You've selected...
Downtown Los Angeles Itinerary
Downtown Los Angeles Itinerary
Downtown is one of LA's hottest cultural spots, and with most of its attractions accessible by public transit or by walking, it's one of the easiest places to sight-see. Start off at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (1) near the Metro Red Line Civic Center Station. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect José Rafael Moneo, the building welcomes visitors looking to experience its unique architectural style, its solemn spirituality and its impressive artistic flourishes.
Turn left on Grand Avenue. Here, you’ll discover one of the crown jewels of LA’s cultural scene, the Music Center (2). Home to some of the most important performing arts venues on the West Coast, including the Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (venue for the Los Angeles Opera) and Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Music Center is a great place to spend some time, no matter what time of day you’re visiting.
Continue south on Grand Avenue. On the corner of Grand and First is Frank Gehry’s iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall (3). When it opened in 2003, the building became an instant classic, providing a world-class venue for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The building offers guided and self-guided audio tours, so be sure to sign up for one of these to get full exposure to one of the most recognizable buildings in LA.
Next up is the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) (4), also on the east side of Grand Avenue, just south of the Colburn School. The permanent collection boasts works by giants of art such as David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg and Mark Rothko.
Hop on a DASH Bus to visit historic Olvera Street, site of the El Pueblo Historical Monument (5), which marks the birthplace of Los Angeles. Neary, Chinatown offers authentic food and atmosphere, along with one of LA's most cutting-edge art scenes at Chung King Road. If you're in the mood for Japanese, Little Tokyo, a charming few blocks of Japanese shops and restaurants, is a short bus ride away.
Downtown LA is also home to the new L.A. LIVE (6) development, one of the city's most anticipated projects. Now that the massive $2.5 billion L.A. LIVE redevelopment project has nearly completed phase II, visitors will soon be able to sample some of the hottest new restaurants, including the pan-Asian Rock’N Fish, Lawry’s Carvery, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Yard House and ESPN Zone. The completion of the second phase will also mark the opening of several nightlife venues. Lucky Strike Lanes offers 18 state-of-the-art bowling lanes, including a four-lane VIP area with surround sound. LA’s preeminent Latin music venue, The Conga Room, features Latin gourmet cuisine and an eclectic lineup of live entertainment. Club NOKIA and NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE both offer a variety of live productions.
Exposition Park (7), just south of Downtown LA (off Figueroa Street) has a day’s worth of museums, so you will only need to park once for the day. Start at either end of the park.
The Natural History Museum (8) has more than 33 million specimens and artifacts. The foyer is the dramatic home for the skeletons of a T. rex and a Triceratops. Other halls feature dioramas, gems and minerals, and bugs. Kids will love the museum’s Pavilion of Wings where, for the seventh summer in a row, visitors can walk among giant swallowtail, monarch and other butterflies. Sometimes they even land on your shoulder. (Hint: They seem to like bright colors.) Open daily.
The California Science Center (9) is known for intriguing hands-on exhibits about everything from seeing how a periscope works to searching for camouflaged tree frogs. In the air and aircraft galleries, kids will find a Wright glider, an A-12 Blackbird (made mostly of titanium), a Bell helicopter and a Tigershark fighter jet. Open daily. Admission is free. There’s a small fast-food court inside for a quick lunch. An IMAX theater is also part of the complex; the theater often sells out, so it’s best to buy tickets ahead online.
Also in the park, The California African American Museum (10) focuses on the African American experience from the west coast of Africa to the west coast of the U.S. Closed Mondays.
End the day with a drive north on Figueroa for dinner at the Original Pantry Bakery (11), another LA classic. This diner-style place often has a line out the door but it moves fairly fast. Open 24 hours, daily.
or...
If you have teenagers, consider a stroll through the picturesque and historic USC campus (12), where many movies have been filmed. USC is next to the park, to the north.
