How To Take A Wallet-Friendly Tour Of Los Angeles Culture

Los Angeles is one of the most expensive cities in the United States, whether you live here or are visiting. In fact, based on tourism taxes, Los Angeles is the third most expensive city for tourists to visit in the world.

The good news is that visitors can experience some of the best things about Los Angeles for little or no money. These include the city’s beaches, museums, hiking and even its award-winning international street food. Discounts on theater, music, sports and other experiences are also available.

Los Angeles beaches, like Malibu, Venice, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach and Redondo, are free and usually surprisingly uncrowded. The beach also has a bike path that’s perfect for skating or renting bicycles from one of the nearby shops.

The Venice Beach Boardwalk is the perfect place to swim, stroll or sit and people watch. There’s a skate park, basketball courts and Muscle Beach, and just a short stroll away are the peaceful Venice Canals. Whether you’re in the mood for a merry-go-round or a seaside stroll, the mighty Santa Monica Pier offers a beach view and carnival rides.

“Whether you’re exploring the great outdoors, spending the afternoon at one of our many free museums such as The Broad, or grabbing a bite from your favorite food truck, there are a wealth of options to experience the city at little to no cost,” says Los Angeles Tourism President & CEO Adam Burke

Even a 48-to-72-hour visit, as part of a West Coast driving trip or planned flight layover, will give visitors a great chance to experience Los Angeles. Visitors may be surprised to learn that LA is home to more museums, galleries, and cultural institutions than any other U.S. city. And many are free to visit.

For example, the Broad (pronounced Bro-d) is a world-famous contemporary art museum in Downtown L.A. An exhibition of the works of Keith Haring showing “art is for everybody” runs through October 8. Other big Brod names in contemporary art include Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Free entry is available daily with online booking.

Then there’s the Griffith Observatory, an icon of Los Angeles and Southern California’s gateway to the cosmos. The Observatory has been the setting of classic Hollywood films like Rebel Without a Cause and La La Land. It offers spectacular hilltop views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign. Free admission daily, open Thursday-Sunday. Shows at the Oschin Planetarium are ticketed with prices ranging from $6 to $10.

You’ll also feel on top of the world at the stunning Getty Center. It includes some of the finest artworks in the world and is known for its architecture, gardens, and sweeping views of the city. Free entry is available daily with online booking. (Closed Monday). If you plan to drive there, you will need a parking reservation in advance.

The California Science Center, near the USC campus, is home to the retired NASA Space Shuttle Endeavour, several space capsules and more than 100 other exhibits, many of which are hands-on. Free general admission to the museum; an extra-cost IMAX theater on site shows 3D films like “Mystery of the Maya” and “Blue Whales 3D.”

LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is the largest art museum in the western United States. It has a collection of nearly 130,000 objects dating from antiquity to the present. Admission is free on the second Tuesday of every month.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of The Hollywood Sign, an American landmark for 100 years. Griffith Park is one of the best places to see the Hollywood Sign, with multiple hiking trails on Mt. Hollywood. The Cahuenga Peak Trail is among the most popular, a strenuous trek that rewards you with a unique view from behind the Sign and overlooking Downtown Los Angeles.

Runyon Canyon is one of the most popular trails in Los Angeles. It’s a great place to play with dogs, spot celebrities, and get some outstanding views of the city, including from the ‘big bench’ on top.

Bronson Canyon, home of the Batcave from the Batman ‘60s TV show, offers a selection of hikes and different vantage points to view the sign. The reservoir and dam at Lake Hollywood offers a flat walk that’s usually cooler than the surrounding city. It has a direct view of the sign and a park-like walking path.

Navigating sprawling Los Angeles by public transportation can be a challenge, although the city made it easy for hundreds of thousands of Taylor Swift fans to get around via LA Metro. Ubers, Lyfts and Altos are plentiful as well.

Inflation has taken a bite, but there are many affordable dining options throughout the city. Downtown features Grand Central Market, home to many shops and restaurants of all description, as well as L.A, Smorgasburg on Sundays in the nearby Arts District. Then there’s Original Farmer’s Market, next to movie and shopping destination The Grove. I like the beignets and coffee at the Gumbo Pot, but there are many other choices.

Social media can point you to food trucks helmed by creative chefs. The trucks can be found throughout the city, embodying LA’s casual lifestyle and reflecting the city’s diverse cuisine. A few local favorites are Kogi BBQ, Guerilla Tacos, Pink’s Hotdogs (whose LaBrea location has been open since 1939) and Empanadas Chimi.

Then there’s iconic Randy’s Donuts, not far from LAX. Take a box to visit nearby Watts Towers, an incredible 99-foot-high folk masterpiece built by Simon Rodia.

Other free or inexpensive diversions include watching a free TV taping, visiting a classic LA movie house like Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly, or catching a baseball game at iconic Dodger Stadium, where tickets start at under $20.

Find a bargain at world-renowned vintage and thrift stores, such as Crossroads Trading Company, with locations throughout the city, the Melrose Trading Post an open-air market on Sundays featuring a range of vendors selling antiques, vintage goods & collectibles. Visitors can also take home a piece of Hollywood at It’s a Wrap in Burbank, which sells second-hand props and wardrobe from movies & TV shows.

And if you’re an early riser, there’s the granddaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl Flea Market. The 2500 vendors are already in place when the market opens at 5AM. Admission is $12.