24 Free Things to Do in Los Angeles

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Los Angeles? For many, it’s the glitz and glamour, the stars and handprints on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, window shopping along Rodeo Drive, or the possibility of catching a glimpse of a celebrity in the wild. While you can totally come to L.A. for those things, there’s so much more to see and do here if you know where to look. Not only that, your trip to the City of Angels doesn’t have to break the bank. To help keep costs low on your next trip, start with our list of the best free things to do in Los Angeles.

Get your culture fix at LACMA.

Immerse yourself in the California art scene at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which is free for Los Angeles County residents every day after 3 p.m. (with a valid I.D.) and for all visitors on the second Tuesday of each month. Kids 17 and under who live in L.A. can sign up for a free NexGenLA membership to get complimentary entry at any time for themselves and one guest. Chris Burden’s Urban Light exhibition in front of the museum is free to access daily.

Channel your inner Hermione Granger at DTLA’s bookish hot spots.

Pay a visit to the magnificent art deco Central Library in Downtown L.A. — a dream destination for any book and architecture lover. Also in DTLA, don’t miss The Last Bookstore to see the ever-Instagrammable labyrinth of books.

Hike with the Los Feliz crowd at Griffith Park.

Griffith Park is the largest municipal park with urban wilderness areas in the country, and its 4,210 acres of natural, chaparral-covered terrain make a great place to hike, picnic, and play. Not only are all the hiking tracks — including the Mount Hollywood Trail — free, but visitors are also welcome to tour the iconic Griffith Observatory, which appeared in the film, “La La Land,” at no charge. At the base of Griffith Park is the lovely village of Los Feliz, where you can roam the streets that feed directly into hip Silver Lake.

Check out the music scene at ongoing free concert series.

Ears will be happy and wallets will be full thanks to the many free concerts offered during the summer. From June to September, there’s Grand Performances on Saturdays in Downtown L.A., the Summer Sounds Outdoor Concert Series on Sundays in West Hollywood, and Off The 405 on Saturdays at the Getty Center, among other seasonal free-to-attend events.

Hit the beach and bike along the Strand.

Work off all those famous L.A. street tacos with a stroll or bike ride down a portion of the Marvin Braude Bike Trail (also known as the Strand), a mostly flat, well-paved 22-mile beach path running along the Pacific from Will Rogers State Beach to Torrance.

Flex your yogi muscles at Runyon Canyon.

Angelenos love yoga, so join the fray by hitting up one of the many donation-based yoga classes you’ll find around the city, like those at Runyon Canyon (note that there is a suggested donation of $5, but it’s at your discretion). Keep the free fun going — and snap a picture in your cutest pair of yoga leggings — on a hike around Runyon after the class.

Explore the Arts District in DTLA.

Make time to wander through L.A.’s Arts District, a section of Downtown that’s bordered by the Los Angeles River on one side and Little Tokyo on the other. Check out dozens of colorful murals as well as galleries showcasing cutting-edge, local work. Among the most popular are the Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, Over the Influence, and Art Share L.A., all of which offer free admission and a roster of ever-changing exhibitions.

Give back to the environment.

You can help counteract the effects the local car culture has on the environment by volunteering and planting trees with the folks at TreePeople — no training is necessary, just check the calendar on the volunteer page to see when tree planting and park restoration days are happening. As a reward for your hard work, unwind in nature with a hike in Fryman Canyon Park, a lesser-known trail spot that’s much more invigorating than being stuck on a star-seeking tour bus.

Soak up the quirky vibe in Venice.

Head to the oceanfront neighborhood to watch street performers on the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk, stroll past the canals, and check out public art — the Giant Binoculars on Main Street are truly a sight to behold. For great budget eats, plan your visit to coincide with First Friday on Abbot Kinney, held each month. Come hungry — it’s a major foodie event where you can sample bites from some of the best food trucks in L.A.

Admire L.A.’s iconic Watts Towers.

Crane your neck at the historic Watts Towers, a series of 17 interconnected sculptural structures built over 33 years by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia. The tallest of the towers, which are made from ceramics, bottles, tiles, shells, and other salvaged materials and scraps, reaches a height of 99.5 feet. Guided 30-minute tours of the site — now a National Historic Landmark — and the Watts Towers Arts Center are offered on Thursdays and Fridays (weather permitting). While a donation is suggested for a tour ($7 for adults, $3 for children and seniors), you can view the magnificent spires from outside the fence at no cost.

Check out the art in historic Union Station.

Though L.A. isn’t exactly known for its public transit system, it does indeed have one — and each station is full of art. Union Station in particular is known for its extensive murals, impressive architecture, and digital installations. Recent works have focused on Chinatown’s rich history and culture and how local artists have seen and experienced the city. Check the website to see what’s on display when you’re in town. If time allows, see if any Metro Art Tours are available during your trip so you can tour Union Station with a volunteer docent and learn more about the pieces you’re viewing.

Learn About L.A.’s Japanese culture in Little Tokyo.

Take in the lantern-lined streets and alleyways of Little Tokyo, which has been known for its Japanese immigrant community since 1885. Today, you’ll find a vibrant neighborhood full of restaurants, galleries, and indie clothing shops. While exploring the area, head to the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, where you can go for a stroll in the James Irvine Japanese Garden, which is free and open to the public all year long.

Tour the striking Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Capitalize on the complimentary tours that take visitors through the interior spaces and gardens at the architecturally stunning Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry. Choose from the free 90-minute guided tour that includes all four of The Music Center’s impressive theaters or a self-guided audio tour of just the Walt Disney Concert Hall, narrated by actor John Lithgow, which you can do at your own pace.

Gallery hop in Chinatown.

Take a self-guided tour of the up-and-coming galleries along Chinatown’s Chung King Road — including the Charlie James Gallery, Noon Projects, and Sebastian Gladstone. If you can, time your visit with one of the monthly Chinatown First Fridays, which offer extended hours and a night market. Check the event’s Instagram page for updates.

Nerd out over the Bradbury’s architecture.

One of the city’s most-filmed commercial sites is also one of its oldest. The Bradbury Building is recognizable by its open cage elevators, marble stairs, and ornate iron railings, all illuminated by the ample natural light that spills in from the skylights above. The best part? It’s free to poke around.

Take a free self-guided walking tour.

The Los Angeles Conservancy blows apart the idea that no one walks in L.A. Its website offers plenty of maps for self-guided walking tours of the city, from history tours of the city’s Chinatown and Koreatown neighborhoods to a closer look at Downtown L.A.’s historic side and eclectic modern architecture in Venice. There are also several self-guided walks dedicated to popular film locations in West L.A., Hollywood, Griffith Park, Downtown L.A., and the Valley.

See the stars at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Dating from 1899, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the resting place for some of Hollywood’s greatest legends, including Judy Garland, Cecil B. DeMille, Rudolph Valentino, and Douglas Fairbanks. Punk rock fans can pay their respects to two members of the Ramones, Johnny and Dee Dee. Stroll through the grounds and admire the intricate headstones and mausoleums of these luminaries.

Sweat it out with a run up a hidden staircase.

Angelenos love to climb the city’s stairways — originally designed to connect steep-streeted communities in the 1920s — to fit in a workout. Sweat alongside the locals on one of the city’s 14 hidden staircases, including the colorful Rainbow Staircase (also called the Micheltorena Stairs) in Silver Lake, Hollywood’s picturesque Saroyan Stairs, and the steep and challenging Castellammare Stairs in Pacific Palisades.

Visit The Original Farmers Market.

The sights and sounds of The Original Farmers Market, adjacent to The Grove shopping complex in West Hollywood, are a feast for the senses. Open since 1934, the site was a popular stop among Hollywood’s elite, from Shirley Temple and Ava Gardner to Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra. Today, window shoppers can find a mix of merchants selling flowers, books, and fresh local produce as well as more mainstream stores like Kiehl’s and Williams Sonoma among the more than 100 shops and eateries. And while entry is free, we can’t guarantee you’ll be able to resist forking over some dough for a couple of treats from the famed Nonna’s Empanadas.

See one of the West Coast’s best impressionist collections.

With sweeping views of the city, the Getty Center is one of the most prized museums on the West Coast, boasting a world-class collection of European impressionist works, contemporary photographs, and decorative arts. Admission to the museum (which is equally known for its architecture as the art within), the stunning gardens, and the tram up to the complex are all free (though there’s a charge for parking). There are more free visual delights at J. Paul Getty’s stunning Pacific Palisades property, the Getty Villa Museum, which focuses on Greek and Roman art.

Travel back to the Ice Age at the La Brea Tar Pits.

In central L.A., right next to LACMA, the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum are home to the only actively excavated Ice Age fossil site found in an urban location in the world. Wandering the outdoor grounds and checking out the pools of sticky asphalt is free — it also makes a perfect stop before you check out LACMA’s Urban Light installation (also free).

Discover local wildlife with the Audubon Society.

Indulge your inner birder — and discover local woodlands, gardens, coastal scrubs, or wetlands — on a complimentary bird walk with the L.A. Audubon Society. Guided walks take place most Saturdays and Sundays and explore beautiful areas like Topanga State Park and Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area.

Catch a free exhibit at The Broad.

The Broad makes art democratic by offering complimentary general admission to Eli and Edythe Broad’s personal collection of nearly 2,000 pieces of contemporary art from the 1950s to the present. Opened in 2015, the Downtown L.A. museum also hosts ticketed exhibitions from big-name artists like William Kentridge.

Celebrate the area’s Mexican heritage on Olvera Street.

Get a dose of local Mexican-Angeleno culture and history at the Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, near the site where settlers from Mexico established the city’s roots. Browse artwork, jewelry, bags, hats, clothing, and other souvenirs at the Mexican Marketplace along Olvera Street, and join a free tour of the city’s oldest house, Avila Adobe, which dates from 1818. There are plenty of restaurants where you can indulge in classic fare — like taquitos at Cielito Lindo — with the money you’ve saved.