History · Los Angeles · United States
7 historic sites to see in Los Angeles
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: The original uploader was Bobak at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 2.5
Quick answer
Start with Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre, La Brea Tar Pits and Grand Central Market. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 11–15 hours across 4 areas; 3 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 11–15 hours
- Areas
- Hollywood, Miracle Mile and Downtown LA
Historic sites in Los Angeles
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Street · Hollywood
1.Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre
Outside the TCL Chinese Theatre, opened in 1927, the forecourt holds celebrity handprints and footprints set in cement, and the Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars, is next door.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- After dark
Museum · Miracle Mile
2.La Brea Tar Pits
The museum shows reconstructed skeletons and a glass-walled fossil lab, while the Lake Pit with its life-size mammoth models can be seen free from the park.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Nature
- Rainy day
Market · Downtown LA
3.Grand Central Market
Across Hill Street, the little Angels Flight funicular climbs to Bunker Hill.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- History
- Rainy day
Historic site · Downtown LA
4.Olvera Street and El Pueblo
Union Station's Mission Revival concourse is across the street.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Food
- Shopping
Museum · Exposition Park
5.Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
rex skeletons, the Becoming Los Angeles gallery on the city's history, and seasonal butterfly and spider pavilions. The California Science Center, with free general admission, is next door.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Nature
Neighbourhood · Downtown LA
6.Little Tokyo
One of the few remaining historic Japantowns in the United States, Little Tokyo has ramen and sushi counters, mochi shops in Japanese Village Plaza and the Japanese American National Museum, which tells the story of Japanese American incarceration during the Second World War.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- History
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Museum · Miracle Mile
7.Petersen Automotive Museum
Wrapped in a red-and-steel ribbon facade on Wilshire Boulevard, the Petersen tells the story of car culture in a city built around the automobile, with Hollywood film cars, hot rods and supercars across three floors.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Rainy day
- Kids
- History
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Hollywood | Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre | 1–2 hours |
| Miracle Mile | La Brea Tar Pits and Petersen Automotive Museum | 2 hours + 2 hours |
| Downtown LA | Grand Central Market, Olvera Street and El Pueblo and Little Tokyo | 1 hour + 1–2 hours + 2–3 hours |
| Exposition Park | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | 2–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 3 free, 3 low cost, 1 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Hollywood and Miracle Mile): Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre → La Brea Tar Pits, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Miracle Mile and Downtown LA): Petersen Automotive Museum → Grand Central Market → Olvera Street and El Pueblo, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Downtown LA): Little Tokyo, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Exposition Park): Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- May: highs of 24°C (75°F), about 1 rainy days, moderate crowds. Warm inland but often grey at the beach in the mornings ('May Gray'), usually clearing by afternoon.
- September: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 1 rainy days, moderate crowds. Still hot and often the sunniest month at the coast, with warm sea and fewer crowds after the school holidays; heat and fire risk can peak.
- October: highs of 26°C (79°F), about 2 rainy days, moderate crowds. Warm, dry days and clear air, but Santa Ana winds can bring hot, gusty spells and wildfire risk.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Hollywood — Walk of Fame, historic theatres and the main Metro line under the boulevard
- Downtown LA — Grand Avenue museums, historic movie palaces and the Arts District's warehouses
More of Los Angeles
All things to do in Los Angeles · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Los Angeles?
Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre. More than 2,700 brass-and-terrazzo stars line Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
+Which of these are free in Los Angeles?
Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre, Olvera Street and El Pueblo and Little Tokyo.