WHAT SHOULD WE SEE IN LOS ANGELES?

Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States. It is known for its incredible weather and film industry. Luckily, my sister, brother-in-law and adorable niece live in LA so we get to visit from time to time. During our latest trip back to the US, we visited LA for a few days and then flew to Maui! We had an incredible time with family, and we were able to enjoy some more sights. There is so much to see in LA so you may wonder what should we see in Los Angeles? I’m excited to tell you all of our favorite places to visit in the City of Angels.

10. Drive by famous houses – How fun is it to drive-by some of the houses from shows or movies that you’ve seen on TV? We have visited the Brady Bunch house in LA, the Father of the Bride house in Pasadena, the Walsh house from 90210 in Altadena and two of the Modern Family homes in LA.

Brady Bunch house - What should we see in LA?
Brady Bunch house (August 2020)

9. Chinese Theatre – This iconic theatre is located in Hollywood and opened as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on May 18, 1927 premiering with “The King of Kings.” The theatre is most known for the handprints and footprints in the cement. It is pretty cool to literally stand in your favorite movie icon’s footsteps. 

Chinese Theatre - What should we see in LA?
Chinese Theatre (March 2022)

8. La Brea Tar Pits & Urban Light – Are you a fan of My Girl? If so, i’m sure you’ve always been fascinated by the La Brea Tar Pits like me! These tar pits were formed by natural asphalt seeping up from the ground for around 50,000 years. Over 100 excavations have been located at this site, and there is a museum as well. The girls and I walked around the tar pits during our visit in August 2020, but we were not able to visit the museum.

Urban Light is on the same block as the tar pits, and it is an installation filled with restored street lamps from the 1920’s and 1930’s. The installation was created by Chris Burden in 2008, and it is a beautiful spot to visit. The girls loved running around the rows of street lamps!

Urban Light in LA - What Should We See in Los Angeles?
Urban Light (March 2022)

7. Hollywood Park & hike near the Hollywood sign – In 1923, a sign was erected saying Hollwoodland to advertise a housing development. It was only intended to be there for a few years, but after it received so much recognition, it was left! In 1949, the City of Los Angeles removed the “land” part of the sign to reflect Hollywood and not just the housing development. Ever since, this sign has become an iconic view on any trip to LA. My favorite view is from Lake Hollywood Park, and you are able to start trails right by the park to hike near the sign.

Lake Hollywood Park - What should we see in Los Angeles?
Lake Hollywood Park (August 2020)

6. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area – Did you know there are multiple national park sites near LA? One of these is the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area! The girls completed the junior ranger packets before we headed to the area. Luckily, we caught a ranger so they girls could get their badges!

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area - What should we see in LA?
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (August 2020)

5. Griffith Observatory – The Griffith Observatory contains a planetarium, exhibits, telescopes and more. It is free for entry and open Friday through Sunday. One of the best parts of the Griffith Observatory is the stunning views of the Hollywood sign and Los Angeles! We visited on a Tuesday so we did not get to go inside, but the views were worth the visit.

Griffith Observatory - What should we see in LA?
Griffith Observatory (March 2022)

4. Santa Monica Pier – The Santa Monica Pier is located at the intersection of Ocean and Colorado, and it contains incredible views, delicious foods, exciting rides and lots of fun! The pier was originally built to cover up a sewage pipeline in 1909, which was discontinued in the 1920’s, and it was also the first concrete pier to be built on the US west coast. Emma, my mom, my sister and I visited on a girls trip back in July 2016.

Santa Monica Pier - What should we see in LA?
Santa Monica Pier with Emma (July 2016)

Most recently, I visited with two of my friends this March. We had fun bar hopping as well as enjoying the ferris wheel and views! If you enjoy visiting Route 66 sights, you can also find the the end of Route 66 sign on the pier!

Santa Monica Pier - Route 66 End Sign - What should we see in Los Angeles?
Santa Monica Pier (March 2022)

3. THE BEACH! – Malibu, Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach are just a few of the amazing beaches located in LA that are waiting for you to explore. Taking a dip in the Pacific is a must do while visiting LA!

2. Studio tour – Hollywood is synonymous with the film industry which is why it is nicknamed Tinseltown. LA is home to the biggest movie studios including Paramount Studios, Sony Pictures, Fox Studio Lot, Universal Studios & WB. Most of the studios offer tours, and I highly recommend these! I have been on the Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. studio tours, and they have both been amazing! If you’re a fan of Seinfeld, make sure to visit the Seinfeld sets at Sony! And, if you’re a fan of Friends, the WB tour is definitely for you!

Central Park set at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour - What should we see in LA?
Warner Bros. Studio Tour (March 2022)

1. Disneyland! – Can there really be a list of LA sights without Disneyland? Disneyland is located in Anaheim, which is about an hour drive from LA, and it is definitely worth the drive. With only two parks, Disneyland is much smaller than Disney World. We visited in 2018, and we had a blast.

Disneyland - What should we see in Los Angeles?

What spot are you going to visit first? To find out more about our time in LA, check out this video!

We hope you enjoy all of these LA sights! Thank you for wandering along with us!