Downtown

El Pueblo de Los Angeles (and Olvera Street)
The birthplace of Los Angeles, just north of the financial district with its huge skyscrapers, is now a state historic park. In 1781, Father Junipero Serra (founder of many of California's Spanish missions) and Don Felipe de Neve (governor of California) journeyed north from Mexico and established a pueblo here on the site of a former Indian village. Its name, El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula (The Town of Our Lady Queen of the Angels of Porciuncula), outweighed its size and it was soon shortened to Los Angeles. The 27 historic adobe buildings date from the early 19th century and pay tribute to the city's Spanish heritage. They include the Avila Adobe, the city's oldest home; the Old Plaza Church and the Sepulveda House, which now serves as the El Pueblo Visitor Information Center. The heart of the district is Olvera Street, a lively place with strolling mariachi bands, stalls selling Mexican handicrafts and good Mexican restaurants, some still run by the original families.

North Alameda and Spring Streets
Tel: (213) 628 1274.
Website: www.cityofla.org/ELP
Opening hours: daily 1000-2000 (Summer); daily 1000-1900 (Nov-Mar). The visitor centre is open daily 0900-1600.
Free admission. 

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
Housed in a striking red sandstone building designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, this celebrated art museum showcases the work of leading modern artists. The permanent collection features the likes of Piet Mondrian and Mark Rothko. Pyramid skylights enhance the bright galleries, while the courtyard boasts an attractive fountain. MOCA has a secondary site, located close by and accessible by free shuttle, called Geffen Contemporary, which hosts changing exhibitions in an old warehouse. MOCA's third venue is at the Pacific Design Centre in West Hollywood, which focuses on contemporary architecture and design.

California Plaza, 250 South Grand Avenue
Tel: (213) 626 6222.     
Website: www.moca.org
Opening hours: Mon, Fri 1100-1700, Tues, Wed closed, Thurs 1100-2000, Sat, Sun 1100-1800.
Admission charge, free Thurs 1700-2000.

Geffen Contemporary
152 North Central Avenue
Tel, website and opening hours as above.

Pacific Design Centre
8687 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood
Tel and website as above.
Opening hours: Tues, Wed, Fri 1100-1700, Thurs 1100-2000, Sat-Sun 1100-1800.
Admission free.

Walt Disney Concert Hall
The stainless steel ribbon-like exterior of the LA Philharmonic's home shimmers in the sunlight. It took 16 years to construct this US$270 million metal masterpiece, although the work of architect Frank Gehry received mixed reviews. Inside the sleek, 2,265-seat building, though, is one of the world's most highly developed - and acclaimed - acoustical systems. Most noteworthy is its huge organ containing 6,134 pipes ranging from pencil-size to as large as 9.5m (32ft) high. Although there are tours, the best way to experience this sublime ‘hall', is to attend a concert.

111 South Grand Avenue
Tel: (323) 850 2000.
Website: http://wdch.laphil.com
Opening hours for audio tours (do not include auditorium): Most days 1000-1400.
Admission charge.

Hollywood

Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Built by showman Sid Grauman in 1927, this is the most famous of the flamboyant picture palaces along this stretch of Hollywood Boulevard. As part of the development of the area (see Hollywood and Highland below), the theatre has been extensively renovated; the inside has been opulently restored, while the exotic oriental facade is resplendent in its pastel greens, crowned by a red pagoda roof. The ticket booth has been moved from the forecourt - which remains the main attraction here. It is where the hand and footprints of Hollywood celebrities are embedded into the cement. This signature parade started quite by accident when, at the grand opening, actress Constance Talmadge tripped and stepped in wet cement. Among the more unusual signatures are Jimmy Durante's nose and the hoof prints of Roy Roger's horse Trigger. All kinds of characters hang out at Grauman's; people, just looking to make a couple of bucks, dress like famous characters such as Michael Jackson, Sponge Bob Square Pants, Spiderman, Elmo and Marilyn Monroe. VIP backstage tours take about 35 minutes and include a short film. The cinema still shows first-run movies, another way to see its lavish interior. Other art deco theatres nearby that are worth a look are Pacific El Capitan, The Egyptian and Pantages.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame passes outside the front of the Chinese Theatre. This trail of bronze stars embedded in the paving stones runs 5.5km (3.5 miles) along Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea and Gower Streets and along Vine Street between Yucca Street and Sunset Boulevard. It honours artists in the film, television and music industries and the first star imbedded in the pavement in 1960 was one for Joanne Woodward. Today, they number well over 2,000.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre
6925 Hollywood Boulevard
Tel: (323) 463 9576 for tour times.
Website: www.manntheatres.com/chinese
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours (forecourt).
Free admission (forecourt); charge for tours.

Hollywood and Highland
Built around the Chinese Theatre, as part of the plan to revitalise Hollywood Boulevard, this massive retail and entertainment complex, which opened in 2001, is known as Hollywood and Highland because of its location above the Hollywood and Highland subway station. The open-air, five-storey complex includes shops, restaurants, nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, a hotel, a ballroom and the Hollywood Motion Picture Collection. It is also home to the Kodak Theatre, often known as the Academy Awards Theater as it has become the permanent venue for the Oscars ceremony. There's a colourful programme of events from opera to comedy, as well as behind the scenes tours. The complex's observation tower showcases a panoramic view of the famous Hollywood sign.

6801 Hollywood Boulevard
Tel: (323) 467 6412.
Website: www.hollywoodandhighland.com
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-2200, Sun 1000-1900.
Free admission, charge for attractions.

Kodak Theatre
Tel: (323) 308 6300.
Website: www.kodaktheatre.com
Opening hours for guided tours: Daily 1030-1600 (Jun-Sep); 1030-1430 (Sep-May).
Admission charge.

Hollywood History Museum
The exquisite, art deco Max Factor Building has been restored to its original 1935 state and now houses the Hollywood History Museum. The cavernous museum features a wide array of exhibits, including costumes and props used in Hollywood films. Visitors can see Marilyn Monroe's autopsy, the whip used by Indiana Jones and even visit Hannibal Lecter's jail cell. Displays begin with the silent film and work their way through Hollywood's Golden Era, to state-of-the-art technology and the future of the industry. Particularly impressive are the special events at the museum, where the presentations on Hollywood history are given by those who actually helped to forge that history.

Max Factor Building
1660 North Highland Avenue
Tel: (323) 464 7776.
Website: www.thehollywoodmuseum.com
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.

Universal Studios Hollywood
Part film and TV studio, part theme park, Universal Studios is one of the most popular attractions in Los Angeles. A behind-the-scenes tram tour of film sets has a simulated flash flood and collapsing bridge, as well as surprise attacks by the shark from Jaws and by King Kong. The Universal Experience allows visitors to experience Universal film productions through interactive exhibits with authentic props. The studio treats guests to working TV and movie sets including Crossing Jordon and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. With stunt shows, musical entertainment and a variety of thrill rides, such as the Simpsons ride that opened in 2008, it is a lively day of Hollywood at its best.

100 Universal City Plaza
Tel: 1 800 8648 37725/UNIVERSAL.
Website: www.universalstudios.com
Opening hours: Normally daily 1000-1800, with extended hours during peak periods (Easter, summer, Thanksgiving and Christmas).
Admission charge.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
This classic 12-storey 305-room hotel is the birthplace of the Academy Awards, as the first Oscars ceremony took place here on 19 May 1929. The oldest continuously operating hotel in Hollywood, the Roosevelt is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places and is a Hollywood Historic Site. Recently restored to its Spanish colonial splendour, it is one of the key attractions on Hollywood Boulevard. Pop in for a cocktail at Teddy's Lounge, if not for a night in the Marilyn Monroe suite for a bit of old Hollywood glamour.

7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Tel: (323) 466 7000 or 1 800 950 7667.
Website: www.hollywoodroosevelt.com
Opening hours: All day.
Free admission. 

The Westside

Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits
Smack in the middle of LA, the La Brea Tar Pits are a fascinating survival from prehistoric times. They have yielded more than four million fossils (one of the largest caches in the world) from the Pleistocene Era. Inside the museum are the skeletons of long-extinct animals, such as the imperial mammoth, giant sloth, sabre-toothed tiger and dire wolf. All became trapped and preserved in the thick black tar, or ‘brea', that seeped up through the ground. Visitors can watch palaeontologists cleaning and cataloguing fossils and see excavations from viewing stations beside the tar pits.

5801 Wilshire Boulevard
Tel: (323) 934 7243/PAGE.
Website: www.tarpits.org
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1700, Sat and Sun and holidays 1000-1700.
Admission charge, free the first Tuesday of each month.

Petersen Car Museum
Expect to see some rare and beautiful vehicles, including the hand-made Bugatti. But the real objective of this museum is to underscore the automobile's influence on LA culture. A streetscape, with a surface changing from dirt to gravel to tar, follows the history of the city. Architecture and cars along the ‘street' change with the time period and culminate with the first drive-up strip mall. Don't miss the Hollywood Gallery that features cars used in films and owned by celebrities.

6060 Wilshire Drive (at Fairfax)
Tel: (323) 930 2277/CARS.
Website: www.petersen.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge.

Craft and Folk Art Museum
This little gem of a museum is often overlooked; the changing exhibits (six to eight per year) in its two galleries feature arts and crafts from around the world. The mission is to shed light on the culture from which these handmade items come. The fascinating, changing exhibitions might explore mythical characters around the world with startling puppet displays, or the notion of personal space through delicate vintage maps. An added bonus is the gift shop - it offers unique crafts from the visiting exhibits.

5814 Wilshire Boulevard
Tel: (323) 937 4230.
Website: www.cafam.org
Opening hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 1100-1700, Thurs 1000-1900, Sat-Sun 1200-1800.
Admission charge, free first Wednesday of the month.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Housed in seven buildings, most of which are clustered around a courtyard, this outstanding collection of art and artefacts (over 100,000) forms one of the leading art museums in the United States. In the enormous Ahmanson Building, art, sculpture and decorative arts from Asia, Europe and the Americas are on display. Highlights of the collection include the Indian and South-East Asian art collection, regarded as the finest in the West; the Western Art galleries and pre-Columbian artefacts from Latin America. There is a special Japanese Pavilion designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; the striking, modern Robert O Anderson Building, and the Bing Theater. The first phase of a ten-year expansion plan was completed in 2008 which saw the opening of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum at LACMA and an open-air pavilion, called the BP Grand Entrance.

5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Tel: (323) 857 6000.
Website: www.lacma.org
Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs 1200-2000, Fri 1200-2100, Sat and Sun 1100-2000.
Admission charge; free after 1700 and the second Tues of each month.

UCLA Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center
The main collection at this museum is an impressive display of Old Masters, Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings, which were acquired by the late industrialist Armand Hammer. This collection is shown on a rotating basis and includes works by Constable, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Monet, as well as a room full of lithographs by Daumier. Run by UCLA, the museum also displays exhibitions from the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts, which cover graphic art from the Renaissance to the present day. There is also an impressive Sculpture Garden, as well as special exhibitions and programmes.

10899 Wilshire Boulevard
Tel: (310) 443 7000.
Website: www.hammer.ucla.edu
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1100-1900 (until 2100 on Thurs), Sun 1100-1700.
Admission charge, free Thursday.

Getty Center
The Getty is much more than just a museum; if you visit, plan to stay the whole day. From the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, the marble terraces of the Getty Center afford spectacular panoramic views of the city, the mountains and the ocean. The unique buildings, designed by architect Richard Meier, employ simple shapes that form an organic, stunning, whole. They contain not only J Paul Getty's painting collection, including Van Gogh's Irises, but a centre for the study of archaeology, culture, art history and humanities. The changing exhibitions vary from Byzantine art to American photographers. The galleries display sculpture, photographs, drawings, furniture and more than 100 illuminated manuscripts. Lectures, concerts and educational programmes are also held here. The Getty Center is surrounded by beautiful gardens with rare and native plants and trees. The handheld electronic Getty Guide, a self-guided audio tour, is worth the small charge.

1200 Getty Center Drive
Tel: (310) 440 7300.
Website: www.getty.edu
Opening hours: Tues-Fri, Sun 1000-1730 (until 2100 Sat).
Free admission, charge for on-site parking (reservations no longer required).

Getty Villa
Replaced by the Getty Center in 1974, this beautiful structure (modelled after Italy's Villa del Papiri) was originally built to house Getty's personal collection. It is now an antiquities museum with a focus on arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria. Laid out like a private home, each room is a themed gallery. For example, one room is dedicated to the theatre with Dionysus and the head of Bacchus and another to the Iliad and the Odyssey. There is also an interactive kids' room with materials to reproduce works of art. It is worth the visit just to admire the grounds.

17985 Pacific Coast Highway
Tel: (310) 440 7300.
Website: www.getty.edu
Opening hours: Thurs-Mon 1000-1700.
Free admission but advance, timed tickets required, available by telephone or online up to three months in advance. A limited number of same-day offered daily at Getty Center. Parking is charged.

Museum of Tolerance
Given a ‘passport' of a Holocaust child, the visitor embarks on a moving journey from the Jewish ghettos to Hitler's death camps. At the end of the hour-long timed tour, the child's ultimate fate is revealed. Though the main focus is on the Holocaust, the museum contains high-tech, interactive exhibits that explore racism and bigotry in America through events such as the LA riots of 1992, while the Tolerancenter focuses on major intolerance issues in daily life. Upstairs are archives and a multimedia learning centre. Allow at least two hours to experience this thought-provoking museum.

9786 West Pico Boulevard
Tel: (310) 553 8403 or 1 800 900 9036.
Website: www.museumoftolerance.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1730 (close 1500 Fri Nov-Mar), Sun 1000-1700. Last admission two hours before closing time.
Admission charge.

Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens
It is virtually impossible to see everything on this lavish estate in one visit. The former home of railroad tycoon Henry E Huntington is filled with French porcelain, tapestries, American paintings and a remarkable collection of British and French art from the 18th and 19th centuries. Famous highlights are Gainsborough's Blue Boy and Lawrence's Pinkie. Among the 4 million items in the Library are rare books and manuscripts: a Gutenberg Bible, an early 15th-century manuscript of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and early editions of Shakespeare. Save some time to stroll in the beautiful Botanical Gardens, whose 81 hectares (200 acres) include a Japanese garden, desert garden and rose garden. The 'Garden of Flowing Fragrance' Chinese garden is a real work of art, created to stimulate both the spirit and the mind - like the wonderful Huntingdon itself .

1151 Oxford Road, San Marino
Tel: (626) 405 2100.
Website: www.huntington.org
Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Fri 1200-1630, Sat and Sun 1030-1630.
Admission charge. Free first Fri (1030-1630) of every month with advanced tickets only.

Norton Simon Museum
This renowned collection of European art ranges from the Renaissance to the 20th century. There are works by Rembrandt, Picasso, the Impressionists, a collection of Degas' sculptures, as well as leading works by Rodin. The sculptures from South-East Asia and India, spanning 2000 years, are breathtaking. The garden, inspired by Monet's Giverny is a real oasis, dotted with water features and sculptures.

411 West Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena
Tel: (626) 449 6840.
Website: www.nortonsimon.org
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1200-1800 (until 2100 Fri).
Admission charge. Free first Fri of every month 1800-2100.

Mission San Fernando, Rey de España
Named after Saint Ferdinand, King of Spain (1217-1252), this mission was founded in 1797. Much of the original structure remains except for the Old Mission Church, which was reconstructed after the 1971 earthquake. Self-guided tours include the church (visited by Pope John Paul in 1987) the museum, workshops, convent and gardens. Towards the rear is the Bob Hope Memorial Garden where the world famous entertainer is buried.

15151 San Fernando Mission Boulevard, Mission Hills
Tel: (818) 361 0186.
Website: www.californiamissions.com/cahistory/sanfernando.html
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1630.
Admission charged.

Beach Cities

Santa Monica
With its village feel, long beachfront promenade and wide pedestrianised shopping street, Santa Monica is one of the more visitor-friendly areas of Los Angeles. It is famed for its 5.5km (2.5-mile) beach and the Santa Monica Pier that juts out into the Pacific from a wide sandy beach. Besides the original arcades (now Playland Arcade) and the carousel dating from 1916, there is also the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, and Pacific Park, an amusement park with rides, a Ferris wheel, a small rollercoaster and a tower ride which rises to 12m (40ft). During the summer, there is dancing and live music on Thursday nights. A good time to go is towards the end of the day as the sunsets can be spectacular, especially at the very western end of Sunset Boulevard.  

Santa Monica Visitor Center
1920 Main Street Suite B
Tel: (310) 393 7593 or 1 800 544 5319.
Website: www.santamonica.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800.

Colorado and Ocean Avenues
Tel: (310) 458 8900.
Website: www.santamonicapier.org
Free admission.

Playland Arcade
Tel: (310) 451 5133.
Website: www.playlandarcade.com
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 1000-2400, Fri 1000-0200, Sat 0900-0200. Changes seasonally.
Free admission.

Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
Tel: (310) 393 6149.
Website: www.healthebay.org
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1400-1700, Sat and Sun 1230-1700.
Admission charge.

Pacific Park
380 Santa Monica Pier
Tel: (310) 260 8744.
Website: www.pacpark.com
Opening hours: Hours vary. Check website.
Free admission, charge for rides.

Venice Beach
Further south along the coast is the slightly more bohemian Venice Beach. Its Boardwalk, a path alongside the beach, is one of the liveliest places to view LA locals at their expressive best. Buskers, mime artists, painters, cyclists, palm readers and rollerbladers all mingle here, chilling out, hustling, cruising the sands, wearing colourful attire and often very little at all. There are shops, stalls and cafes for people-watching. The notorious Muscle Beach is where male and female weight lifters pec-flex in the sun.

Marine Street to the Venice Pier
Tel: (310) 392 4687, ext 6.
Website: www.westland.net/venice

Marina del Rey
To the south of Venice, 40km (25 miles) from Los Angeles, are the beaches, water sports, bike and walking trails, shopping and restaurants that comprise the heart of this seaside resort town. Most activities centre on its huge man-made marina, the nation's largest and a haven for more than 5,000 pleasure boats. Come here to fish, whale watch, or take a high-speed catamaran, or even a cocktail cruise.

4701 Admiralty Way
Tel: (310) 305 9545.
Website: www.visitthemarina.com

Pasadena
Except for New Year's Day, when all eyes turn to the Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl football game, Pasadena is a quiet place. Nestled at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, its tree-lined streets and open-air shopping districts, like Paseo Colorado, Salt Lake Avenue, quaint Old Pasadena and the Norton Simon Museum, make it a lovely place for a stroll.

171 South Los Robles Avenue
Tel: (626) 795 9311 or 1 800 307 7977.
Website: www.pasadenacal.com