San Fernando Valley
One of the original chain of Spanish missions, Mission San Fernando dates from 1797, and the rambling grounds include the original 1822 convento, with its 4ft-thick adobe walls and Roman arches showing construction of the time (and enclosing the only known remaining mission wine cellar). There's also a historical museum, replicated church and many gardens.
The gift shop sells saint-themed figurines and medallions, wrought-iron crosses and greeting cards.
14.11 MILES
With eyes on both the galaxy above and palm-flanked boulevards below, the Griffith Observatory hovers above LA like a hulking spacecraft. This is one of…
19.65 MILES
Prepare for a sensory overload on Venice's Boardwalk, a one-of-a-kind experience. Buff bodybuilders brush elbows with street performers and sellers of…
18.4 MILES
Once the very end of the legendary Route 66 and still the object of a tourist love affair, this much-photographed pier dates back to 1908 and is the city…
Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
22.37 MILES
One of the most delightful, inspirational spots in LA, the Huntington is rightly a highlight of any trip to California thanks to a world-class mix of art,…
19.33 MILES
From the instant it opened in September 2015, the Broad (rhymes with 'road') became a must-visit for contemporary-art fans. It houses the world-class…
13.45 MILES
In its billion-dollar, in-the-clouds perch, high above the city grit and grime, the Getty Center presents triple delights: a stellar art collection …
11.18 MILES
Dodge dinosaurs, hang with Homer Simpson and morph into a Minion on the sometimes hair-raising, always entertaining attractions at Universal Studios…
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
19.32 MILES
LA is unlike any other city, and this cathedral is unlike any other cathedral. Seat of the US's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese (some five million…
9.11 MILES
North Hollywood (NoHo) was a down-on-its-heels neighborhood of artists, but thanks to redevelopment it now boasts some 20 stage theaters in 1 sq mile and…
10.22 MILES
Perhaps the world's most famous TV house sits on a surprisingly ordinary suburban block in NoHo and looks rather small compared to what you might remember…
10.28 MILES
Although it is, technically speaking, the country’s largest Jewish museum and cultural center, the Skirball has something for all. The preschool set can…
4. Universal Studios Hollywood
11.18 MILES
Dodge dinosaurs, hang with Homer Simpson and morph into a Minion on the sometimes hair-raising, always entertaining attractions at Universal Studios…
5. Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills
11.47 MILES
Pathos, art and patriotism rule at this humongous cemetery next to Griffith Park. A fine catalog of old-time celebrities, including Lucille Ball, Bette…
12.03 MILES
This delightful rail yard displays dozens of vintage railcars and locomotives, the oldest from 1864. Kids are all smiles imagining themselves as engineers…
12.33 MILES
Just east of Travel Town is this group of local folks with a passion for scale-model locomotives. On Sunday afternoons they offer rides on their one…
12.6 MILES
If you go to Los Angeles and don’t catch a glimpse of those nine letters looming large on a Hollywood hillside, did you really even visit Tinseltown? Just…