California Hotels Near Los Angeles Tourist Attractions

Top Attractions in Los Angeles.

See and feel the magic of the movies at Universal Studios Hollywood, a Los Angeles theme park and working Hollywood studio. The world’s #1 motion picture and television studio attraction, Universal Studios Hollywood offers a “backlot” view of the film and TV industry, the authenticity of a working movie studio, the rich heritage of movies and the stars of Hollywood.

Enjoy thrills, stunts and special effects as you take part in your favorite blockbuster movies. Walk where Elvis Presley appeared on the "Ed Sullivan Show" in 1956 at CBS Television City, a studio made famous as the birthplace of the "Carol Burnett Show," "The Sonny & Cher Show" and dozens of CBS programs. If you're interested in seeing a TV show being recorded live, just walk up to the studio's ticket office.

The perfect family getaway, the Los Angeles Zoo features 1,200 animals from around the world. Visit the Ahmanson Koala House, African lions and infant pangolins, the only ones in the U.S. LA Botanical Gardens is home to an array of plants trees, and locals birds. For more than 100 years, the famous Santa Monica Pier has been a family hotspot to fish, watch waves and wonders of sea, dance under the stars, ride a carousel and roller coaster, dine at an oceanview restaurant, play arcade games, and shop for souvenirs.

The Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

features hands-on exhibits that convey the fragility and beauty of marine life in the Bay. Experience touch tanks of endangered sea specimens and an 8-foot octagonal tank that glows with luminous lilac jellyfish. Ride the historic Santa Monica Carousel or brave a five-story roller coaster over the ocean at the Pier’s Pacific Park. Oceanfront Walk, the sidewalk by the sea, which stretches from the Pier to Bay Street, gives access to the children’s playground, volleyball courts, International Chess Park, Muscle Beach, and public art. [Top]

Sports & Entertainment in Los Angeles.

Staples Center is downtown Los Angeles’ spectacular sports and entertainment arena. Cheer for the hockey Kings, the basketball Lakers and Clippers, the Sparks and the Avengers professional sports teams at Staple Center. This is one of LA’s most popular venues for entertainment shows, big-league sports events, and musical concerts.

Catch the Los Angeles Dodgers play at Dodger Stadium, the crown jewel in professional sports and a landmark to West Coast expansion in Major League Baseball.Music’s superstars perform at Dodger Stadium against the backdrop of downtown Los Angeles, the tree-lined Elysian hills, and the San Gabriel Mountains. Santa Anita Park is an exciting horse racing and wagering facility located in Arcadia.

Santa Anita Park opens annually on December 26, with daily racing continuing through late April. Get behind the wheel of racing cars, including ¾-scale grand prix cars and 18-foot, 300-horsepower dragsters at Speed Zone. Situated on 12 acres in Los Angeles, SpeedZone is a racing theme park featuring the closest thing to professional car racing ever offered to the public with four expert racetracks, 36 holes of miniature golf, and a high-tech game room. [Top]

Los Angeles Shopping.

LA’s Golden Triangle holds more wealth and fine stores than most small countries. At its center is the couture capitol Rodeo Drive, the famous strip that sports designer stores such as Tiiffany's, Cartier, Chanel, Bally, Gucci, Prada and where Julia Roberts had her shopping spree in "Pretty Woman." On Wilshire Blvd., there is Niketown, Barneys, and the "Winona" Saks Fifth Avenue. Tourists and celebrities populate Sunset Blvd./Sunset Plaza in Los Angeles, a stretch that is dotted with outdoor cafés and chi-chi boutiques.

Grab a seat at one of the many European cafés and let your eyes focus on the beautiful people. Visit L.A.'s oldest outdoor market, the original Los Angeles Farmers Market, which features international cuisine, gifts, fashion-forward clothing and accessories, specialty foods, farm-fresh produce, original art, body and herbal products, jewelry, unique collectibles, family events, and plenty of outdoor flavor, not to mention the finest meats, poultry, seafood, produce, ice cream and flowers in Los Angeles. [Top]

Arts & Culture in Los Angeles.

Experience the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, home to one of the country's finest collections of American and European art created since 1940. MOCA holds 5,000 objects in all visual media, ranging from masterpieces of abstract expressionism and pop art to recent works by emerging artists. The incredible Los Angeles Opera is the principal performing arts organization of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The Los Angeles Philharmonic is renowned for its brilliant performances and innovative programming.

Designed by architect Frank Gehry, Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world, providing visual and aural intimacy for an unparalleled musical experience. The award-winning Greek Theatre is Los Angeles' most historic entertainment venue and host to the biggest names in entertainment - from pop to classical, and reggae to rock.

With breathtaking views of Los Angeles, the Getty Center is Los Angeles' newest cultural attraction. Awaiting you are memorable works of art in the J. Paul Getty Museum, places to dine, tranquil gardens to stroll, and new perspectives on art. Summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater is the site of classical and popular orchestral music featuring the world's top conductors and artists.

The Kodak Theatre is the crown jewel of the Hollywood and Highland entertainment complex located in the heart of Hollywood, and the permanent home of the Academy Awards. Catch a concert at Universal Amphitheatre, a state-of-the-art indoor venue with the best sight lines and acoustics in the industry. Virtually every star and musician has graced this stage - from Eric Clapton to the Royal Danish Ballet.

San Antonio Winery

has been a cultural and historic landmark in Los Angeles since 1917, and an oasis of romance in LA. San Antonio features a legendary tasting room, a banquet room, and an international wine shop with hundreds of domestic and imported wines. Dine among the casks at Maddalena Restaurant, where you will discover the essence of Italy. The last of a hundred wineries that once lined the Los Angeles River Basin, San Antonio is one of the few wineries to specialize in dessert wines. [Top]

Reach the Los Angeles Beaches.

Explore miles of sandy beaches for swimming, surfing, fishing, diving, volleyball, tidepooling, biking, hiking, jogging, roller balding, sunbathing, and watching sunsets. Hang ten at Cabrillo Beach, Dan Blocker Beach, Dockweiler Beach, Hermosa Beach, Las Tunas Beach, Malibu Beach, Manhattan Beach, Marina Del Rey Beach, Nicholas Canyon Beach, Point Dume Beach, Point Vincente Beach, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Topanga Beach, Torrance Beach, Venice Beach, White Point/Royal Palms Beach, and Will Rogers Beach. [Top]