MuseumCheck price
The Broad
📍 Downtown Los Angeles · Downtown & Central LA
Contemporary art museum in Downtown Los Angeles. Free general admission with recommended timed tickets; walk-ups available daily. Closed Mondays.
Details Official site ↗
📍 LA · THIS AFTERNOON. FREE THINGS TO DO NOW
Free things to do in Los Angeles
23 verified listings so far. Every one links to its official source.
🔥 What's hot
BeachFREE
Santa Monica State Beach
📍 Santa Monica · Westside
About three miles of public beach covering 245 acres of sand, managed by the City of Santa Monica with California State Parks. Listed hours sunrise to sunset (city page shows 6:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.).
Details Official site ↗GardenFREE
Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton
📍 Fullerton · Orange County North
Campus arboretum and botanical garden with living collections and conservation focus. Free entry with suggested donation; open Monday–Sunday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Details Official site ↗LibraryFREE
Brand Library & Art Center
📍 Glendale · San Fernando Valley
Glendale public library specializing in visual arts and music, with exhibitions and programs. Current exhibition noted on site through December 31, 2026.
Details Official site ↗ParkFREE
Santa Clarita Central Park
📍 Santa Clarita · Santa Clarita & Northern LA
Large municipal park listed by the City of Santa Clarita Parks Division at Bouquet Canyon Road, with sports fields, dog park (Central Bark), and recent buildout amenities described by the city.
Details Official site ↗GardenFREE
Arlington Garden in Pasadena
📍 Pasadena · Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley
Three-acre water-wise community garden on Caltrans-owned land leased to the City of Pasadena. Free public garden open dawn to dusk daily.
Details Official site ↗BeachFREE
Huntington Beach City Beach & Municipal Pier
📍 Huntington Beach · Orange County Coast & Central
About 3.5 miles of city shoreline known as Surf City, including the municipal pier. Free public beach access with posted beach and pier rules.
Details Official site ↗ParkFREE
Lake Balboa / Anthony C. Beilenson Park
📍 Lake Balboa · San Fernando Valley
City of Los Angeles park featuring a lake, 1.3-mile footpath, picnic areas, bike path, and play areas in the Sepulveda Basin. Open sunrise to sunset.
Details Official site ↗🏖️ Beach & coast
ParkPaid
William R. Mason Regional Park
📍 Irvine · Orange County Coast & Central
339-acre OC Parks regional park with a 9-acre lake, picnic areas, trails, playgrounds, and a wilderness hiking area. Trail bridge project noted through November 2026 in the wilderness area.
Details Official site ↗MuseumFREE
Getty Center
📍 Brentwood · Westside
Art museum and gardens with free admission and a free timed-entry reservation. Parking is paid, except Saturdays after 6pm.
Details Official site ↗BeachFREE
Santa Monica State Beach
📍 Santa Monica · Westside
About three miles of public beach covering 245 acres of sand, managed by the City of Santa Monica with California State Parks. Listed hours sunrise to sunset (city page shows 6:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.).
Details Official site ↗BeachFREE
Huntington Beach City Beach & Municipal Pier
📍 Huntington Beach · Orange County Coast & Central
About 3.5 miles of city shoreline known as Surf City, including the municipal pier. Free public beach access with posted beach and pier rules.
Details Official site ↗GardenFREE
UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden
📍 Westwood · Westside
Campus botanical garden open free to the public daily. November through January hours are weekdays 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Details Official site ↗BeachFREE
Rosie's Dog Beach
📍 Long Beach · Long Beach & Southeast LA
4.1-acre off-leash dog recreation area on the Long Beach shoreline south of Ocean Blvd between Granada and Roycroft. Dogs must be leashed outside the dog zone.
Details Official site ↗🏔️ The Valleys
ParkFREE
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area
📍 Agua Dulce · Santa Clarita & Northern LA
945-acre LA County natural area in Agua Dulce with distinctive rock formations, hiking and equestrian trails (including Pacific Crest Trail segment), picnic tables, and interpretive programs.
Details Official site ↗LibraryFREE
Brand Library & Art Center
📍 Glendale · San Fernando Valley
Glendale public library specializing in visual arts and music, with exhibitions and programs. Current exhibition noted on site through December 31, 2026.
Details Official site ↗ParkFREE
Santa Clarita Central Park
📍 Santa Clarita · Santa Clarita & Northern LA
Large municipal park listed by the City of Santa Clarita Parks Division at Bouquet Canyon Road, with sports fields, dog park (Central Bark), and recent buildout amenities described by the city.
Details Official site ↗GardenFREE
Arlington Garden in Pasadena
📍 Pasadena · Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley
Three-acre water-wise community garden on Caltrans-owned land leased to the City of Pasadena. Free public garden open dawn to dusk daily.
Details Official site ↗ParkFREE
Lake Balboa / Anthony C. Beilenson Park
📍 Lake Balboa · San Fernando Valley
City of Los Angeles park featuring a lake, 1.3-mile footpath, picnic areas, bike path, and play areas in the Sepulveda Basin. Open sunrise to sunset.
Details Official site ↗🏙️ Downtown & central
MuseumCheck price
The Broad
📍 Downtown Los Angeles · Downtown & Central LA
Contemporary art museum in Downtown Los Angeles. Free general admission with recommended timed tickets; walk-ups available daily. Closed Mondays.
Details Official site ↗ParkPaid
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
📍 Baldwin Hills · East & South LA
County-operated state recreation area with coastal sage scrub, picnic sites, fishing lake, lotus pond, playgrounds, and several miles of trails in Baldwin Hills.
Details Official site ↗Historic SitePaid
Watts Towers Arts Center Campus
📍 Watts · East & South LA
Historic Simon Rodia towers accessible only via ~30-minute guided tours. Campus reopened to the public beginning July 8, 2026 after renovation work; exhibitions and tours resume on the stated schedule.
Details Official site ↗ParkPaid
Irvine Regional Park
📍 Orange · Orange County North
495-acre OC Parks regional park with oak/sycamore groves, lake, playgrounds, bike/walking trails, picnic areas, and equestrian trail. Orange County Zoo is located inside the park.
Details Official site ↗MuseumFREE
Griffith Observatory
📍 Griffith Park · Hollywood & Mid-City
Free-admission observatory above Hollywood with telescopes, exhibits and views of the city and the Hollywood Sign. Parking closest to the building costs money.
Details Official site ↗ParkFREE
Griffith Park
📍 Los Angeles · Hollywood & Mid-City
Large City of Los Angeles park with hiking trails, picnic areas, and open space in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains. Hours daily 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Details Official site ↗Historic SiteFREE
Los Angeles State Historic Park
📍 Chinatown / Downtown Los Angeles · Downtown & Central LA
Urban California State Park adjacent to Chinatown with pathways, picnic areas, and views of downtown. Open daily 8:00 a.m. to sunset. Free guided interpretive programs offered.
Details Official site ↗GardenFREE
Exposition Park Rose Garden
📍 Exposition Park / South Los Angeles · East & South LA
City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks rose garden at Exposition Park. Open daily 8:30 a.m. to dusk except the January–mid-March maintenance closure.
Details Official site ↗GardenFREE
Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton
📍 Fullerton · Orange County North
Campus arboretum and botanical garden with living collections and conservation focus. Free entry with suggested donation; open Monday–Sunday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Details Official site ↗ParkFREE
Gloria Molina Grand Park
📍 Downtown Los Angeles · Downtown & Central LA
Twelve-acre civic park in Downtown Los Angeles stretching from The Music Center to City Hall. Offers green space and year-round free public programming.
Details Official site ↗📍 Around LA
BeachPaid
Salt Creek Beach Park
📍 Dana Point · Orange County South
OC Parks beach park popular for surfing, swimming, body surfing, sunbathing, and tidepool exploration (tidepool life protected). Concession building operates in spring and summer.
Details Official site ↗ParkPaid
Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park
📍 Laguna Niguel · Orange County South
About 4,500 acres of wilderness open space with oaks, streams, and more than 30 miles of official trails. Designated wildlife sanctuary under OC Parks.
Details Official site ↗🗂️ Hubs
Holiday and seasonal collections, built from verified listings.
💸 Date night & paid picks
See all 6 ›Paid activities with prices from each official site.
ParkPaid
Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park
📍 Laguna Niguel · Orange County South
About 4,500 acres of wilderness open space with oaks, streams, and more than 30 miles of official trails. Designated wildlife sanctuary under OC Parks.
Details Official site ↗Historic SitePaid
Watts Towers Arts Center Campus
📍 Watts · East & South LA
Historic Simon Rodia towers accessible only via ~30-minute guided tours. Campus reopened to the public beginning July 8, 2026 after renovation work; exhibitions and tours resume on the stated schedule.
Details Official site ↗ParkPaid
Irvine Regional Park
📍 Orange · Orange County North
495-acre OC Parks regional park with oak/sycamore groves, lake, playgrounds, bike/walking trails, picnic areas, and equestrian trail. Orange County Zoo is located inside the park.
Details Official site ↗ParkPaid
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
📍 Baldwin Hills · East & South LA
County-operated state recreation area with coastal sage scrub, picnic sites, fishing lake, lotus pond, playgrounds, and several miles of trails in Baldwin Hills.
Details Official site ↗Find your thing
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