres. Zagat had rated the attraction "very good to excellent" for its appeal and "good to very good" for its facilities as of October 2010. The theater offers an indoor walking tour of the facility. Guides explain the history of the building and of the film industry in Los Angeles during the course of the 30-minute tour. Visitors can also see a first-run movie before or after the tour.
Grauman's Chinese Theatre offers tours every day of the week except when previously scheduled special events are scheduled. Reservations are required for the tour, and movie times at the theatre vary. The closest available parking is in a pay garage at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and North Highland Avenue.
The California Science Center is in downtown Los Angeles. The museum opened in 1998 and is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute. As of October 2010, the institution had "Zagat" ratings of "very good to excellent" for its appeal, facilities and service. The indoor museum features hands-on activities that allow children and adults to interact with the exhibits and learn through doing. Among the topics of exhibits at the California Science Center are air and space, earth ecosystems and the human body. An IMAX movie theatre is also on the premises, showing both educational and first-run entertainment films.
The California Science Center is open daily, closing only on major holidays. Admission to the museum's exhibits is free; special, traveling exhibits and IMAX movies may carry a fee. On-site parking is available in a pay lot.
