Sightseeing OverviewThe sights of Los Angeles are spread throughout five counties. At off-peak times, the freeways are quick and convenient and it is easy to get around.
Downtown LA comprises the financial district with skyscrapers that seem all the more surprising because the rest of the city is so flat. It is also home to lively local communities with markets (there’s the fabled, indoor Grand Central Market for local produce) and shops. Here are Chinatown, Little Tokyo, the Hispanic center around Olvera Street (the historic district where the city was founded)
with landmarks from the city’s early 20th-century heyday, as well as cultural institutions like the
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and
Museum of Contemporary Art. The LA Philharmonic’s dramatic new
Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of the most striking recent additions to the city’s cultural and architectural landscape, and is reminiscent of Frank Gehry’s other masterpiece, the
Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
East of Downtown, the city of
Pasadena, in the San Gabriel Valley, has a historic center and two outstanding museums - the Norton Simon and the Huntington. To the west of Downtown is
Hollywood, although the actual Hollywood sign is located high above Hollywood Boulevard up in the hills near
Griffith Park. The famous sign is situated on a steep incline, which means that it cannot be visited but the extensive Griffith Park is great for a wander and fantastic panoramas of the whole city. It contains the famous 1935 art deco
Griffith Observatory (website:
www.griffithobs.org), although this is closed for renovation until late 2006.
However, down below in actual Hollywood, the streets and boulevards are less glamorous than their name might suggest and the
Hollywood Walk of Fame is fascinating but hardly high class. There have been successful attempts to upgrade areas, such as Hollywood and Vine, and there is a string of small museums, mostly connected to films; the famous
Grauman’s Chinese Theater; some notable if occasionally rundown art deco buildings and, on its northern edge, the popular
Universal Studios.
The
Westside encompasses trendy, fashionable and primarily gay West Hollywood, rich and handsome Beverly Hills, Miracle Mile, Century City, Westwood Village (where
UCLA is situated) and Brentwood. Each has its own atmosphere and attractions. West Hollywood has a glitzy stretch of
Sunset Boulevard, with its enormous hand-painted billboards on the sides of buildings, while
Rodeo Drive is Beverly Hills’ most famous street.
Stretching along the Pacific coast are the
Beach Cities, including
Santa Monica,
Venice Beach, and
Marina Del Rey, as well as
Malibu to the north and
Long Beach, which lies south of Downtown on San Pedro Bay. Southeast of Downtown is
Orange County, home of
Disneyland and
Knott’s Berry Farm theme parks. To the north is the wide
San Fernando Valley, a largely residential area with several film and TV studios.
Tourist InformationThere are two walk-in visitor information centers in the city:
Downtown Los Angeles Visitor Information Center 685 South Figueroa Street, between Wilshire Boulevard and Seventh Street
Tel: (213) 624 7300
or 1 800 228 2452.
Website:
www.seemyla.com Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1700.
Hollywood Visitor Information Center 6801 Hollywood Boulevard
Tel: (323) 467 6412.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2200.
The organizations below also provide information online or by telephone/fax.
Beverly Hills Visitors Bureau 239 South Beverly Drive
Tel: (310) 248 1015
or 1 800 345 2210.
Website:
www.beverlyhillscvb.com Opening hours: Daily 0830-1700.
West Hollywood Convention and Visitors Bureau 8687 Melrose Avenue, Suite M-38 West
Tel: (310) 289 2525
or 1 800 368 6020.
Website:
www.visitwesthollywood.com Opening hours: Daily 0830-1800.
PassesThe
CityPass (website:
www.citypass.com) allows free admission to four Hollywood attractions: Starline Tours of Hollywood, Redline Tours, Hollywood Wax Museum, and a choice of either Kodak Theater Guided Tour or Hollywood Museum in the Max Factor Building. It is valid for 30 days from the first use and can be purchased online or from the first attraction visited.
Go LA Card Seattle Card (tel: 1 800 887 9103; website:
www.golosangeles.com or www.seemyla.com) offers a one to multi-day card for free admissions to over 35 attractions. The
Cruise LA Card (tel: (213) 624 7300
or 1 800 228 2452; website:
www.cruisela.com) offers discounts for almost 40 attractions and is available to cruise passengers free of charge from travel agents.
Key Attractions:Downtown El Pueblo de Los Angeles (and Olvera Street) The birthplace of Los Angeles, just north of the financial district with its huge skyscrapers, is now a state historic park. In 1781, Father Junipero Serra (founder of many of California’s Spanish missions) and Don Felipe de Neve (governor of California) journeyed north from Mexico and established a pueblo here on the site of a former Indian village. Its name, El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula (The Town of Our Lady Queen of the Angels of Porciuncula), outweighed its size and it was soon shortened to Los Angeles. The 27 historic adobe buildings date from the early 19th century and pay tribute to the city’s Spanish heritage. They include the
Avila Adobe, the city’s oldest home; the
Old Plaza Church and the
Sepulveda House, which now serves as the
El Pueblo Visitor Information Center. The heart of the district is Olvera Street, a lively place with strolling
mariachi bands, stalls selling Mexican handicrafts and good Mexican restaurants, some still run by the original families.
North Alameda and Spring Streets
Tel: (213) 628 1274.
Website:
www.cityofla.org/ELP/hisnfo.htm Opening hours: (Summer) daily 1000-2000, (Nov-Mar) daily 1000-1900. The visitor center is open daily 0900-1600.
Free admission.
Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Housed in a striking red sandstone building designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, this celebrated art museum showcases the work of leading modern artists. The permanent collection features the likes of Piet Mondrian and Mark Rothko, while temporary exhibitions highlight contemporary themes and artists of international renown. Pyramid skylights enhance the bright galleries, while the courtyard boasts an attractive fountain. MOCA has a secondary site, located close by and accessible by free shuttle, called
Geffen Contemporary, which hosts changing exhibitions in an old warehouse. MOCA’s newest third venue is at the
Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, which focuses on contemporary architecture and design.
California Plaza, 250 South Grand Avenue
Opening hours: Mon, Fri 1100-1700, Tues, Wed closed, Thurs 1100-2000, Sat, Sun 1100-1800.
Admission charge, free Thurs 1700-2000.
Geffen Contemporary
152 North Central Avenue
Please note: temporarily closed; due to re-open March 2007.
Pacific Design Center
8687 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood
Tel: (213) 626 6222.
Website:
www.moca-la.orgOpening hours: Tues, Wed, Fri 1100-1700, Thurs 1100-2000, Sat-Sun 1100-1800.
Admission charge.
Southwest Museum Los Angeles’ first museum (established in 1907) contains one of the foremost collections of Native American art and artifacts in the nation. Enlightening exhibits on tribal life are well presented and there are fine examples of traditional kachina dolls (handcrafted by Hopi Indians), native dress and ceremonial costumes, musical instruments, ceramics, weapons, everyday objects and a large display of basketry. The museum lies just north of Downtown, on a hillside beyond Dodger Stadium.
234 Museum Drive
Tel: (323) 221 2164.
Website:
www.southwestmuseum.orgOpening hours: Sat-Sun 1200-1700.
Free admission.
Walt Disney Concert Hall The stainless steel ribbon-like exterior of the LA Philharmonic’s home shimmers and sparkles in the sunlight. It took 16 years to construct this US$270m metal masterpiece, and architect Frank Gehry has outdone himself. The sleek, 2,265-seat building is said to have one of the world’s most highly developed acoustical systems. Most noteworthy is its huge organ containing 6,134 pipes ranging from pencil-size to as large as 9.5m (32ft) high.
111 South Grand Avenue
Tel: (323) 850 2000.
Website:
http://wdch.laphil.comOpening hours for self-guided tours: Non-matinee days 1000-1400; matinee days 1000-1100.
Admission charge.
Hollywood Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame Built by showman Sid Grauman in 1927, this is the most famous of the flamboyant picture palaces along this stretch of Hollywood Boulevard. As part of the development of the area (see
Hollywood and Highland below), the theater has been extensively renovated; the inside has been opulently restored, while the exotic oriental façade is resplendent in its pastel greens, crowned by a red pagoda roof. The ticket booth has been moved from the forecourt - which remains the main attraction here. It is where the hand and footprints of Hollywood celebrities are embedded into the cement. This signature parade started quite by accident when, at the grand opening, actress Constance Talmadge tripped and stepped in wet cement. Among the more unusual signatures are Jimmy Durante’s nose and the hoof prints of Roy Roger’s horse Trigger. All kinds of characters hang out at Grauman’s; people, just looking to make a couple of bucks, dress like famous characters such as Michael Jackson, Sponge Bob Square Pants, Spiderman, Elmo and Marilyn Monroe. VIP backstage tours take about 35 minutes and include a short film. The cinema still shows first-run movies, another way to see its lavish interior. Other art deco theaters nearby that are worth a look are
Pacific El Capitan,
The Egyptian and
Pantages.
The
Hollywood Walk of Fame passes outside the front of the Chinese Theater. This trail of bronze stars embedded in the paving stones runs 5.5km (3.5 miles) along Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea and Gower Streets and along Vine Street between Yucca Street and Sunset Boulevard. It honors artists in the film, television and music industries and the first star imbedded in the pavement in 1960 was one for Joanne Woodward. Today, they number well over 2,000.
Grauman’s Chinese Theater 6925 Hollywood Boulevard
Tel: (323) 464 8111
or 463 9576 for tour times.
Website:
www.manntheaters.com/chinese Opening hours: Daily 24 hours (forecourt).
Free admission (forecourt); charge for tours.
Hollywood Walk of Fame Website:
www.hollywoodchamber.net Hollywood and Highland Built around the Chinese Theater, as part of a US$615m plan to revitalise Hollywood Boulevard, this massive retail and entertainment complex, which opened in 2001, is known as
Hollywood and Highland because of its location above the Hollywood and Highland subway station. The open-air, five-story complex includes shops, restaurants, nightclubs, theaters, cinemas, a hotel, a ballroom and the
Hollywood Motion Picture Collection. It is also home to the
Kodak Theater, often known as the
Academy Awards Theater as it has become the permanent venue for the Oscars ceremony. The complex’s observation tower showcases a panoramic view of the famous Hollywood sign.
6801 Hollywood Boulevard
Tel: (323) 467 6412.
Website:
www.hollywoodandhighland.comOpening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-2200, Sun 1000-1900.
Free admission, charge for attractions.
Hollywood History Museum The Max Factor Building has been restored to its original 1935 state and now houses the
Hollywood History Museum. The museum features a wide array of exhibits, including costumes and props used in Hollywood films; photographs, posters, scripts, awards and more. Displays begin with the Silent Era and work their way through Hollywood’s Golden Era, to state-of-the-art technology and the future of the industry. Particularly impressive are the special events at the museum, where the presentations on Hollywood history are given by those who actually helped to forge that history. The site will also feature
Mel’s Drive-In (the retro diner that is an example of pure Americana) made famous in the George Lucas film
American Graffiti.
Max Factor Building
1660 North Highland Avenue
Tel: (323) 464 7776.
Website:
www.thehollywoodmuseum.com Opening hours: Thurs-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.
Universal Studios Hollywood Part film and TV studio, part theme park,
Universal Studios is one of the most popular attractions in Los Angeles. A behind-the-scenes tram tour of film sets has a simulated flash flood and collapsing bridge, as well as surprise attacks by the shark from
Jaws and by King Kong.
Revenge of the Mummy, a roller coaster thrill ride, and
Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula, which attempts to make the movie come to life, are the park’s newest offerings. The studio treats guests to working TV and movie sets including
Crossing Jordon and
CSI:Crime Scene Investigation. With stunt shows, musical entertainment and a variety of thrill rides, such as
Back to the Future, it is a lively day of Hollywood at its best.
100 Universal City Plaza
Tel: 1 800 8648 37725/UNIVERSAL.
Website:
www.universalstudios.com Opening hours: Vary from month to month; between 1000-1800 and 0800-2200.
Admission charge.
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel This classic 12-story 305-room hotel celebrated its 75th diamond anniversary in 2002. The oldest continuously operating hotel in Hollywood, the
Roosevelt Hotel is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places and is a Hollywood Historic Site. It was founded by a syndicate of Hollywood luminaries in 1927 and was actually the birthplace of the Academy Awards, as the first Oscars ceremony took place here on 19 May 1929. Recently restored to its Spanish colonial splendor, it is one of the key attractions on Hollywood Boulevard.
7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Tel: (323) 466 7000
or 1 800 950 7667.
Website:
www.hollywoodroosevelt.com Opening hours: All day.
Free admission.
The Westside Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits Smack in the middle of LA, the
La Brea Tar Pits are a fascinating survival from prehistoric times. They have yielded more than four million fossils (one of the largest caches in the world) from the Pleistocene Era, dating back 40,000 years. Inside the museum are the skeletons of long-extinct animals, such as the imperial mammoth, giant sloth, sabre-toothed tiger and dire wolf. All became trapped and preserved in the thick black tar, or ‘brea’, that seeped up through the ground. Visitors can watch palaeontologists cleaning and cataloguing fossils and see excavations from viewing stations beside the tar pits.
5801 Wilshire Boulevard
Tel: (323) 934 7243/PAGE.
Website:
www.tarpits.orgOpening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1700, Sat and Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge, free the first Tuesday of each month.
Petersen Car Museum
Expect to see some pretty fancy cars, including the hand-made Bugatti; but the real objective of this museum is to underscore the automobile’s influence on LA culture. A streetscape, with a surface changing from dirt to gravel to tar, follows the history of the city. Architecture and cars along the ‘street’ change with the time period and culminate with the first drive-up strip mall. Don’t miss the
Hollywood Gallery that features cars used in films and owned by celebrities; the
Hot Wheels Hall of Fame with real cars patterned after the toy ones; plus interactive exhibits for the whole family.
6060 Wilshire Drive (at Fairfax)
Tel: (323) 930 2277/CARS.
Website:
www.petersen.org Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge.
Craft and Folk Art Museum
This little gem of a museum is often mistakenly overlooked; the changing exhibits (six to eight per year) in its two galleries feature arts and crafts from around the world. The mission is to shed life on the culture from which these handmade items come. For example, there was a recent exhibit of Palestinian embroidery. An added bonus is the gift shop - it offers unique crafts from the visiting exhibits.
5814 Wilshire Boulevard
Tel: (323) 937 4230.
Website:
www.cafam.org Opening hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 1100-1700, Thurs 1000-1900, Sat-Sun 1200-1800.
Admission charge, free first Wednesday of the month.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Housed in five main buildings, most of which are clustered around a courtyard, this outstanding collection of art and artifacts (over 150,000 of them) forms one of the leading art museums in the United States. In the enormous Ahmanson Building, art, sculpture and decorative arts from Asia, Europe and the Americas are on display. Highlights of the collection include the Indian and Southeast Asian art collection, regarded as the finest in the West; the Western Art galleries and pre-Columbian artifacts from Latin America. There is a special Japanese Pavilion designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; the striking, modern Robert O Anderson Building, and the Bing Theater. The museum is currently undergoing a huge expansion which is scheduled to be completed in 2007.
5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Tel: (323) 857 6000.
Website:
www.lacma.orgOpening hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs 1200-2000, Fri 1200-2100, Sat and Sun 1100-2000. Admission charge; free after 1700.
UCLA Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center The main collection at this museum is an impressive display of Old Masters, Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings, which were acquired by the late industrialist Armand Hammer. This collection is shown on a rotating basis and includes works by Constable, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Monet, as well as a room full of lithographs by Daumier. Run by UCLA, the museum also displays exhibitions from the
Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts, which cover graphic art from the Renaissance to the present day. There is also a distinguished outdoor Sculpture Garden, as well as special exhibitions and programs.
10899 Wilshire Boulevard
Tel: (310) 443 7000.
Website:
www.hammer.ucla.eduOpening hours: Tues-Sat 1100-1900 (until 2100 on Thurs), Sun 1100-1700.
Admission charge, free Thursday.
Getty Center From the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, the marble terraces of the
Getty Center afford spectacular panoramic views of the city, the mountains and the ocean. The unique buildings, designed by architect Richard Meier, employ simple forms, such as squares and circles. They contain not only J Paul Getty’s painting collection (interesting but hardly top rank), but a center for the study of archaeology, culture, art history and humanities. The changing exhibitions vary from Byzantine art to American photographers. The galleries display sculpture, photographs, drawings, furniture and more than 100 illuminated manuscripts. Lectures, concerts and educational programs are also held here. The Getty Center is surrounded by beautiful gardens with rare and native plants and trees. The handheld electronic Getty Guide, a self-guided audio tour, is worth the small charge. Visitors should plan to stay for a whole day.
1200 Getty Center Drive
Tel: (310) 440 7300.
Website:
www.getty.eduOpening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800 (until 2100 Fri and Sat).
Free admission, charge for on-site parking (reservation essential).
Getty Villa
Replaced by the Getty Center in 1974, this beautiful structure (modeled after Italy’s
Villa del Papiri) was originally built to house Getty’s personal collection. The 21.4-hectare (64-acre) facility has recently re-opened as an antiquities museum with a focus on arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria. Laid out like a private home, each room is a themed gallery. For example, one room is dedicated to the theater with Dionysus and the head of Bacchus and another to the Iliad and the Odyssey. There is also an interactive kids’ room with materials to reproduce works of art. It is worth the visit just to admire the grounds.
1200 Getty Center Drive
Tel: (310) 440 7370.
Website:
www.getty.eduOpening hours: Thurs-Mon 1000-1700.
Free admission but advance, timed tickets are required. They are available by telephone or can be reserved online up to three months in advance and a limited number of same-day are offered daily at the Getty Center. Parking is charged.
Museum of Tolerance Given a ‘passport’ of a Holocaust child, the visitor embarks on a moving journey from the Jewish ghettos to Hitler’s death camps. At the end of the hour-long timed tour, the child’s ultimate fate is revealed. Though the main focus is on the Holocaust, the museum contains high-tech, interactive exhibits that explore racism and bigotry in America through events such as the LA riots of 1992, while the Tolerancenter focuses on major intolerance issues in daily life. Upstairs are archives and a multimedia learning center. Allow at least two hours to experience this thought-provoking museum.
9786 West Pico Boulevard
Tel: (310) 553 8403
or 1 800 900 9036.
Website:
www.museumoftolerance.comOpening hours: Mon-Thurs 1000-1830, Fri 1000-1700, Sun 1000-1700. Last admission two hours before closing time.
Admission charge.
Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens In one visit, it is virtually impossible to fit everything on this lavish estate. The former home of railroad tycoon Henry E Huntington is filled with French porcelain, tapestries, American paintings and a remarkable collection of British and French art from the 18th and 19th centuries. Famous highlights are Gainsborough’s
Blue Boy and Lawrence’s
Pinkie. Among the four million items in the Library are rare books and manuscripts: a Gutenberg Bible, an early 15th-century manuscript of Chaucer’s
Canterbury Tales and early editions of Shakespeare. Visitors should save some time to stroll in the beautiful
Botanical Gardens, whose 81 hectares (200 acres) include a Japanese garden, desert garden and rose garden. An authentic Chinese garden (currently under construction) is expected to open fully in Autumn 2008.
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino
Tel: (626) 405 2100.
Website:
www.huntington.orgOpening hours: Tues-Fri 1200-1630, Sat and Sun 1030-1630.
Admission charge.
Norton Simon Museum This renowned collection of European art ranges from the Renaissance to the 20th century. There are works by Rembrandt, Picasso, the Impressionists, a collection of Degas’ sculptures, as well as leading works by Rodin. The sculptures from southeast Asia and India, spanning 2000 years, are breathtaking.
411 West Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena
Tel: (626) 449 6840.
Website:
www.nortonsimon.orgOpening hours: Daily except Tues 1200-1800 (until 2100 Fri).
Admission charge.
Mission San Fernando, Rey de España
Named after St Ferdinand, King of Spain (1217-1252), this mission was founded in 1797. Much of the original structure remains except for the Old Mission Church, which was reconstructed after the 1971 earthquake. Self-guided tours include the church (visited by Pope John Paul in 1987) the museum, workshops, convent and gardens. Towards the rear is the Bob Hope Memorial Garden where the world famous entertainer is buried.
15151 San Fernando Mission Boulevard, Mission Hills
Tel: (818) 361 0186.
Website:
www.californiamissions.com/cahistory/sanfernando.html Admission charged.
Beach Cities Santa Monica Long and wide, Santa Monica Boulevard, if followed to its western end, comes out on Santa Monica itself. It sits at the crossroads of Pacific Coast Highway (Route One) and California I-10. With its village feel, its cafés, shops and restaurants, it is one of the more people-friendly areas of Los Angeles - it has the only pedestrianized street in the city, for example. The place is famed for its 5.5km (2.5-mile) beach and its famous landmark, the
Santa Monica Pier, juts out into the Pacific from a wide sandy beach. It is one of the most nostalgic spots in LA. The original fishing pier was built in 1909 and another one for strolling was added in 1921, but by the 1970s both were in a shabby state. In the 1980s, a restoration program rejuvenated the pier. Besides the original arcades (now
Playland Arcade) and the carousel dating from 1916, there is now an aquarium, the
Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, and
Pacific Park, an amusement park with rides, a Ferris wheel, a small rollercoaster and a tower ride which rises to 12m (40ft). During the summer, there is dancing and live music on Thursday nights. A good time to go is towards the end of the day as the sunsets can be fabulous, especially at the very western end of Sunset Boulevard (obviously enough).
Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau
1920 Main Street Suite B
Tel: (310) 319 6263
or 1 800 544 5319.
Website:
www.santamonica.comColorado and Ocean Avenues
Tel: (310) 458 8900.
Website:
www.santamonicapier.orgFree admission.
Playland Arcade Tel: (310) 451 5133.
Website:
www.playlandarcade.comOpening hours: Sun-Thurs 1000-2400, Fri and Sat 1000-0200. Changes seasonally.
Free admission.
Santa Monica Pier Aquarium Tel: (310) 393 6149.
Website:
www.healthebay.org Opening hours: Currently closed for renovations. Will reopen in November 2006. Tues-Fri 1400-1700, Sat and Sun 1230-1700.
Admission charge.
Pacific Park 380 Santa Monica PierTel: (310) 260 8744.
Website:
www.pacpark.comOpening hours: Summer (late May-early Sept) Sun-Thurs 1100-2300, Fri and Sat 1100-2430; winter/spring Mon-Fri; Ferris wheel only 1200-1800; all rides open Fri 1800-2400, Sat 1100-2400, Sun 1100-2100. (Hours are also dependent on weather conditions.)
Free admission, charge for rides.
Venice Beach Further south along the coast is the slightly more bohemian
Venice Beach. Its
Boardwalk, a path alongside the beach, is one of the liveliest places to view LA joie de vivre. Buskers, mime artists, painters, cyclists, palm readers and rollerbladers all mingle here, chilling out, hustling, cruising the sands, wearing colorful attire and often very little at all. There are shops, stalls and cafés for people-watching. The notorious
Muscle Beach, which relocated here after the Santa Monica Pier closed in 1959, is where male and female weight lifters pec-flex in the sun - it is the place for ogling.
Marine Street to the Venice Pier
Tel: (310) 392 4687, ext 6.
Website:
www.westland.net/venice Marina del Rey To the south of Venice, 40km (25 miles) from Los Angeles, are the beaches, water sports, bike and walking trails, shopping and restaurants that comprise the heart of this seaside resort town. Most activities center on its huge man-made marina, the nation’s largest. The marina is a haven for more than 5,300 pleasure boats, so if you want to sail, fish, whale watch or cruise, this is the place.
4701 Admiralty Way
Tel: (310) 305 9545.
Website:
www.visitthemarina.comPasadena Except for New Year’s Day, when all eyes turn to the Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl football game, Pasadena is a quiet place. Nestled at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, its tree-lined streets and open-air shopping districts, like
Paseo Colorado,
Salt Lake Avenue, quaint
Old Pasadena and the
Norton Simon Museum, make it a lovely place for a stroll.
171 South Los Robles Avenue
Tel: (626) 795 9311
or 1 800 307 7977.
Website:
www.pasadenacal.comFurther Distractions:Disneyland A trip to Los Angeles is probably not complete without a visit to America’s favorite theme park. For 50 years, adults with a healthy cynicism about the Mouse have found themselves grinning. The park is divided into themed ‘lands’ (Main Street USA, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Toontown) each with a variety of rides and entertainment. Favorite attractions include the
Haunted Mansion,
Space Mountain,
Star Tours and
Indiana Jones Adventure. The fabulous
Electrical Parade and night-time laser light show alone are worth the trip.
Located next to Disneyland,
Disneyland California Adventure has four theme areas that represent California: pass under the Golden Gate Bridge at Sunshine Plaza, then visit Paradise Pier hyping the glories of seaside piers, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, A bug’s land - life from a bug’s point of view, and Golden State which celebrates the history and beauty of California. Its newest ride, the
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, plunges riders down a 43-m (141-ft) elevator shaft.
1313 Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim
Tel: (714) 781 4565.
Website:
www.disney.go.com Opening hours: Daily 0900-2100 (until 2400 on Sat). Extended hours during summer/holidays: 0800-2400. Main Street open from 0830. Hours vary, check before visiting.Admission charge.
Knott’s Berry Farm America’s oldest theme park began as a tea room in 1928. Later Walter Knott built the ‘Ghost Town’ to entertain customers queuing for his wife’s boysenberry pies and chicken dinners. Today, shows and attractions are part of its several themed areas, which include an
Old West Ghost Town and
Camp Snoopy. The real draw is the hair-raising thrill rides - the
Silver Bullet, Supreme Scream and
Ghost Rider, one of the tallest and longest wooden roller coasters in the West, and the 50s-themed
XCELERATOR, with cars that look like ’57 Chevys.
8039 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park
Tel: (714) 220 5200.
Website:
www.knotts.com Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1800, Sat 1000-2200, Sun 1000-1900; extended summer and holiday hours. Hours vary with the season, so check before visiting.
Admission charge.
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