Free Things to Do in Los Angeles
In this article, we’ll show you 10 things you can do in Los Angeles completely free of charge. Here are our top 10 recommendations:
NUMBER 10: FREE MUSEUMS
Los Angeles is home to over 800museums and art galleries, that’s more museums per capita than any other city in the world. Here’s the good news: many of them are completely free of charge.
Here are some of the free museums in Los Angeles: Griffith Observatory, Getty Center, Getty Villa, California Science Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Huntington Library with art collections and botanical gardens, Broad Museum of Contemporary Art, Hammer Museum, The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, and even the famous LACMA is free every second Tuesday of each month and on certain holidays.
NUMBER 9: SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP LAKE SHRINE
Located close to the Pacific Ocean, you will find a magnificent garden estate used as a film set during Hollywood’s silent movie era. Lake Shrine is a spiritual sanctuary for the purpose of meditation and prayer.
There is no entrance fee to the garden which is home to several interesting places such as the Dutch windmill chapel, the Mississippi houseboat, Golden Lotus Archway, as well as the shrine that holds some of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes.
NUMBER 8: BEACHES IN AND AROUND LOS ANGELES
The Los Angeles area is famous for its beautiful beaches. From surfing, sunbathing, to relaxing sunsets on the beach, chances are you will find something fun to do on the beaches of Los Angeles.
Some of the best beaches include El Matador State Beach in Malibu, Santa Monica State Beach, Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Junipero Beach, and Huntington Beach orLaguna Beach in Orange County, and many others.
Our Google maps with best beaches in and around L.A.: http://bit.ly/2Tg46DG
NUMBER 7: ABANDONED GRIFFITH PARK ZOO
The first zoo in Los Angeles called the Griffith Park Zoo was established in 1912 and closed in 1966 because the City of Los Angeles opened a bigger zoo.
The area in the Griffith ParkZoo was converted into a picnic area but many of the original settings such as a cave for the animals still remained as they are, and they just added benches for the picnic area.
What is now called the Old Zoo Picnic area is, of course, great for a picnic, as the name suggests, but also for a short hike in nature. For Halloween, the zoo is transformed into a hunted village.
NUMBER 6: FREE COMEDY SHOWS
Los Angeles is probably one of THE places for future comedy show stars. Make your stay in LA more fun and attend a free comedy show.
Some places require minimum drink purchases or a small fee for their shows, but some of them don’t. Check on https://www.eventbrite.com/ or similar websites for free comedy shows for the dates of your stay in Los Angeles.
NUMBER 5: THE ORIGINAL FARMERS MARKET
Visit the Original Farmers Market which started operating in 1934 and was a popular place for Hollywood celebrities to shop or eat. The market regularly appears on TV, for instance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, or cooking shows with Gordon Ramsay.
Don’t miss The Grove, a shopping complex, popular for both shopping and dining, located on parts of the Original Farmers Market.
NUMBER 4: KOREAN FRIENDSHIP BELL
Korean Friendship Bell is a massive bronze bell located in Angel’s Gate Park. The bell was a gift from SouthKorea to symbolize friendship between the two countries.
Korean Friendship Bell is housed in a beautiful stone pavilion with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.
NUMBER 3: FREE TOURS
Los Angeles is full of amazing places and most of such locations are in the open area, therefore, completely free of charge.
Based on your interest, you can embark on a self-guided walking tour, following great tips published on several websites such as https://www.freetour.com/.
Tour ideas include a Metro Art Tour, a Hollywood tour, a historical Los Angeles tour, and many more. Check the description for links.
NUMBER 2: FREE VIEWS OF THE CITY
There’s no better way to experience Los Angeles than from several special spots where you’ll be able to see breathtaking views of the city and its surroundings.
For the best amazing free views of Los Angeles, you can visit Griffith Observatory, Hollywood sign, Echo Park, Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Mount Wilson Observatory, City Hall, and Getty Center.
NUMBER 1: LISTEN TO FREE MUSIC/CONCERTS
Did you know that you can enjoy great free concerts in Los Angeles? From free Jazz, Friday nights at LACMA, free Monday night concerts at Bootleg, Echo, or Satellite to an array of free summer concerts, free music in the world’s capital of entertainment industry is not hard to find.
LACMA (over 100 concerts a year: classical, jazz, Latin, and new music): https://www.lacma.org/programs/music
Bootleg (find the free concerts): https://www.bootlegtheater.org/music/
Echo (find the free concerts): http://www.spacelandpresents.com/events /
Satellite (find the free concerts): https://www.thesatellitela.com/
DoLA: https://dola.com/free
Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/d/ca--los-angeles/free--events/