Want to visit Los Angeles on the cheap?
Then follow this Top 15 free tours, museums and activities to do in L.A. that we’ve created for you to enjoy without breaking the bank.
Table des matières
See the stars shine on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame to find the stars of your favorite stars! The Walk of Fame runs east to west on Hollywood Boulevard, from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue, and from north to south on Vine Street, from Yucca Street to Sunset Boulevard.
The Hollywood Stars are known around the world as the place to remember and celebrate celebrities
There are hundreds of famous people whose names are inscribed on stars here, so it’s fun to walk down the street and take pictures with your favorites
To avoid the crowds and get the best photo opportunities, I suggest you consider visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the morning, especially on a weekday.
Also visit the Forecourt of the Stars at the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, to measure your hands and your hands and feet to those of Hollywood legends!
The Getty Center and the Getty Villa
The J. Paul Getty Museum is one of the top rated attractions in Los Angeles. And, guess what? Admission is absolutely free!
Although parking (in a garage) costs $15, it’s really an unbeatable price that I recommend investing in for what the Getty Center has to offer, as it houses one of the largest and most beautiful art collections in the world.
But, another popular reason to visit it is the stunning architecture and some of the best views of L.A. that it has
You can easily spend a few hours walking through the building to admire all the famous artworks
Just north of Santa Monica, the Getty Center is a very popular attraction that is a cultural mecca in Los Angeles.
Not too far away, I also encourage you to visit the Getty Villa, in Malibu, to see the collection of Greek and Roman art. Although the entrance is free, you will have to reserve you’ll need to reserve timed tickets to the Villa.
Visit the Griffith Observatory and walk through the park
The Griffith Observatory, located in Griffith Park, has a free astronomy museum and offers visitors a glimpse of the cosmos through their super Zeiss telescope
I highly recommend waiting in line before dark if you want to see the night sky, especially in the summer.
Many people visit the observatory just for the view, but you can also visit the planetarium and the exhibits there
You can look for free parking along the roads leading to the observatory, or resign yourself to paying to park in the small lot next door
Griffith Park is also a wonderful green space with miles of trails for walking and biking, as well as access to the observatory and other city attractions.
Stroll through Paramount Ranch
The Hollywood version of the Wild West was created at Paramount in 1927, and the site has been used for filming ever since
Visiting this Wild West town setting is free, and you can take all the photos you want at this movie ranch
You’ll also find two easy hiking trails nearby, which can be a fun sporting activity, as it’s located in a, shall we say… rather unusual setting!
If you want to visit more movie sites and sets, I suggest you take a few studio tours for not too much money studio tours for a small fee with the Go Los Angeles® card, including the Warner Bros VIP tour, and a behind-the-scenes tour of Universal Studios Hollywood.
Meet at the Hollywood sign
While you can’t get directly to the sign (it’s off-limits to direct public access), you can still get a prime (free) view of the iconic Hollywood Sign from several nearby locations
The Hollywood & Highland Center offers an excellent vantage point, or you can drive up to Beachwood Canyon for a closer look.
You can also see it from the viewing area of the Hollywood & Highland shopping and entertainment complex, located next to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
Another good vantage point is the view down Gower Boulevard. It’s a nice souvenir photo of your time in the City of Angels that I suggest you take with this legendary sign!
Explore the California Science Center museum for free
The California Science Center offers fun, hands-on exhibits for people of all ages who want to all ages who want to learn more about science and the world around them: it’s around them: it’s one of the few free museums I recommend visiting for i recommend to young and old alike, because there is something for everyone! everyone will be happy!
Some of the exhibits focus on various themes such as ancient Egypt, the psychology of fear, the local history of airplanes and the earth’s ecosystems
Admission to the museum’s permanent exhibit galleries is completely free, but you must pay to see the special exhibits and IMAX films
Parking for cars is $12, but you can park there for free by bike or take the Expo Metro line to get there by public transportation
The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and also features free live shows and demonstrations that you can check out to learn more about biology, nanoscience, and other exciting science topics.
View prehistoric fossils at La Brea Tar Pits
The La Brea Tar Pits in Hancock Park, next to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, are the largest source of prehistoric fossils ever excavated
These fossils have made their way into museums around the world, but the largest collection is here at the Page Museum. You can walk through the park and look at the tar pits and outdoor exhibits
During the summer, you can even watch the excavators at work: it’s an activity I encourage you to participate in because, who knows? you might have the chance to witness, as in 2006, the excavation of a complete mammoth skeleton!
Visit the Greystone Mansion
This historic home is located in the charming outskirts of Beverly Hills, away from the hustle and bustle of Rodeo Drive
This mansion dates back to 1927 and has been a popular filming location for everything from “The Big Lebowski” to “Gilmore Girls”
Explore this beautiful mansion and its gorgeous gardens during business hours. I suggest taking a free walk through the building’s gardens, as you’ll be able to admire a wide variety of flowers and plants, and also its fountains and koi pond.
Visits to the of the mansion are also available for a small fee. If, however, you were considering this fee option, you were considering this option, I advise you to book your entrance on the on the monument’s website.
Laugh out loud at a free comedy show
Many comedy clubs in L.A. offer free shows. Some, like The Comedy Store, always require a minimum drink purchase at free shows, but others, like the Upright Citizen’s Brigade or M.i, Westside Comedy, do not.
In preparation for your trip to Los Angeles, I highly encourage you to get on their mailing lists, as you will receive announcements of free shows
Some have free tickets in advance, but many operate on the well-known first-come-first-served system
You can also check Goldstar.com for free tickets to comedy shows, but the processing fee may be higher than the $5 admission fee for some other shows.
Locate art on the streets of L.A.
There are galleries and art districts all over L.A. that you can visit and explore for free at any time, but during the monthly and quarterly art walks, all the galleries hold receptions at the same time: music and food add to the cultural mix, and crowds of people come to enjoy themselves
Laguna Beach holds theirs every month (the first Thursday of each month), while others, like Abbott Kinney’s (in Venice Beach), are held on the first Friday.
I recommend that you to simply stroll through the streets of the city, because a mural or a work of a work of street art can surprise you at every corner!
Stroll along the Venice Beach waterfront
Going to the beach is one of the most popular free activities in L.A., and with over 110 miles of beach, you can find plenty to do miles of beach, you can find one that suits your tastes: from quiet, crowded sandy beaches to rocky, secluded, scenic beaches, i really think you will find the one that will delight you the most!
There are dozens of beaches, all of them free, but not all of them offer free parking
The most popular beaches like Santa Monica can be crowded, but if you head further north to Malibu, you’ll find more secluded options.
No trip to L.A. would be complete without a trip to the famous Venice Beach! It’s a trendy area with stores, restaurants, ice cream shops, street performers and local artists lining the walkways
It’s fun to watch skateboarders, bodybuilders and sunbathers go about their business on this popular beach. You can park on the nearby streets, or take a bus from L.A. to get here.
Window shopping on Rodeo Drive
