Free or Low-cost Tourist Activities in Los Angeles

Santa Monica Area
Santa Monica Pier, Third Street Promenade, and Venice Beach. Spend all day window shopping, people watching, walking and enjoying the fresh air. The food court near Arizona Street has reasonable prices for food. For a couple dollars more, go upstairs to Wolfgang Pucks for a great meal. There's also a food court in Santa Monica Place shopping mall. Parking at Santa Monica Place is usually free, and when they charge it only costs $3.

Click here for more info on Santa Monica

The Getty (West LA)
Admission at the Getty is free. Pay only for parking ($15 per car), or less to take a bus. See more free museums below.

Sightseeing From Your Car
The cost of gasoline makes this more expensive than it used to be, however it costs less than paying for parking and admission at a theme park.

Drive along Mulholland Drive - directions on how to get to the scenic areas of Mulholland Drive.

Los Angeles Auto Tour - here's a suggested driving tour that covers beach views, mountains, the Valley, downtown LA and Hollywood.

Griffith Park (near Hollywood)
Griffith Park - Free activities include: Picnic in the park, go hiking on one of the trails, see the Griffith Observatory or visit Travel Town train museum.

Hiking in the Santa Monica or San Gabriel Mountains

(More Outdoor Activities)

Hollywood Sightseeing
Click here for a list of some attractions on or near Hollywood Blvd that are free.

TV Show Taping
Click here to find a list of TV Show Taping links. In most cases you'll need to get your tickets in advance, but they're usually free.

Free Museums

Click here for a list of free museums in Los Angeles

Free Shows, Concerts and Musical Performances

Click here for a list of free shows in Los Angeles

Downtown LA

Click here for a list of some free activities in downtown Los Angeles. Parking will cost $5 or more.

Shopping Districts
Some shopping districts are more than just malls, and are an attraction in themselves. Many of them offer entertainment beyond what a mall provides. Some are in attractive locations, like near the ocean. Although it costs money to shop, the shopping districts listed here are places where you can walk around and stay entertained without having to buy anything. Most charge for parking.

Click here for a list of Shopping Districts.

Suggestions - if you know of an ongoing free activity in Los Angeles, please send a note about it to info@latourist.com