California

Hemet is a small city in Southern California that has a handful of attractions worth visiting. Although Hemet is certainly not the epicenter of tourism within California, this is not necessarily a bad thing.

The city has a laid back vibe with plenty of charm and some stunning scenery thanks to its location within the San Jacinto Valley. Any recreational visit to Hemet City should include some of the following attractions:

1. Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre

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Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre

The Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre is home to Ramona, America’s longest running outdoor drama. The amphitheater is located in the beautiful hills of Hemet, which provide a stunning natural backdrop. As well as performances of the long-running drama Ramona, the bowl is also home to various musical and theater performances throughout the year. The amphitheater itself has a capacity of 5,400 set on three tiers. It is worth a walk around this stunning location even if you don’t plan on seeing a performance.

2. Western Science Centre

The Western Science Centre in Hemet can be found close to Diamond Valley Lake. The museum focuses on archaeology and paleontology with permanent exhibits including a giant fossil t-rex skull as well as a fossil collection of a local collector.  The museum also houses an open-air life on earth timeline, which shows just how small a part the human race has played in the long history of the planet. Temporary exhibits on show currently include an investigation into the life and inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci. Every Saturday, the museum runs “Science Saturdays” which allow certain hands on exhibits and investigations to be experienced for free.

3. Simpson Park

Simpson Park covers an area of 483 acres in the Santa Rose hills and sits at an elevation of 2500 feet. The park has covered picnic areas and barbecues as well as cycling and hiking trails for those wishing to experience the beauty of the park whilst keeping active. The hiking and cycling trails vary in difficulty and length but the dry ground here makes navigation easy in general. The park has places to park and the opening hours vary depending on the time of the year.

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4. Diamond Valley Lake

The Diamond Valley Lake is a man made reservoir near Hemet City and is one of the newest and largest in the Southern California area. The reservoir cost around $1.9 billion to make and has a huge surface area of 4,500 acres. The reservoir is a great place for pursuits such as fishing and boating while the surrounding terrain suits cyclists and hikers. At the western end of the lake, a viewpoint is available for those wishing to take in views of the entire lake in one go.

5. Fingerprints Youth Museum

The Fingerprints museum in Hemet is a non-profit museum for children, which is governed by the United Communities Network. The museum offers “back in school” hours and exhibits including “driving a fire truck”, general coloring and playing as well as lots of reading of the museums vast children’s books collection. The museum is best suited for young children and will provide a few hours of fun but, of course, all children must be accompanied by an adult.

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6. Hemet Museum

This small but insightful museum, located in the former Santa Fe Depot in Hemet, offers an insight into the past of the city. Exhibits include exploration of the life and work of Hemet’s citizens in past decades as well as Hemet’s military past.  The Hemet Museum, alongside the numerous permanent exhibits, also houses a temporary, rotating exhibit. If you find yourself enthralled by the history of Hemet City, the bookshop at the museum is a perfect place to buy an educational souvenir.

7. Diamond Valley Golf Club

This lovely golf course is a must for any golfers visiting Hemet City. The course is set in the quiet Hemet Valley and, due to the desert climate, offers great gold all year round. There are no housing developments to spoil the view from the course, just the beautiful and natural California landscape. The snack bar on the course offers a chance to refresh with a drink and some food after a day of golfing and walking around the stunning course.

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8. Cabazon Dinosaur Museum

This unusual but educational attraction offers a great chance to stretch your legs and take a break if driving through the Cabazon area. The museum here focuses on the world’s biggest dinosaurs and includes impressive models built over thirty years ago. The museum is set on four stories and not only attracts a large number of tourists but also the LA media who have been known to use the dinosaur models in commercials and other broadcasts.

9. March Field Air Museum

This museum has recently moved and was formerly housed in the theater of the March Air Base. The museum features photographs, aeroplanes and military equipment within 2,000 square foot of educational space. There are more than 70 aircraft to see at the museum and an impressive and extensive collection of over 70,000 aviation artifacts. The museum can be found in Riverside on the March Air Reserve Base.

10. Zebras R Us

Zebras R Us is an unusual but fun attraction near Hemet. Zebras R Us breed zebras for sale as well as Zonkeys and Zorses. Zebras are also rescued by the owner of the attraction and brought here to be rehabilitated. Zebras R Us offers a meet and greet, which is a great opportunity to get close to these interesting creatures. A guided tour for groups is also available and not only shows off the animals but also explains the work undertaken here.

California, the golden state, offers some of the most beautiful and spectacular sights and places to visit! Just browse through these awesome pictures and be amazed by it’s beauty.

1. Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park

Source: Paul B. Moore

Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park

Yosemite Falls are popular with visitors from around the world. Much of the water that crashes down the falls and into the lake below comes from snowmelt. Yosemite falls itself is the fifth highest waterfall in the world and from top to bottom it is 2,425 feet. The falls are at their most spectacular in May and June, once the snow has melted the falls become a trickle and you then need to wait for the cooler weather again.

2. Sturtevant Falls, Big Santa Anita Canyon

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Sturtevant Falls In The Angeles National Forest

Sturtevant Falls are located in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest. The falls themselves are fifty foot in height and look exceptionally beautiful due to the moss and algae that grows on the cliff. This makes the colours you see as the water runs distinctive and mesmerizing.

3. California’s Pacific Coast Highway

Source: Sundry Photography

California’s Pacific Coast Highway

The Pacific Coast Highway in California is one of the most beautiful drives there is. It runs along most of the coastline of California and is famous across the world for its beautiful scenery. The route is a designated blue Star Memorial Highway as a way of recognition to those that serve in the U.S. armed forces.

4. Santa Cruz, California

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Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz is one of the surfing mecca’s of the United States. The city itself is only small with a population of approximately 50,000 but the beautiful beaches and bohemian vibe attracts many visitors from across the world. The all year summer feel adds to the feeling of never ending paradise that you will always feel in this city.

5. Joshua Tree National Park

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Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is named this because of the Joshua trees that are native to the park. The area is a designated wilderness and encompasses two very different deserts. Visitors to the park can experience camping, hiking, and climbing.

6. California Street Cable Car

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California Street Cable Car

The California Street Cable Car is the last manually operated cable car system left in the world. It is an icon of San Francisco and during its peak there were twenty three lines running through the city. Now there are just three remaining and they make for a beautiful view when you are visiting the city.

7. Pfeiffer Beach

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Pfeiffer Beach

Pfeiffer Beach is a quiet, beautiful and unusual beach. The locals visit the area regularly but to the tourist the beach is still fairly unknown. The sand at the beach is an unusual purple colour and this is caused by the manganese garnet particles that get washed down from the neighbouring hillside.

8. San Diego

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San Diego

Along the coast of the Pacific Ocean is the vibrant and gorgeous city of San Diego. There are plenty of beautiful beaches to explore which when tempered with the mild climate of the area make this a fantastic place to visit. San Diego has the nickname “America’s Finest City” which should say it all really.

9. Lava Beds National Monument

Source: Stephen Moehle

Lava Beds National Monument

There are 25 lava tube caves that you can visit when you are in Tuelake. When you climb down into the caves it will be like nothing you have experienced before. The caves have tubes that are made out of lava and a visitor center that explains their creation.

10. Big Sur

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Big Sur

Big Sur was derived from the Spanish words ‘el sure grande’ which means ‘the big south’. The area is lightly populated and sits at the south of the city of Monterey. There are some stunning views to be had whilst you are in this small area which makes it very popular with tourists.

11. McWay Falls

Source: Lucky-photographer

McWay Falls

McWay falls is an 80 foot waterfall that is located in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. The fall is actually classed as tide fall due to its close proximity to the ocean. The waterfall used to flow directly into the ocean but following a landslide in 1985 the terrain was altered and it now flows into an inaccessible beach.

12. San Francisco

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San Francisco – View From Twin Peaks

San Francisco is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and is famous for the stunning Golden Gate Bridge, colourful houses from the Victorian age and the last remaining cable cars. The city has many huge skyscrapers that make for a beautiful view. Just off the coast is Alcatraz Island which was home to the famous prison.

13. Vernal Falls

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Vernal Falls

In the Yosemite National Park you will come across Vernal Falls. A 317 foot water fall that falls into the Merced River. The falls run all year round but at certain points of the year they break into multiple strands when the volume of water decreases.

14. Monterey Beach

Monterey Beach

Monterey Beaches are made up of a selection of Beaches that range from tiny little jewels to large area of sand. Each beach is unique and offers plenty of recreation facilities from kayaking to surfing to diving.

15. Emerald Bay

Source: Don Mammoser

Emerald Bay

Emerald Bay is a small island that sits within Lake Tahoe. The bay has now been designated a National Natural Landmark due to the natural beauty that this small island provides. There are two camping grounds and a scenic foot trail that goes around the outside of the island.

16. Muir Woods

Source: Mariusz S. Jurgielewicz

Muir Woods National Monument

Muir Woods is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and a hot spot for tree lovers. The forest is often covered in a fog that comes from the coast. There are countless redwood trees growing in the area that use the fog that seeps in to stay moist during the dry summers.

17. Napa Valley

Napa Valley

In the north of California you will find the Napa Valley. The area is famous for its beautiful landscapes and legendary wineries. The area is perfect for those that want to get away from it all and pamper themselves for a few days in the award winning restaurants and spas.

18. Cathedral Peak

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Cathedral Peak

Cathedral Peak is one part of the mountain range known as the Cathedral Range. The peak got its name because of the shape of the peak that looks like a cathedral. Glacial activity formed the peak and it has remained in its current form for many years.

19. Mariposa Woods

Mariposa Woods

Mariposa Woods are a grove of giant sequoias. When you arrive you will feel like you are in a fairy-tale as the trees get taller and taller the further in you go. Some of the trees are between 1900 and 2400 years old with the star of the show being the giant sequoia named ‘Grizzly Giant’

20. Giant Rock In Landers

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Giant Rock In Landers

The Giant Rock is a real natural beauty and one that you must see whilst on a trip to landers. The boulder is in the Mojave Desert and covers an area of 5,800 square feet. The rock is seven stories high and known to be the largest free standing rock in the world.

21. Glacier Point

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Glacier Point, Yosemite

Situated well above the Yosemite Valley is Glacier Point. A viewpoint that stands at an elevation of 7,214 feet. From here you can stand back and catch amazing views of the Yosemite Valley, Vernal Fall, Clouds Rest and Nevada Fall.

22. California One Highway

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California One Highway

Running from San Diego to San Francisco is the California One Highway. One of the most celebrated driving roads in the world. You will travel through wine country and beaches along this winding coastal drive. An absolute must for anyone who loves a road trip.

23. Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Big Basin Redwoods State Park is the oldest State Park in the country and here is where you will find the Waddell Creek Watershed. This area was formed when the rim was uplifted and the centre eroded, leaving the beautiful bowl shaped area you can see today.

24. Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Inside Humboldt Redwoods State Park you will find Rockefeller Forest which is the largest contiguous forest of coast redwoods in the world. Many of these trees grow to over 91 metres in height and the ‘Stratosphere Giant’ was at one point the tallest redwood known to man.

25. Mendocino Coast

Mendocino Coast

Mendocino Coast is a nature lover’s paradise. With breath taking scenery and rock formations that have been carved by the wind. There are tide pools and secret coves to explore as well as wetlands filled with birds and other wildlife. A truly fantastic place to explore when you need to get everything.

26. Bishop, California

Bishop, California

Bishop in California is a small town that offers much to the person who loves the great outdoors. You can trek to the top of White Mountain Peak which is 14,246 feet at its altitude and offers stunning views of the landscape below.

27. Oxnard Dunes

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Oxnard, Ventura County, California

Oxnard is a small city in California that has many beautiful beaches and dunes to visit. You can enjoy quiet beaches that let you take in beautiful sunsets or you can choose to walk along the dunes for an equally stunning view.

28. China Beach in San Francisco

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China Beach, San Francisco

In the Sea Cliff neighbourhood of San Francisco is China Beach, a small cove that is one of the cleanest and most looked after beaches in the state. The cove was originally used as a campsite for Chinese fisherman that worked in and the bay.

From sunny surf beaches to foggy forests, the Golden State has plenty to offer the adventurous tourist. Just driving along some of California’s highways can prove to be a life changing experience. The roads, stretching from Mexico to Oregon, seem to get more dramatic and spectacular with every mile marker passed. The state is as diverse in terms of culture as it is with its landscape. Everybody knows that California produces some of the world’s best entertainment by way of Hollywood but many may not know that it is also a world leader in technology and art.

California is a state where you can shake hands with Mickey Mouse and touch an Orca whale in the same day. You can admire the beauty of gigantic redwoods before witnessing one of the most hostile natural landscapes in the world. The Golden state is certainly not short of memorable experiences, here is our list of the best things to do in California:

1. Redwood National Park

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Redwood National Park

The Redwood National Park is a vast expanse of beautiful woodland, rivers and coastline where visitors can partake in a wide range of outdoor activates. The Redwood trees are some of the oldest and tallest trees in the United States. The wildlife within the woodland and along the coast is extremely varied and consists of a number of rare and protected species. If you have only one day in the forest simply take a relaxed walk and allow yourself to stare up at the tallest trees on the planet. If you have longer, lengthy hike routes are available as well as five informative visitor centers and an 8 mile scenic drive known as the Coastal Drive.

2. General Sherman

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General Sherman

General Sherman is the name given to a Giant Sequoia found in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in California. This tree, like many of the others found in this forest, is amongst the largest in the world. The forest is home to five out of ten of the largest trees on the planet. General Sherman is around 275 feet tall and is suspected to have been around for between 2,300 – 2,700 years.

3. Venice Beach

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Venice Beach, Los Angeles

The city of Los Angeles is renowned for its beautiful beaches and Venice beach is a stunning example. During the summer months, the beach accommodates many street performers as well as cyclists, roller-skaters, swimmers and, of course, sunbathers. Also found here is the famous Muscle Beach, an area where bodybuilders flex their muscles and show off their bodies in a open air, beach-side gym.

4. Death Valley

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Death Valley National Park

Although it is one of the most hostile natural environments on the planet, Death Valley is oddly beautiful. The unique valley is one of the hottest and driest areas in North America. The aptly named Furnace Creek once recorded temperatures of 134 degrees Fahrenheit, which, according to some, is the hottest air temperature ever, recorded on earth. Because of the extreme heat, travelers are advised to visit Death Valley in the early hours of the day. Dante’s View is a great place to see the valley and offers tremendous views on a clear day.

5. Disneyland

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Disneyland California

Arguably the most famous amusement park in the world, Disneyland is where all of Walt Disney’s most popular characters come to life. The park offers white-knuckle thrill rides, lively shops and restaurants as well as spectacular live shows featuring favorites such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. Visitors will also find many themed areas such as Main Street, where they can step back in time to the early 1900’s.

6. The Big Sur Coastline

Source: Jon Bilous

Big Sur

Spanning 90 miles of California’s Central Coast, the Big Sur is widely regarded as one of the most scenic driving routes in the world. Around 3 millions drivers travel the route, which stretches from Carmel to the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains, every year. Along the way, drivers will find points of interest such as the Bixby Bridge, the tallest single-span bridge in the world, Point Sur lighthouse and the McWay Falls which cascade 80 feet into the ocean below.

7. Lake Tahoe

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Lake Tahoe

This gigantic lake, which is one of the largest in the world, was created during an ice around 2 million years ago. Located along the border between Nevada and California, the lake is a great place for activities in both summer and winter. Snowmobile driving and skiing are popular in the winter. In summer, tourists have the opportunity to sail, kayak or jet ski on the lake.

8. Golden Gate Bridge

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Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the United States. Every year the bridge is photographed countless times and visited by huge amounts of tourists from around the US and the world. The bridge spans the San Francisco bay for over a mile. Its red tone was purposely chosen to make the bridge more visible in the foggy conditions that frequently engulf the area. Drive, walk or cycle across the bridge. Alternatively, if the history of the landmark interests you, there are a number of guided tours available.

9. Yosemite National Park

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Yosemite National Park

The iconic Yosemite National Park is located within the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. The park is home to three of the worlds ten tallest waterfalls and the largest single piece of exposed granite. Hiking within the park is a very poplar activity and it is also one of the world’s top rock climbing destinations. As well as spectacular nature, the park also has many quality restaurants and hotels, which allow travelers to dine and stay in this breath-taking setting.

10. San Diego Zoo

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San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo, located in Balboa Park, is home to over 3,700 animals of 650 species. The not-for-profit zoo sits on around 100 acres of San Diego parkland and is the largest zoological membership association in the world. Home to tigers, bears, monkeys, apes and elephants to name only a few the zoo has something to offer any animal lover. Over the years, the zoo has won several awards for its conservation programs and educational exhibits.

11. Alcatraz Island

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Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island is the site of the first US built fort and lighthouse on the United States’ west coast. The island is also home to the infamous federal penitentiary, which operated between 1934 and 1963. Although the prison was off limits to the public for many years, it is now open for tours and can even be visited at night time. Access to the island is by ferry and visitors are advised that the weather on the island can be unpredictable.

12. Griffith Observatory

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Griffith Observatory

This facility, located in Los Angeles and facing Mount Hollywood, is a self-proclaimed gateway to the cosmos. The Observatory offers visitors the opportunity to look through telescopes, watch live shows in the planetarium and admire stunning views of Mount Hollywood and LA.

13. Hollywood Walk of Fame

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Hollywood Walk Of Fame

This iconic sidewalk in Hollywood, comprises of more than 2,500 embedded stars with the names of various Hollywood legends contained within. Spanning 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard, the Walk of Fame was introduced in 1953 and is one of the most recognizable sights in Los Angeles. Walking along the sidewalk is a great way to spend a few hours whilst trying to locate your favorite actors or directors.

14. Fisherman’s Wharf

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Fisherman’s Wharf

The Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is one of the cities most popular landmarks and is often very busy. Pier 39 is a great place for shopping and admiring seals basking in the California sunshine. The wharf is also home to the peculiar Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum, a collection of bizarre and unusual objects from around the globe.

15. Getty Centre

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Getty Centre

Sitting on the olive green hills to the west of Hollywood, the Getty Centre is home to the Getty Museum and its fine collection of European and American art from various periods throughout history. The centre is also well known for its beautifully landscaped gardens, sculptures and panoramic views of Downtown LA and the ocean. Whilst entry to the centre is free, parking costs $15 for each vehicle.

16. San Francisco Cable Car System

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San Francisco Cable Car

This manually operated cable car system is the last of its kind in the world and offers the best way to see the city of San Francisco. Billed as the cities only moving historical landmark, the cable cars are set on three different routes with two ending in Fisherman’s Wharf. The Cable Car Museum can be found on Nob Hill and offers a wealth of information on the cable cars from construction to present day.

17. Chinatown

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Chinatown San Francisco

Located on Stockton Street and Grant Avenue in San Francisco, the Chinatown is the oldest in North America and largest outside of Asia. Chinatown hosts many events throughout the year and is home to significant buildings such as the Bank of Canton and Sing Chong building. The area is also a great place to sample authentic Chinese cuisine and explore exciting oriental shops.

18. Santa Monica Pier

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Santa Monica Pier

This 100 year old land mark is Santa Monica’s most popular attraction. On the pier you will find the Pacific Park amusement park, the iconic red and yellow Ferris wheel and a vast amount of restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. The pier is open all year for a leisurely stroll and offers plenty of events such as live music throughout the year.

19. La Brea Tar Pits

Source: Ken Wolter

La Brea Tar Pits

Located in the heart of Los Angeles, the La Brea Tar Pits are the world’s most famous ice age excavation site. Despite a huge collection of 3.5 million fossils, the digging and excavations are not over and there are many projects on-going. The museum shows many of the fossils found on the site as well as providing visitors with more information on the forming of the tar pits and the excavation works.

20. RMS Queen Mary

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RMS Queen Mary

The RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed from 1936 to 1967. The ship is now docked in Long Beach and offers a unique experience of dining on the liner or even staying here in one of its many hotel rooms. The ship is also available for guided tours offering an in depth look into the ships past and seasonal events such as Dark Harbour, a Halloween themed event playing into the ships reputation as a haunted vessel.

21. Cabrillo National Monument

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Cabrillo National Monument

The Cabrillo National Monument can be found at San Diego’s most southerly tip on the Loma Peninsula. The monument commemorates the landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. Cabrillo became the first European to set foot on, what is today, the West Coast of the United States of America. The Cabrillo Park is also home to wealth of information about 16th Century exploration.

22. California State Railroad Museum

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California State Railroad Museum

The California State Railroad Museum was first opened to the public in 1976 and is one of Sacramento’s largest and most popular visitor destinations. The complex consists of six buildings completed at a cost of $30 million. The primary exhibit building, the Railroad History Museum, totals 100,000 square feet and was opened in May 1981. Twenty-one meticulously restored locomotives and numerous exhibits are located within the main Railroad History Museum building. These exhibits illustrate how railroads have shaped people’s lives and the unique culture of California.

23. Universal Studios

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Universal Studios

Universal Studios, set in Universal City, is a film studio and theme park. The studio is responsible for a large number of Hollywood blockbusters and has various rides themed on its many box office successes. If you are a film fan or theme park aficionado, Universal Studios will have plenty to keep you entertained and to warrant the entry fee. The theme park is also home to CityWalk, a three-block dining, shopping and live entertainment promenade. The area is home to 5 nightclubs and over 30 restaurants and guests will find a huge choice of food, live music and souvenir shopping as well as a state of the art Imax cinema.

24. Montery Bay Aquarium

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Monteery Bay Aquarium

Montery Bay’s public aquarium was founded in 1984 and is located on the site of a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row. The aquarium offers an impressive selection of marine mammals, fish, invertebrates and birds and is also a prominent campaigner for ocean health undertaking various conservation research projects. The aquarium also offers sleepovers for children in its “Kelp Forest”.

How could you begin to sum up a city that is impossible to define? Whether you’re talking about the limitless sprawl of districts and suburbs or the jolting contrast between sun-baked hills and soft beaches, the high culture of its art institutions or the rip-roaring fun of its theme parks, Los Angeles is not easy categorized.

You could spend days buried in superior museums without ever seeing Hollywood, or devote a whole trip to nothing but studio tours and pilgrimages to share-worthy places from TV and movies.

Or you might want to go deeper, and hunt down the best taco truck or discover the next big comedy talent to come out of Silver Lake or Echo Park.

“Walkable” isn’t a word that comes to mind when you think of Los Angeles, but there’s ample opportunity for exercise on scenic hikes in the Hollywood Hills or leisurely bike rides along that string of sandy beaches.

1. Hollywood Sign

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Hollywood Sign

Put up in 1923 and originally spelling “Hollywoodland”, a real estate development, the unmistakeable Hollywood Sign was only supposed to last for 18 months.

The arrival of the Golden Age of Hollywood changed all that, and the sign has remained on Mount Lee in Griffith Park ever since, and dropping “land” in 1949. This landmark was rebuilt in steel in 1978 and was last repainted in 2005. One of the easiest vantage points in the basin is the raised patio on the north-east corner of the Hollywood & Highland Center Mall, and there’s another atop the Home Depot parking garage on Sunset Boulevard.

You can go in for an up-close look on a hike at Griffith Park, or park up at Lake Hollywood Park and admire the sign across the canyon.

2. The Getty Center

Source: Ken Wolter

The Getty Center, L.A.

The main branch of the J. Paul Getty Museum is in Brentwood, surveying Los Angeles from its hilltop roost.

The museum’s founder was petro-industrialist Jean Paul Getty, who left another $661m to the institution when he passed away in 1976. This went towards a spectacular and labyrinthine new complex, the Getty Center, which opened in 1997 after almost two decades of planning and construction.

Linked to its lower car park by a hovertrain, the Getty Center is a multifaceted attraction.

You’ll fall in love with architecture by Pritzker Prize-winner Richard Meier, the ever-changing Central Garden, the Cactus Garden, the outdoor sculpture and the knockout views, not to mention the astonishing art collection within (Medieval times to the present). Allow as long as possible to bask in the illuminated manuscripts, Italian, Flemish and Dutch painting from the 17th to the 19th century, the huge assortment of Impressionist painting and exquisite decorative arts.

Irises by van Gogh (1889) and Rembrandt Laughing (self-portrait, 1628) are not to be missed.

3. Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens

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Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens

Among the world’s great research libraries, the Huntington in San Marino, Los Angeles County, holds more than nine million items, from the 1000s to the 21st century.

For an everyday visitor, the Library Exhibition Hall draws from these enormous reserves, showing a captivating miscellany, from Medieval manuscripts to documents from Abraham Lincoln’s life.

The library is in 120 acres of lush botanical gardens, with magnificent living collections of orchids, bonsai, cycads and camellias.

You can saunter past lily ponds, and through a subtropical garden, desert garden, Japanese garden and Chinese garden.

Don’t ignore the trove of painting, sculpture and decorative arts at the Huntington Art Gallery, with works by Rogier van der Weyden, Gainsborough and American artists like Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper and Andy Warhol.

4. Griffith Park

Source: Sean Pavone

View from Griffith Park

In 1896 the Welsh mining magnate Griffith J. Griffith presented over 3,000 acres of Rancho Los Feliz to the City of Los Angeles as a “Christmas present”. Since then the park has added another 1,000 acres, making it one of the largest urban parks in the United States.

Griffith Park is a rough-hewn wilderness, incorporating a chunk of the Santa Monica Mountains and streaked with trails for walking and horseback riding.

The Los Angeles Zoo is here, and there are two public golf courses (Harding and Wilson), train and pony rides for youngsters, tennis courts, lots of concession stands and picnic grounds.

The Hollywood Sign is in the park’s boundaries, and can be reached on a tough hike.

Just above is a majestic but unmarked 360° viewpoint, taking in both Hollywood and Burbank behind.

the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Park 2-Hour Hiking Tour is a guided adventure through the park, stopping every so often to let you appreciate the Los Angeles cityscape and give you titbits about the park, the sign and Hollywood’s riveting history.

5. Griffith Observatory

Source: photo.ua

Griffith Observatory

In a second “Christmas present” in 1912 Griffith J. Griffith put up the funds for the park’s Greek Theatre and the Griffith Observatory, which wouldn’t be completed until 1935. Of all the many enduring landmarks in Los Angeles, this three-domed Art Deco monument holds a certain mystique.

The Griffith Observatory is posted on the south face of Mount Hollywood, the highest peak in the park, and the sight of the city rippling in the sun or twinkling at night from Observatory’s terraces are the stuff of dreams.

We can’t begin to list the movies and TV shows that have made the most of this location, but James Dean’s Rebel Without a Cause(1955) is the one that put the observatory’s in the world’s gaze.

The 25-metre, copper clad central dome houses the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, which screens Centered in the Universe, a hi-res trip through time, via discoveries by Ptolemy and Galileo, and space, through the Milky Way, and landing back on the Griffith Observatory’s front lawn.

You can also peer through telescopes and explore more than 60 space-oriented exhibits.

6. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

Source: Alex Millauer

Los Angeles County Museum Of Art

The largest art museum in the western United States, and one of the largest museums of any description in the country, LACMA on Wilshire Boulevard’s Miracle Mile is in a mishmash of seven buildings on a 20-acre site.

The collections are mind-bendingly vast, covering all ends of the earth and from the ancient times to the present.

For the smallest summary there are inventories of Greek, Roman And Etruscan art, American and Latin American art, modern and contemporary art, Islamic art, Asian art, decorative arts, photography and film as well as eye-catching permanent art installations.

If all this leaves you overwhelmed there are some works that you can’t leave without seeing, like Diego Rivera’s Portrait of Frida Kahlo (1939), Mulholland Drive: The Road to the Studio by David Hockney (1980), Titian’s Portrait of Jacopo (1532), The Swineherd by Paul Gauguin (1888) and Chris Burden Urban Light installation at the Wilshire Boulevard entrance.

As of 2019 there were plans to give the campus a bit more uniformity with a massive building designed by Peter Zumthor, with an opening date slated for 2024.

7. Venice

Source: Ganna Tokolova

Venice, Los Angeles

An eccentric neighbourhood and seaside resort, the world-famous Venice is Los Angeles at its most cosmopolitan and independent.

Although gentrification has crept in, the 2.5-mile Venice Beach Boardwalk is still prowled by outlandish characters, and teems with tattoo parlours, cannabis shops, international cuisine, countless street vendors and a big cast of street performers.

The skate plaza and Venice Muscle Beach are two world-famous signatures, as is the snaking Strand trail on the cusp of the massive sandy beach with its constant stream of cyclists and skaters.

Seek out the historic arcaded buildings, harking back to the original development at the start of the 20th century when the tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney created his own version of Italy’s Venice.

The boardwalk is the second most-visited place in Southern California, but will never feel oppressive thanks to the wide-open expanse of sandy beach and the grassy foreshore tufted with palms.

8. Getty Villa

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Getty Villa

Before the Getty Center there was the Getty Villa, commissioned by J. Paul Getty in the 1970s after the previous gallery on his property in Pacific Palisades ran out of space.

The Getty Villa is down the hill on the same land, looking out onto the Pacific.

The building, completed in 1974, is a reproduction of a lavish 1st-century CE Roman villa: The Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum to be precise.

Reopened in 2006 after a long-term renovation, the Getty Villa holds the Getty Museum’s collections for Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities, spanning 6,000 years up to 400 CE.

The exhibition picks from a gigantic reserve of 44,000 pieces and over the last couple of years has been rearranged in a loose chronological order.

The must-sees are plentiful, and among them are the “The Beauty of Palmyra” funerary relief (190-210 CE), Statue of a Victorious Youth (300-100 BC), the Caeretan Hydria (525 BC) and the ensemble of frescoes from the Villa Numerius Popidius Florus at Boscoreale (1-79 CE).

9. California Science Center

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California Science Center

In October 2012 the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which took part in 25 NASA missions from 1992 to 2011, rolled through the Los Angeles streets from LAX to the California Science Center.

At the time of writing in 2019 the shuttle was still in a temporary pavilion, and the exhibition, available with a Special Exhibit or IMAX Theater pass, shows off this staggering piece of hardware, along with some of its fittings like the Space Potty, galley, tyres from its final mission and the SPACEHAB Logistics Module, a kind of workshop for astronauts.

Though undoubtedly impressive, Endeavour is just one exhibit at a museum brimming with interactivity, relating ecosystems, world-changing inventions, air and space, how our organs and cells work and showing off a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird outside.

There’s always a choice of well-curated special exhibitions and of course the IMAX Theater, seven storeys high.

10. Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Source: Jon Chica

Warner Bros. Studio Tour, LA

As opposed to the action-packed Universal Studio Tour, a visit to Warner Bros. close by in Burbank is less about razzle-dazzle and more about the craft of making films and TV shows.

The standard tour lasts between two and three hours and packs in a visit to the Sound stage where the Big Bang Theory is shot, as well as the Archive and Prop House, bursting with props and costume from countless movies including the Harry Potter series and the DC Universe.

The Backlot has jungle, Midwest town, New York and Western sets that will ring a bell straight away, while the Picture Car Vault holds a fleet of cars from Warner Bros. productions, counting several Batmobiles.

A newer attraction is Stage 48: Script to Screen, a self-guided walk through an interactive sound stage, ushering you through the production process and displaying the set from Central Perk in Friends.

11. La Brea Tar Pits and Page Museum

Source: Ken Wolter

La Brea Tar Pits

Over tens of thousands of years until Los Angeles was developed, animals would be trapped and preserved in the tar at what is now Hancock Park by LACMA.

Heavy oil from the Salt Lake Oil Field would seep to the surface, becoming viscous natural tar as its lighter fractions evaporated.

The tar would be covered with a layer of water or dead leaves, waiting to lure unsuspecting mammoths, sabre-toothed cats, bison, horses and dire wolves and preserve them intact.

The pits have yielded some 400 animals and are an ongoing excavation site (there’s a viewing area at Pit 91). The many discoveries are documented at the adjacent George C. Page Museum, which opened in 1977 but has a history going back to 1913. Here you can see some of the remarkable specimens given up by the pits and get to know the science behind the process, while in the grounds are life-sized models of the animals claimed by the tar.

12. Venice Canals

Source: R Scapinello

Venice Canals, Los Angeles

At the turn of the 20th century the developer Abbot Kinney conceived a miniature version of Venice’s canals, marketed as the Venice of America.

Replenished by the Pacific through sea gates at the Marina Del Rey Breakwater, these cute waterways were built in 1905 but had become outmoded by the late-1920s and over the next few decades were allowed to fall into disrepair.

The canals were finally revitalised in the 1990s and form a highly desirable and pedestrian-friendly residential neighbourhood, roughly a quarter of the size of the original development.

Just a stone’s throw from Venice Beach you can go for peaceful waterside strolls, cross charming little footbridges and spot ducklings in the water in summer.

As ever, you’ll surely know these waterways from movies, in this case A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

13. Disneyland Resort

Source: disneyparks.disney.go.com

Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA

An obligatory day trip whatever your age, Disneyland Resort is two theme parks, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, linked by the outdoor shopping area, Downtown Disney.

It all began in 1955 with Disneyland Park, overseen by Walt Disney himself.

Fair to say that Disneyland Park is the original modern theme park, divided into “lands” and crammed with rides that have passed into legend, like Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

A new land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, designed in collaboration with Lucasfilm, opened in 2019. And, naturally, the Main Street parades are a big part of the fun, especially for smaller visitors.

The newer Disneyland California Adventure opened in 2001 and channels the excitement and adventure of the Golden State.

This park is steeped in the glamour of old Hollywood, and the thrill of Disney’s Marvel and Pixar movies.

Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: BREAKOUT! is a new arrival, featuring the cast from the movies and music hand-picked by director James Gunn.

14. Hollywood Walk of Fame

Source: Andrew Zarivny

Hollywood Walk Of Fame

There are things in every city that locals avoid like the plague, but visitors can’t afford to pass up.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is in that vein, commending actors, musicians, directors, musical and theatrical groups and even 16 fictional characters with stars in the pavement.

A little less than half of all the stars are dedicated to someone in the film industry.

In case you didn’t know, the stars are made of brass and terrazzo and in spring 2019 there were more than 2,600. The Walk of Fame, begun in 1958 with an initial 1,588 honourees, is on 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street.

Some 24 new stars are laid each year, at a cost of $40,000 (payable by the nominee or sponsor), and honourees are obliged to show up to their unveiling ceremony.

The Barrymore acting dynasty is the best-represented single family, with a total of six stars.

15. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

Source: Sean Pavone

Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

Hollywood history permeates the exquisitely decorated Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on the Walk of Fame.

This monument, designed to resemble a Chinese pagoda and guarded by a pair of Ming Dynasty lions, has hosted more than its fair share of premieres since it opened for Cecil B.

DeMille’s The King of Kings in 1927. To commemorate the Star Wars premiere in 1977, the prints of Darth Vader, C-3PO and R2D2 were taken in the concrete forecourt.

This tradition is claimed to go back to 1927, when actor Norma Talmadge slipped in wet concrete here, and over the last 90+ years any hundreds of icons of the silver screen have left their signature and some sort of print.

As with the Walk of Fame you can download a map to help you locate your favourites.

Now officially known as the TCL Chinese Theatre, the cinema seats 932 and in 2013 was fitted with a custom IMAX screen, one of the largest in North America.

16. Universal Studios Hollywood

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Universal Studios Hollywood

In 1964 Universal Studios started offering tours of its studio lot to see sets and props that had already been inscribed in movie and television history at Universal City.

Before long this developed into a fully-fledged theme park.

Almost everything is based on Universal Studios productions, and updated every few years to stay current.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened in 2016 and has the Flight of the Hippogriff rollercoaster and the Forbidden Journey, a dark ride through Hogwarts.

A new arrival in 2019 was the epic Jurassic World: The Ride, a “shoot the chute” in the Lower Lot, replacing its Jurassic Park predecessor.

On the Upper Lot, the Studio Tour is still going strong, and entails an hour-long tram ride through sets like Courthouse Square (To Kill a Mockingbird, Back to the Future, Gremlins) and the house from Psycho (1960). On the way you’ll be in famous movies and encounter a couple of mishaps, like a flash flood and an earthquake.

Come on weekdays outside the school holidays to avoid the crowds.

17. Pacific Park

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Pacific Park, Santa Monica

The only amusement park on a pier on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Park is free to enter and has 12 rides.

Inevitably, the Pacific Park and the Santa Monica Pier have appeared in hundreds of movies and TV shows, and like innumerable locations around Los Angeles was rendered in startling detail for the 2013 videogame GTA V.

First taking shape in the 1910s and revived in the 1990s, Pacific Park bills itself as the only admission-free amusement park in LA.

You pay for the individual attractions, among which is the steel West Coaster and the Pacific Wheel, which featured in Steven Spielberg’s 1941 (1979) is the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel.

A word on the pier, which is actually two structures joined together: The long and narrow Santa Monica Municipal Pier is from 1909 and was built to carry sewage pipes beyond the breakers, while the Pleasure Pier was started in 1916 by Charles I.D. Looff, responsible for Coney Island’s first carousel.

18. Rodeo Drive

Source: Gabriele Maltinti

Rodeo Drive

Every major western city has a street enriched with flagship luxury emporia by brands like Gucci, Cartier and Louis Vuitton.

But Rodeo Drive, namely the three blocks north of Wilshire and South of Little Santa Monica Boulevard is special.

This palm-lined street takes conspicuous wealth to a whole new place, and has also been immortalised by movies, most famously Pretty Woman (1990) when Julia Roberts goes on the mother of all sprees.

For all but the extremely wealthy, Rodeo Drive is more of a visual experience, for window shopping, gawping at Bugattis and Ferraris and wandering the “European-style” cobblestone alley.

Rodeo Drive got its first luxury boutique with Giorgio Beverly Hills in 1967 and in 2003 was given a multimillion dollar makeover with the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style.

At the intersection with Dayton Way this is heralded by the shining sculpture “Torso” by Robert Graham.

19. Mulholland Drive

Source: Joshua Hage

View from Mulholland Drive

Plotted in 1924 and named for the civil engineer who helped build LA’s water infrastructure, Mulholland Drive is a winding two-lane road along the ridgeline of the eastern Santa Monica Mountains.

Memories of countless movies will come flooding back on the way, not least from David Lynch’s namesake film (2002). Lynch believed that you could “feel the history of Hollywood” on Mulholland Drive, and it resonates in the plush homes (some of the most expensive in the world), hairpin bends recalling famous car chases and, of course, the many stunning lookouts.

Mulholland Drive is a thrill to negotiate by car, but you’ll need to go slow to deal with the many blind turns.

Be ready to stop every few minutes and step out to appreciate far-off views of the Los Angeles Basin, the Hollywood Sign, the San Fernando Valley, Burbank, Universal City and the San Gabriel, Verdugo and Santa Susana Mountains.

The most inspiring vistas of Downtown Los Angeles await at the eastern end just above the Hollywood Bowl.

20. The Broad

Source: Kapi Ng

The Broad, Los Angeles

Bringing added cultural bite to Downtown Los Angeles, the Broad opened next to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2015 and was financed by philanthropist Eli Broad.

The cube-shaped building is a head-turning architectural statement by the Diller Scofidio + Renfro firm, with a skin comprising 2,500 rhomboidal concrete panels reinforced by fibreglass.

On three levels, The Broad is vast and covers modern and contemporary painting, photography and sculpture from the mid-20th century to the present.

Broad has put together a reserve of more than 2,000 works by 200 artists, and his foundation makes new acquisitions by the week.

Among the many luminaries are Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Cy Twombly, Ed Ruscha and Jeff Koons, while the museum holds the largest collection of Cindy Sherman works in the world, with 129 pieces as of 2019. In spring 2019 Yayoi Kusama’s roaming Infinity Mirror Rooms installation had a stint at The Broad.

21. Hollywood Bowl

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Hollywood Bowl

An abiding landmark and wonderful place to watch live music, the Hollywood Bowl is a 17,500-seater amphitheatre resting in the Hollywood Hills with views of the Hollywood Sign to the north-east.

Fred Astaire, Louis Armstrong and the Beatles have all performed here… in fact it would be easier to make a list of the cultural giants who haven’t.

The venue is the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as the seat of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra (formed in 1990). The current shell is actually the fifth to have been built at the Hollywood Bowl.

The second and third shells were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, but only stood for a season each in the 1920s.

The fourth shell, by the Allied Architects group lasted from 1929 to 2003, but was often criticised for its acoustics and replaced for the 2004 season.

The Hollywood Bowl’s free museum is in the former Tea Room and is the first building you come to if you enter the site via Highland Avenue, with a permanent exhibition displaying programs and photographs of the venue since its birth in 1922.

22. Greystone Mansion and Park

Source: Yuriy Chertok

Greystone Mansion And Park

The oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny ordered this Beverly Hills Tudor Revival mansion, completed in 1928, as a lavish gift for his son, Ned.

At the time the 55-room Greystone Mansion was the most expensive residence in California, costing more than $4m and housing a bowling alley.

Ned Doheny died in a guest room in a murder-suicide with his secretary in February 1929, just four months after moving in.

Ninety years later it is still unclear who killed whom.

The house and its precise formal gardens have belonged to the City of Beverly Hills since 1965, becoming a public park a few years later.

This is a prime shooting location, appearing in a wealth of TV shows and movies, like The Big Lebowski (1998), Ghostbusters II (1989), Spider-Man (2002) and Eraserhead (1977), while the bowling alley was restored for the grim end to There Will Be Blood (2007). The mansion is closed to the public but the gardens and their cypress avenue, balustrades, fountains and clipped hedges are a delight, and open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 with extended hours in the summer.

23. Live Comedy

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The Comedy Store, LA

Being the capital of the movie and television industries, Los Angeles has a hugely productive comedy community, and this has given rise to an absurd amount of live comedy venues.

On a typical night there might be a stand-up showcase hosted by someone you love, or a live recording of a comedy podcast you’re into, or hilarious sketch and improv comedy by people you know from the screen but couldn’t name.

For the briefest overview there’s the Comedy Store (8433 Sunset Blvd), Hollywood Improv Comedy Club (8162 Melrose Ave), the Laugh Factory (8001 Sunset Blvd), The Virgil (4519 Santa Monica Blvd), Largo at the Coronet (366 N La Cienega Blvd) and UCB Franklin (5919) and Sunset (5419). Every Saturday at UCB Franklin and Sunday at UCB Sunset you can catch “Asssscat”, an improv show with a rotating cast of performers from television and movies (Sundays are completely free but you’ll need to show up early and queue).

24. Runyon Canyon Park

Source: Joshua Resnick

Runyon Canyon Park

You may have gathered by now that the Hollywood Hills are ripe for hiking.

And the place where Hollywood’s stars take their walks is the 160-acre Runyon Canyon Park.

If you’re on Instagram and follow more than a couple of celebrities you may already know this spot and its vistas like the back of your hand.

Striking out from the gate at the park’s southern entrance on N Fuller Avenue there’s a choice of three trails with varying degrees of difficulty: The Hero Trail (difficult), the Star Trail (medium) and the paved Runyon Canyon Road, which curls up the slope on a shallow gradient to the panoramic lookout at Clouds Rest, and down on the railway sleeper steps on the Star Trail to another overlook at Inspiration Point.

Pay a visit in winter and spring when the sky is clearer.

Also bring a hat, because there’s only occasional tree cover below the palms on the canyon floor.

25. Zuma Beach

Source: Sherry V Smith

Zuma Beach

In places between Santa Monica and Malibu the beaches can taper to just a few metres across.

Beyond Point Dume and backed by the Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu’s Zuma Beach bucks that trend as an archetypal Southern California beach.

Zuma Beach adored for its broad and long (1.8 miles) strip of soft, pale sand and abundant facilities.

Far from the built-up parts of Los Angeles the water quality is as good as it gets, while the boisterous surf attracts body surfers, even if it can get a little rough at times.

From January to April this Zuma Beach is also a prime place to watch the gray whales making the long migration with their calves from the warmer waters off Baja California to their feeding grounds in the Bering Strait.

26. Los Angeles Conservancy Walking Tour

Source: Sean Pavone

Downtown Los Angeles

Visiting the storied parts of 25-best-things-to-do-in-downtown-la/” >Downtown Los Angeles, you may feel like you’re missing out on a bit of background, not to mention all the intriguing anecdotes these streets have to tell.

The good news is that the Los Angeles Conservancy organises regular guided tours of fascinating locations like the Historic Downtown (every Saturday), the Millennium Biltmore Hotel (every Sunday) and the Commercial District (every Saturday), to name a few.

Also on Saturday you can immerse yourself in the Golden Age glamour of Downtown LA’s Art Deco wonders from the 20s and 30s.

These tours are in high demand and fill up quickly.

27. Petersen Automotive Museum

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Petersen Automotive Museum

On Museum Row, this museum was founded by publisher Robert E. Petersen in 1994 and has recently come though a makeover.

This has left the building with a spectacular shell composed of 100 tons of stainless steel in an aerodynamic ribbon formation.

Even more exciting is what’s in store in the museum’s 25 galleries where you’ll be greeted by hundreds of awe-inspiring automobiles, displayed with evocative backdrops.

Some of our picks are the 1915 Detroit Electric Model 61 Brougham, 1958 Plymouth Fury “Christine” and the solar-powered 1987 Mana La.

In summer 2019, the exhibition, Hollywood Dream Machines, brought famous vehicles from Batman (1989), Back to the Future (1985), Blade Runner (1982), Black Panther (2017) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) together for one unforgettable show.

Pay a little extra and you can go down to The Vault, containing 250+ vehicles spanning 120 years from all corners of the globe, some owned by movie and music heroes like Steve McQueen and Elvis Presley.

28. Los Angeles City Hall

Source: Nick Alvarez

Los Angeles City Hall

Since 1940 an image of the Los Angeles City Hall has been embossed on badges for the Los Angeles Police Department.

This landmark, dating to 1928, has had a lot of screen-time down the years, in the original Dragnet series in the 50s and in 1997’s L.A. Confidential to name a couple.

The City Hall complex has a Neoclassical base surmounted by that unmistakeable Art Deco tower.

Thanks to a city charter that remained in force until the end of the 1950s, the 138-metre tower was the tallest building in Los Angeles up to 1964. Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00, you can go in for free and catch the elevator to the 27th floor to contemplate LA’s skyline (bring a valid I.D. with you).

29. Autry Museum of the American West

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Autry Museum of the American West

The actor and singer Gene Autry (The Singing Cowboy) founded this museum dedicated to the history and culture of the American West in 1988. The attraction is in a mission-style building in Griffith Park, with a permanent exhibition in seven large galleries on the ground and lower floor.

This presents a loose timeline, starting with prehistoric hunter gatherers and leading you through the time of the Spanish conquistadors and Franciscan missionaries, up to 20th-century depiction of the west in books, television and movies.

In the museum’s large and growing collections are firearms and personal effects of Old West icons like Billy the Kid, Belle Starr and Wyatt Earp, as well as a hand-drawn diagram by Earp of his gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone.

The Journeys Gallery shows the developments in transport that changed the West in the second half of the 19th century, while the Colt Gallery explores the impact of Samuel Colt’s revolutionary revolver with scores of rare models, some beautifully engraved.

30. Walt Disney Concert Hall

Source: Kapi Ng

Walt Disney Concert Hall, Music Center, LA

Frank Gehry’s spellbinding concert hall at the Los Angeles Music Center has become a treasured fixture of the cityscape in Downtown Los Angeles since it opened in 2003. Mostly funded by the Disney family, the venue is a tribute to Disney’s contribution to LA’s culture and is the base for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

This swirling stainless steel structure has Douglas fir and oak cladding in its 2,265-capacity auditorium for superlative acoustics, and a giant concert organ that looks like no organ you’ve ever seen.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s main season here is from October to June, before they move to the Hollywood Bowl for the summer.

You can also visit Monday to Saturday for an hour-long audioguided tour, narrated by John Lithgow and with intriguing contributions by Frank Gehry.

The tour also encompasses an interactive exhibition at the Ira Gershwin Gallery.

31. OUE Skyspace

Source: Kit Leong

Oue Skyspace

Completed in 1989, the 310-metre U.S. Bank Tower is the second-tallest in Los Angeles, and the fifteenth tallest in the United States.

When the real estate company OUE took over the tower in 2013 it went to work on an observation deck.

OUE Skyspace opened in 2016 on the 69th and 70th floors, with a restaurant above on the 71st.

This is the highest skyscraper observation deck in California, with mesmerising 360° views including downtown LA’s skyscrapers, Dodger Stadium, the Hollywood Hills and the Pacific and San Gabriel Mountains in the distance.

What sets OUE Skyspace apart is the Skyslide between the 70th and 69th floors.

This vertigo inducing attraction is 13 metres long and made completely from crystal-clear glass, promising a few seconds of exhilaration or abject terror, depending on your disposition!

32. Dodger Stadium

Source: Joseph Sohm

Dodger Stadium

The third-oldest stadium in MLB, and the oldest west of the Mississippi, Dodger Stadium opened in 1962 and has the largest seating capacity (56,000) of any baseball stadium in the world.

The most recent of the Dodgers’ six World Series titles came in 1988, but in the 2010s they have been perennial contenders.

Led by star pitcher Clayton Kershaw, the franchise has taken seven West Division titles in the decade up to 2018, but fell just short of the biggest prize in 2017 and 2018. You can get tickets in person at Lot 2 on game days, and sample some of the indulgent food that Dodger Stadium is famous for, like esquites, tacos of all descriptions and the 16-inch “Going Yard” hot dog.

For an inside look at Dodger Stadium, take one of the 90-minute tours (10:00, 11:30 and 13:00), heading down to the field, into the Dodger Dugout and into the Lexus Dugout Club to view the team’s World Series trophies and various individual awards.

33. Grand Central Market

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Grand Central Market

As good a place as any to begin an adventure in Downtown Los Angeles, the cavernous Grand Central Market has occupied the ground floor of the landmark Homer Laughlin Building since 1917. This is hands-down the largest and oldest public market in the city.

In the 2010s the market has turned itself into a trendy dining destination with a revitalisation project, and by welcoming a cosmopolitan line-up of new vendors.

Here to tempt you there’s falafel, Nashville got chicken, wood-fired pizza, an oyster bar, ramen, Salvadorian streetfood, tacos, tortas, tostadas, currywurst, burritos, bento and BBQ, along with speciality food vendors for fresh bread, cheese, spices, Latin dry goods, herbs, fruit and vegetables.

34. The Original Farmers Market

Source: Alex Millauer

Farmers Market

Linked to the posh Grove Mall in the Fairfax District is the permanent Farmers Market, trading seven days a week.

You can use the market as a vibrant shopping amenity, calling in for groceries at the various butchers, bakers, fruit and vegetable stalls, and at speciality food stores for goodies like cheese, charcuterie, wine, olive oil and hard-to-find spices (Dragunara Spice Bazaar). Light My Fire has an assortment of hot sauces from all over the world, while “T” stocks every tea variety you could think of.

And when it comes to casual dining you’ll have to make the impossible choice between sushi, build your own salad, gumbo, pizza, loaded subs, Philly-style deli, churrasco, gyros, barbecue and a whole lot more.

35. Pacific Coast Highway

Source: Sundry Photography

California’s Pacific Coast Highway

Made famous by decades of popular culture, north-south highway hugs California’s coastline for more than 660 miles and can be joined at Santa Monica for a scenic drive to Malibu.

On one side the meandering road is walled by high scrubby cliffs, and on the other is the Pacific in all its unrestrained beauty.

You’ll see sleek residences posted high on the cliffs, surf communities and dozens of beaches, traced by elegant homes and, and many with just a slender ribbon of pale sand at high tide.

When you get peckish there’s an endless choice of seafood-oriented places to stop for a meal paired with those amazing views.

Malibu Seafood is a combined fish market and patio cafe, while Neptune’s Net is an iconic seafood spot, gazing out to the ocean since 1956 and favoured by bikers.

36. Sunset Boulevard

Source: Gabriele Maltinti

Sunset Boulevard

Twenty-two miles long, from Downtown Los Angeles to opulent Malibu, Sunset Boulevard is a neat cross-section of the city.

In West Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard encompasses the neon glare of the Sunset Strip, famed for its bright billboards, and a place to dine, drink and catch some live music.

In the 60s, 70s and 80s, every rock scene, from folk rock through punk to hair metal had its time in the limelight on Sunset Strip.

This patch has moved upmarket a little, and the alternative rock scene has migrated towards the Arts District, Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Echo Park.

Sunset Boulevard takes in classic monuments like the palatial Chateau Marmont Hotel.

Here F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, Billy Wilder and Hunter S. Thompson all spent time producing work at the hotel, while John Belushi died at the Chateau Marmont from an overdose in 1982. Climbing west the road dusts itself off as it bends past the film stars’ mansions and gated estates of Beverly Hills and Bel Air.

37. Paramount Pictures Studio Tour

Source: Natalia Macheda

Paramount Pictures Studio Tour

With roots going back to 1912, the corporation that became Paramount Pictures moved to this 26-acre site at 5555 Melrose Avenue in 1926. The stages where Sunset Boulevard, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Rear Window and Sabrina were shot are still used today.

You can discover them on a two-hour studio tour in a limousine golf cart, in the company of a guide well-versed in the history of the studio.

You’ll see the Prop Warehouse, a new Tour Center and the New York Backlot (several New York neighbourhoods in one place). Tours take place seven days a week and need to be booked in advance.

The best time to choose is between 11:00 and 15:00 when shooting may be happening, and there will be a better chance of spotting someone famous, even if more areas will be shut down for filming.

On weekdays there’s a 4.5-hour VIP Tour, for more of an insider experience when you’ll get to meet archivists and backlot tradesmen.

38. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Source: Lee Hari

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Founded in 1913, the largest natural history museum in the Western United States was given a spectacular overhaul in the early 2000s.

Strictly speaking the museum has three locations, including the La Brea Tar Pits, but we’re talking here about the anchor at Exposition Park, a Renaissance Revival building with fine terracotta moulding and a colonnaded rotunda.

The crowd-pleasers are Becoming Los Angles, showing you how a small pueblo became an endless metropolis, and a Dinosaur Hall that reopened at double capacity in 2013, displaying the only T. rex growth fossil series, showing a baby, juvenile and full-grown T. rex.

This adult is one of the ten most complete specimens for this dinosaur in the world.

Kids will also be spellbound by the hands-on Discovery Center, while the Butterfly Pavilion, with species from around the United States, is a seasonal treat from March to September.

39. Arts District

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Arts District, Los Angeles

To the east of Downtown Los Angles, the Arts District is a once decaying neighbourhood of early-20th century warehouses, railroad sheds and factories.

The district was first colonised by artists in the 1970s, and is now a youthful creative hub.

Unlike a lot of Los Angeles the Art District is mostly walkable, and has some of the best street art around, counting more than 100 murals, many that will stop you in your tracks.

Graffiti is illegal in the City of Los Angeles, but property owners in the Arts District encourage artists to go to work on their buildings.

Come with your camera ready to explore this revived cityscape peppered with independent galleries, ethical boutiques, loft brewhouses and ultra-hip coffee shops.

40. Santa Monica State Beach

Source: Natalia Macheda

Santa Monica State Beach

North and south of the Santa Monica Pier, is a gorgeous 3.5-mile sandy beach, recognisable from TV and movies of course, and a blissful place to idle on a sunny day.

North of the pier, the Santa Monica State Beach is tracked by the Pacific Coast Highway and Santa Monica’s famous sandstone cliffs.

From here you can get down to the ocean via the footbridges from the lush Ocean Park and Palisades Park atop the bluffs.

The beach is spotless, in a way that seems impossible in a metropolis, and the water quality is high everywhere except below the pier, even if the ocean is surprisingly chilly.

Dining isn’t a problem either, whether you head for the Ocean Front Walk behind the pier, or back up the bluffs in Santa Monica.

41. Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Source: Alizada Studios

Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Hollywood’s answer to Père Lachaise or Highgate is off Santa Monica Boulevard, behind Paramount Studios.

At Hollywood Forever Cemetery you can pay your respects to the leading lights of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and catch a glimpse of the Hollywood Sign.

Among the household names here are John Huston, Judy Garland, Rudolph Valentino, Cecil B. DeMille, Douglas Fairbanks, Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Rooney.

The cemetery is free to enter (as you’d guess, proper decorum is required), and you can get hold of a map at the entrance.

The caretakers will be happy to give you tips and a bit of background, while the grounds are as scrupulously maintained as you’d hope and roamed by peacocks.

What you might not expect is that Hollywood Forever Cemetery has a busy cultural calendar, with summer outdoor movie screenings, concerts, live podcast recordings, literature events and, on November 2nd, the biggest Dia de Los Muertos event in the United States.

42. The Strand

Source: J Wheeler

The Strand, Los Angeles

Officially known as the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, The Strand is a cycle path extending for 22 miles from Will Rogers State Beach at Pacific Palisades to Torrance County Beach.

If you fancy riding this smooth, serpentine concrete trail there’s no lack of places to rent a bicycle, e-bike or electric scooter around Santa Monica, Venice and Playa del Rey.

The path passes along the beach for almost the entirety of the route, apart from a diversion along Washington Boulevard after the Venice Fishing Pier.

The Strand was completed in 1989, despite opposition from beachfront homeowners in Santa Monica, and is the ultimate way to encounter the beaches of Los Angeles.

You’ll share the route with walkers and skaters, so it’s a ride for gentle coasting letting you appreciate the beaches, ocean and sights as you go.

For the perspective of a local you can book the Santa Monica and Venice 3-Hour Electric Bike Tour with GetYourGuide.com.

43. Taco Trucks

Source: photocritical

Taco Truck, Los Angeles

In a city nearly 50% Latino and Hispanic, it’s a given that Los Angeles should have a spectrum of cuisines from across the Americas.

Naturally, Mexican food stands out in particular, and most agree that Los Angeles puts other American cities in the shade for tacos.

You can hit the city’s staggering choice of Mexican-style chains, like Poquito Mas, Guisados, Del Taco and Qdoba, or smaller enterprises like Tacomiendo (Culver City, West Los Angeles, Montebello). But in the same way that the Chinese food in New York comes from holes in the wall, LA locals know that the best tacos are taco truck tacos.

Track down Leo’s Tacos Truck, Ricky’s Fish Tacos, Mariscos Jalisco, Guerrilla Tacos, Taco Zone, El Chato and Jorge’s Tacos.

Each truck has its own speciality, be it mesquite-grilled carne asada, rib meat, fried taco shells, chorizo, pastor (kebab-style seasoned pork) or taquitos (deep-fried tacos), so you have no choice but to try as many as possible.

44. In-N-Out Burger

Source: Kapi Ng

In-N-Out Burger

Part of the scenery in Los Angeles for over 70 years, In-N-Out Burger today has more than 340 locations in six states.

There are a few reasons why this fast food restaurant deserves your business over other chains.

Perhaps the best is that In-N-Out Burger pays all its employees above minimum wage, which is surprising as the restaurant has such a reasonable price point.

That menu is also unusually simple: There’s not much more than a hamburger, cheeseburger, Double-Double, fries and shakes.

But you can get creative using the “not-so-secret-menu”, adding extra patties and cheese, removing the bun for the low-carb Protein Style, or going for Animal Style, which has grilled onions and a patty cooked in mustard.

These choices aren’t advertised at any locations, but there are details on the chain’s website.

45. ArcLight Hollywood

Source: facebook.com

Arclight Cinema

It’s only right that Los Angeles should be one of the best places in the world to watch a movie.

ArcLight is a small cinema chain, with a few locations cropping up all over Los Angeles, and cities like Chicago and Boston in the last 15 years.

Arclight Hollywood was the first to open in 2002 and is the brand’s flagship, incorporating the space age Cinerama Dome that dates back to 1963. The reason this 15-screen cinema makes the list is for the effort ArcLight goes to providing the ultimate movie-going experience.

Along with superlative sound (THX) and picture quality, comfortable, pre-assigned seats, the screenings in the dome begin with a little talk by a member of staff with lots of movie trivia to unload.

46. Third Street Promenade

Source: Tero Vesalainen

Third Street Promenade

A couple of streets in from the Santa Monica Pier and you’ll be on Third Street Promenade in the middle of Santa Monica’s shopping zone.

The promenade is three open-air car-free blocks, flanked by palms and jacarandas, and with a real diversity of upmarket and mid-market stores, restaurants, bars and movie theatres.

For shopping think Sephora, Abercrombie and Fitch, Urban Outfitters, LUSH, H&M, Apple Store and Banana Republic, with a lot more waiting on the neighbouring streets or at the foot of the promenade on Santa Monica Place.

The development goes back to 1965 and has picked up a reputation for its many street performers.

You’ll come across musicians of every genre and style, as well as dancers, magicians, living statues and clowns, all at neat intervals down the street.

Recently little touches like clusters of Adirondack chairs have started cropping up on the promenade, while Downtown Santa Monica Station on the new-ish Expo Line, connecting this city with Downtown Los Angeles.

47. Universal CityWalk

Source: Artography

Universal CityWalk

A separate attraction at Universal Studios, CityWalk is a neon-lit, high-energy promenade for shopping, entertainment and dining.

CityWalk’s linchpin is the 5 Towers, an outdoor concert venue, with regular live music, while street performers are out in force most nights.

Entrance is free, and CityWalk is often thronged on weekends for its AMC Universal Cineplex, and the wide fast food and casual dining options, from Bubba Gump Shrimp Company to Tony Roma’s, Buca di Beppo, Panda Express, KFC, Taco Bell and Subway.

If you’re peckish for a snack there’s Wetzels’ Pretzels, Cinnabon and Ben and Jerry’s, to name a few.

48. Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook

Source: TierneyMJ

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook

A California State Park, this viewpoint is to the south-west of downtown, at Culver City.

Parking up on Jefferson Boulevard, there are two routes to the summit: You can navigate the switchbacks on a winding dirt track, or cut straight to the top on the Culver City Stairs.

There are 282 steps in all, so the most direct route to the overlook is also the most gruelling.

The best bet is to use the trail on the way up, enjoying the popcorn flowers and Californian aster in mid-summer, and return on the steps.

At the summit you can contemplate sweeping panoramas of Los Angeles, the Pacific, the Hollywood Hills and the San Gabriel Mountains to the north-west, capped with snow in winter.

49. LA Grand Tour

Source: ProDesign studio

Santa Monica Pier

The public transport system in Los Angeles is far better than its reputation, but is still growing.

So if you’re here without a car an extended bus tour is a great way to pack in as much as of the city as possible.

The LA Grand Tour is a seven-hour narrated tour of the city on an open bus, for a near-complete introduction to Los Angeles.

The trip begins at Sunset Boulevard, before setting a course for the Santa Monica Pier for a one-hour stop.

You’ll visit the Third Street Promenade, the Farmers Market (one-hour lunch stop) and the Grove.

Afterwards the bus makes the trip up to the Griffith Observatory for a whirlwind visit and to gaze at the Hollywood Sign, before descending to the Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars.

50. Descanso Gardens

Source: Kit Leong

Descanso Gardens

This joyful botanical garden in La Cañada Flintridge was once part of a 36,000-acre rancho gifted by the Governor of California to Corporal José María Verdugo in 1784. E.

Manchester Boddy, the owner of the Los Angeles Illustrated Daily News, took over the property in 1937 and built himself a mansion, the 22-room Boddy House.

After gaining access to mountain streams on the north side, Boddy started planting ornamental gardens.

In 1942 he enriched these with some 100,000 camellia plants to support two Japanese nurseries in the San Gabriel Valley during internment, and called on experts to develop rose and lilac collections.

The 150-acre gardens are run by a non-profit organisation alongside Los Angeles County, and shines for its 600 varieties of camellias, a five-acre rosarium, woodland streams, meandering paths, Japanese Garden and Tea House, and “Enchanted Railroad” for little ones.

The colour is glorious in spring when the azaleas, tulips, daffodils and lilacs take turns to bloom.

51. Japanese American National Museum

Source: Ken Wolter

Japanese American National Museum

In Little Tokyo is the largest museum in the United States devoted to Japanese-American history, preserving textiles, photography, footage, oral histories and a wealth of art and artefacts.

The Japanese American National Museum was founded in 1992 and in 1999 moved into the sleek Pavilion, designed by Gyo Obata.

The permanent exhibition, Common Ground: The Heart of Community, relates the Japanese-American experience since the earliest immigrants in the 1880s, via hundreds of documents and objects, going into detail on internment during the Second World War.

One moving exhibit is Sadako’s Crane, one of a 1,000 origami cranes folded by Sadako Sasaki, who died from leukaemia aged 12, ten years after the Hiroshima bombing.

In spring 2019 there was a sensational interactive exhibition for vintage Japanese toys, Kaiju vs Heroes.

52. One-Hour Flight for Two Persons

Source: TierneyMJ

Aerial View of Dowtown Los Angeles

When the best panoramas in Los Angeles require a stiff hike or a drive along a circuitous mountain road you may prefer to see the City of Angles in a manner fitting for a Hollywood star, from the comfort of a plane.

this experience is an exhilarating and intimate way to view the Pacific beaches, the skyscrapers of Downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood Hills, the iconic Hollywood Sign, the Griffith Observatory and Dodger Stadium.

One passenger will be free to soak up the views from the back seat, while the other will even be invited to take the controls and try a turn far above this famous cityscape.

53. Lake Hollywood Park

Source: Michael Gordon

Lake Hollywood Park

Getting to Lake Hollywood Park, above the Hollywood Reservoir at the west side of Griffith Park is an adventure on Hollywoodland’s tight, zigzagging roads.

But your patience will be paid back with one of the cleanest views of the Hollywood Sign, just by the road on Mulholland Highway.

Maybe because the drive can be tricky, Lake Hollywood Park feels more like a quiet suburban haven than a major sightseeing location, with a children’s playground, grassy field, picnic benches shaded by foliage and a regular stream of local dog-walkers .

54. Celebrity Homes Tour

Source: getyourguide.com

Hollywood Celebrity Homes Tour

Everyone is at least a little curious about where and how Hollywood’s biggest stars live.

If you can’t resist finding out more you can either get hold of a map and conduct your own investigation, or let someone else do all the work and take a bus tour.

Typically, a Hollywood and Beverly Hills tour will take you up close to around 60 homes occupied or previously occupied by A-listers, while your guide lays on some juicy gossip.

Most tours also involve a few landmarks like the Dolby Theatre, the Playboy Mansion and enduring spots on the Sunset Strip like Chateau Marmont, the Viper Room and the Roxy.

55. Watts Towers

Source: Federico Rostagno

Watts Towers

West Coast rap fans will have heard the name “Watts” in plenty of songs, so may know that this neighbourhood has a bit of an edge and is off the tourist trail.

But that shouldn’t deter you from visiting one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks.

The Watt Towers are an incredible work of outsider art, by one Simon Rodia, an Italian immigrant and construction worker.

Between 1921 and 1954, and without a plan to speak of, Rodia constructed these strange openwork towers using just his hands, decorating them with ceramic tiles, bottles, mirrors and figurines.

It is thought that the project was an act of atonement, as Rodia had led a pretty dissolute life.

Charles Mingus grew up beside the towers and linked their improvised style to his own work, while the Beatles placed Rodia among the many faces on the cover of Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Sacramento is the capital of California and a city that is rich with history, culture and countless things to impress you!

The famous saying from Sacramento is that “California begins here” and after spending a little bit of time here you will understand why. It is a city that has never forgotten its past and one that continues to remember the Gold Rush.

It is one of the easiest cities to fall in love with so let’s take a look at the best things to do in Sacramento.

1. Take A Visit To Old Sacramento State Historic Park

Source: Flickr

Sacramento State Historic Park

Old Sacramento Historic Park covers the entire area of the 1850’s business district and became a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

The buildings were built at the beginning of the Gold Rush and there are many historic buildings including the Eagle Theater.

Throughout the years the waterfront in this area has seen both tragedy including fire and floods, to the success of raising the streets. The area now attracts visitors from across the globe who are keen to check out these fantastic 28 acres of park.

2. Step Back In Time At The California State Railroad Museum

Source: Flickr

California State Railroad Museum

One of the most popular museums in Sacramento is the California State Railroad Museum. Each year over 500,000 people flock to this museum to step back in time and discover the history of the railroad. There are six buildings at the museum that cover an area of 225,000 square feet.

You will find many restored railroad cars and locomotives that were originally used throughout the state. Here you will see how the railroad has shaped California as well as its economy. One of the highlights of the museum is the Railway Post Office that visitors can step aboard to get a real experience of the past.

3. Feel Inspired At Crocker Art Museum

Source: Flickr

Crocker Art Museum

Originally this fine establishment was known as the E.B Crocker Art Gallery, it has since changed its name and is the longest continuously operating art museum in the west of America. There are a lot of works of art in the museum, dating from the Gold Rush to today.

The museum opened its doors in 1871 and houses one of the largest collections of international ceramics in the U.S as well as much work from Asia, Africa and Europe. There is much to see and experience here and you easily spend an entire day wandering around the beautiful pieces.

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4. Meet The Animals At Sacramento Zoo

Source: Flickr

Sacramento Zoo

The history of the Sacramento Zoo is fascinating as it shows how the zoo went from being “the little zoo in the park” to the large, impressive zoo that you will get to experience today. Initially the zoo was very small and housed about 40 animals that were collected from local parks.

Now the zoo has 400 animals from all corners of the globe and focuses its energy on education, recreation and conservation. There is so much to see and experience here and the children especially, will thoroughly enjoy meeting all the animals.

5. See The Abandoned Sutter’s Fort

Source: Flickr

Sutter’s Fort

Before the Gold Rush that changed the face of California forever, the community focused around Sutter’s Fort. Created by John Sutter in 1839 the fort was a hive of activity until James W. Marshall an employee of the fort discovered the gold (about 45 miles east of the fort) that started the Californian Gold Rush, after this the fort was abandoned and left as it was.

The fort has now been completely restored to its former glory and placed on the register of National Historic Landmarks. The main building of the fort is the two storey adobe structure, it was in that very building that the first gold was found that started the Gold Rush.

6. See The Old With The New At California State Capitol Museum

Source: Flickr

California State Capitol Museum

Sitting right in the heart of Sacramento is the California State Capitol Museum, here you can see the best of California’s history as well as its current active government buildings.

You can get a guided tour around the museum as part of a group or you can walk around unaided, whichever suits you better.

The whole building is stated as a museum but it is the basement and first floor where you will see the most interesting things.

7. Enjoy The California Automobile Museum

Source: Flickr

California Automobile Museum

The California Automobile Museum was founded by a group of volunteers in 1982, the story behind the forming of the museum is quite interesting in itself. A group of volunteers were at a meeting when one pulled out a $100 note and asked who would match him, five others came forward and that was the starting funds from where the non-profit museum was founded.

The museums first collection was to house the largest collection of Fords in the world and as the years went by the museum began to seek other makes of car. Today you can enjoy a truly diverse and exciting collection of cars.

8. See A Show At The B Street Theatre

Source: bstreettheatre

The yet-to-be built new and relocated B Street Theatre

The B Street Theatre has become something of an institution in Sacramento and the critics keep coming back for more great shows. The mission of the theater is to promote both education and literacy, they do this by creating shows that are of the highest quality.

The theater has been going strong for nearly 30 years and in that time the traveling part of the theater has performed in front of approximately 3.6 million students from California. The Sacramento News has awarded this place the ‘Best Live Theatre’ 14 years in a row. Photo is of the yet-to-be built new and relocated B Street Theatre.

9. Admire The Beauty Of The Cathedral Of The Blessed Sacrament

Source: Flickr

Cathedral Of The Blessed Sacrament

The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is the mother church of the Catholic faith in Sacramento. This means that the church serves nearly one million Catholics and encompasses 99 churches. The cathedral was built in 1887 and has stood proud for all these years, recent renovations have made sure the cathedral continues to serve its people whilst looking spectacular.

The cathedral has an interior dome which is a sight to behold and stands at 34m high, another impressive feature is the 13 foot crucifix that has a 14 foot crown overhead, the weight of the crucifix and crown is nearly one ton.

10. Watch The Kings At The Sleep Train Arena

Source: Flickr

The Sleep Train Arena

Whenever a city is home to an NBA team it is always worth trying to catch a game. The Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento is home to the Sacramento Kings and has been since 1988. The Kings are the longest running NBA franchise and although not the most successful of the franchises out there they have nonetheless won the NBA title in the past.

Since 2013 the team has been under new ownership with a technology entrepreneur from the Silicon Valley paying a record $535 million. Beginning in Fall 2016, the Sacramento Kings will no longer be playing at Sleep Train Arena, but at the new Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento.

11. Learn About Indian Life At California State Indian Museum

Source: wikimedia

California State Indian Museum

In 1940 the California State Indian Museum opened its door to the public with the mission of showing of three different themes to the public. The themes reflect all that is important to the Indian life; Spirit, family and nature. The museum is full of photographs and artifacts that show off how the Indians prospered in California for thousands of years.

You will get to see many traditional items that have been donated by the native Indians as well as an exhibition focused on Ishi. Ishi is reported to have been the last survivor of the Yahi tribe.

12. Spend A Night Out At Crest Theatre

Source: Flickr

Crest Theatre

The Crest Theatre first opened its doors over a hundred years ago in 1912 with the name Empress Theatre. Throughout the years the theater has had more than its fair share of drama both on the stage as well as off. None more famous than in 1946 when a marquee fell from the building a killed a bystander.

The Theatre nowadays holds regular events, live shows and classic or specialty films. There is an annual even called The Trash Film Orgy which lasts for six weeks each summer where cult cinema and local films are played.

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13. Get Soaked At Raging Waters

Source: rwsac

Raging Waters

The largest waterpark in Sacramento is called Raging Water and features over 25 water rides, slides and pools. The park is right in the centre of Sacramento and it has something to suit you regardless of your mood.

If after a while you are exhausted from all of the running around and having fun then you can stop at the family friendly restaurant for something to eat. Due to the extreme nature of some of the rides there is a height and weight limit like any other theme park.

14. Feel Inspired At The California Museum

Source: wikipedia

The California Museum

In downtown Sacramento you will find The California Museum, the museum is home to the California Hall of Fame. From the moment you step into the building you will feel inspired as you look at some of the amazing things that people from California have achieved in the past.

The museum also remembers to honor the Native Americans and is a real place of learning and one cannot help but come away feeling energized and refreshed by the great people they have learned about.

15. Take A Trip Over Tower Bridge

Source: Flickr

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge which is also known as The Sacramento River Bridge connects West Sacramento in Yolo County to the Sacramento County in the East. The bridge itself was built in 1935 and upon its opening 100 homing pigeons were sent across the state to deliver the news to the people.

Throughout the years the bridge has seen many renovations but a lot of the original bridge equipment still exists. Up until the 1960 the railroad used the bridge but this was made redundant so that the increased flow of traffic could be handled.

16. See The End Of The Pony Express

Source: wikimedia

The Pony Express Terminal

The Pony Express Terminal in Sacramento was the end point of the Pony Express. It was also the building that was first used as the California Supreme Court.

The building has been officially named a National Historic Landmark and is home to the Wells Fargo History Museum.

You can learn a lot about the Gold Rush here and there is a recreation of a 19th century Wells Fargo Express Company office as well as plenty of artifacts from the time.

17. Stop Off At The Eagle Theatre

Source: yelp

The Eagle Theatre

The Eagle Theatre in Sacramento was the very first permanent theater the state of California had seen. It was built in 1849 out of a wooden frame and a canvas covered roof. At the time of opening the crowd would have been made up of gold miners from the local area enjoying a night out.

The theater is said to be haunted and has featured in the TV show Ghost Adventures, it was during the filming of this show that the team was said to have caught an image of a rocking chair rocking itself. The theater is now owned by the California Department of Parks and Recreation and is on the California Historical Landmark Register.

18. Take A Tour Around The Old City Cemetery

Source: wikipedia

Old City Cemetery

The Old City Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Sacramento, established in 1849 it has become the final resting place for many a great Californian over the decades. Buried in these grounds are previous Sacramento mayors, Californian governors and also victims of the cholera epidemic of 1850.

The cemetery has been set out as a beautiful Victorian garden and you can take a lantern led tour of the graves to experience and learn about the rich history of the people here. The grounds are mainly looked after by volunteers now, the volunteers adopt a plot and look after the gardening duties that would have previously been completed by relatives.

19. Learn The History Of Sacramento

Source: cityofsacramento

Sacramento History Museum

When people think about Sacramento it is always the Gold Rush that comes to mind, but there is so much more to this great city than that. The Sacramento History Museum delves into the past of this city and showcases the area’s first inhabitants, how farm life was and much more.

The museum is very interactive and the way the museum is presented really makes you feel like you were there living among the people all those years ago. The museum has employed guides that will show you around and they manage to bring every situation to life. If you want to learn about how the city lifted itself up from the floods of the 1860’s and 70’s then this is a great place to start.

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20. Watch The Sacramento State Hornets Football Team

Source: Flickr

Sacramento State Hornets

Although not the most successful of college football teams the State Hornets are well worth a watch when in town. They play their home games at the Hornet Stadium and always have a strong following. The stadium holds over 21,000 people so you can always guarantee a great atmosphere. E

ach year the Hornets play their local arch rivals, the UC Davis Aggies. The two teams are separated by Tower Bridge and the game is usually held on the last day of the regular season. The teams fight it out for the Causeway Classic which was named after the bridge that separates them.

21. Cycle The American River Bike Trail

Source: centralcaliforniacycling

American River Bike Trail

The American River Bike Trail is also known as the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail and it runs for 32 miles between Discovery Park in Old Sacramento and Beal’s Point. The trail is a beautiful ride as it is completely paved and has two operational lanes.

There are plenty of amenities along the way such as restroom’s, water fountains and public telephones. If you are hungry then there are plenty of places you can stop at along the way to have a bite to eat and a rest before continuing.

22. Escape Into A Fairytale

Source: fairytaletown

Fairytale Town

Fairytale Town is a 2.5 acre play area and children’s museum in Sacramento. The museum has been designed to bring all of your favorite nursery rhymes and fairytale’s to life. There are more than 25 different areas to play in, each reflecting a children’s story that can be brought to life with a little imagination.

There are also various animals dotted throughout the park such as Peter Rabbit or the sheep that Mary had. Fairytale Town is a great place to go back and reminisce over your childhood whatever age you may be.

23. Take A Ride On The Sac Brew Bike

Source: youtube

The Sac Brew Bike

The Sac Brew Bike is perfect for groups that want to spend their time doing something different. Here you and your friends can jump aboard this multi-person bike and go for a group cycle around some of Sacramento’s best drinking and eating spots.

You all jump on and get peddling whilst the driver operates the steering to make sure you are still going in the right direction after a few drinks. A completely unique experience to the city and one that is worth doing as it is not often you can exercise and have fun at the same time.

24. Eat At The Kitchen

Source: thekitchenrestaurant

The Kitchen

If you are looking for somewhere to go for a special occasion or just want to treat yourself then you might want to consider The Kitchen restaurant. The restaurant was formed in 1991 by a husband and wife team who wanted to stick to the concept of “Farm-To-Fork” dining.

Everything in the restaurant is from locally sourced farmers and producers and the restaurant has been a sell out nightly for more than 20 years! It is not a cheap place to dine at but for a one of special occasion and it is worth every cent.

25. Be Amazed At The Dive Bar

Source: amusingplanet

The Dive Bar

Sometimes seeing is really believing and if you want something completely extraordinary then you should stop off for a pint at The Dive Bar. Above the bar is a tank that holds 7,500 gallons of water, in the tank are mermaids and mermen swimming around for your pleasure.

The bar is available for private parties as well as the casual drinker who just wants to chill out for a while. The bar is truly unique and a great place to see a once in a lifetime experience.