Los Angeles is full of celebrities, shops, clubs, restaurants, beaches and art galleries. There's so much to see here that it is important to develop a game plan of what to see and do in L.A. before you go or you just may miss some of the best attractions the city has to offer.
Grauman's Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame are Hollywood icons. You should expect to see a number of strange street performers working desperately to entertain the throngs of tourists that flood through this area day in and day out. These local characters are starting to become a draw for locals to even visit the area.
Grauman's Chinese Theater
6925 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, California 90028
(323) 64-6266
manntheatres.com
If your favorite words in any given sitcom or game show are "Filmed in front of a live television audience," now's your chance to become part of that audience. Every television studio in the area offers a few live shows and the tickets to these filmings are almost always free. Request tickets in advance and then make sure to show up early because seats go quickly.
To see what live shows are filming during your stay, visit:
tvtickets.com
Bubbling pools of black tar are seeping all across the park outside this natural history museum. It's hard to believe that L.A. provided the world with one of the best collections of ice age fossils around. The La Brea Tar Pits and the Page Museum housing the bones are both simply fascinating and shouldn't be overlooked in favor of the other, more glitzy attractions in the city.
Page Museum
5801 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, California 90036
(323) 934-PAGE
tarpits.org
Rodeo Drive is a classic Los Angeles attraction, featuring shops from the biggest designers in the world. Tourists flock to look through the windows of stores on this famed street, while celebrities and socialites try on the chicest looks around. If you can't afford the clothes here, don't feel bad, most visitors to the area limit themselves to looking, not touching.
Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Dr. between Wilshire Blvd. and South Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, California 90210
rodeodrive-bh.com
When you want to look for some hip duds, skip Rodeo and head straight for Melrose Avenue, where you are certain to find the coolest urban styles and the hippest indie threads. Don't forget to enjoy the intricate graffiti art on the street as well. Some of the tagging on the buildings here is done by bigger artists than those featured in the many galleries in the area.
Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, California 90046
melrose-avenue.com
