There are so many reasons to visit Los Angeles. First of all, the weather is (almost) always nice and sunny, providing the perfect setup for a vacation by default. But more importantly, there’s a little something for everyone to enjoy.
If you’re a history buff, there are some incredible museums you can stop by, like the Natural History Museum or the Petersen Automotive Museum. If you’re a sports fanatic, you can check out LA Live or the LA Memorial Coliseum, or even go all the way up to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. And if you’re a movie fan… well, you’re obviously in the right place.
While non-essential travel continues to be a big no-no, we decided to take you on a virtual tour of La La Land. Thanks to various immersive 360-degree tours, YouTube videos, and original content, we found a way to virtually visit 27 of LA’s most iconic locations.
Use the map below, or just keep scrolling down, to get started!
Downtown LA
Grand Central Market
An iconic Downtown LA staple, the Grand Central Market is a huge emporium that attracts both locals and tourists alike due to its eclectic variety of available goods. Here, you can find food vendors offering cuisine and snacks from all over the world, as well as handmade crafts and goods. The market also often serves as a venue for game nights, movie screenings and other events.
Grand Park
Slices of Light / Flickr
Grand Park is a 12-acre public park located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, between the Walt Disney Concert Hall and LA City Hall. The park is a favorite spot among downtown residents and visitors alike, and you can often see people who work nearby enjoying their lunch with the park’s famous fountain in the background.
Fans of the movie Pretty Woman will recognize this park (and the iconic fountain) as the place where Vivian takes Edward after she makes him take a day off for a picnic in the park.
LA Arts District
Joey Zanotti / Flickr
The Arts District is one of Downtown LA’s most vibrant and thriving areas with artists’ studios and art galleries spread across the neighborhood’s industrial buildings. In fact, walking around this area is like exploring an open-air art gallery as there are various unique murals and graffiti art around every corner.
This virtual tour takes you on a stroll around the Arts District and showcases some of the most iconic street art you will find in the neighborhood.
LA Live
Danny Thompson / Flickr
LA Live is an entertainment district in Downtown Los Angeles. Here you will find a number of famous event venues, including Staples Center (where the Grammy Awards take place every year, and home of the LA Lakers), the Microsoft Theater (the venue for the Emmy Awards), and the LA Convention Center. There are also a number of restaurants and bars, and this is where you will also find the Grammy Museum.
Grammy Museum
At the Grammy Museum, you can find exhibits dedicated to the history and winners of the Grammy Awards. While the museum remains closed, the team behind it continues to make some of its exhibits available for online viewing.
On the museum’s website, you can get an exclusive look at collections of memorabilia for some of the most iconic recording artists in history, including Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald, among others.
LA Convention Center
As any convention center, this location is not that exciting when there are no special events or conferences taking place. However, if you’re a construction buff or a convention center aficionado (maybe that’s a thing, we don’t judge), this virtual tour will allow you to roam the halls of the LA Convention Center and explore how this 720,000-square-foot venue is set up.
Microsoft Theater
Even though it’s one of the smaller event venues at LA Live, the Microsoft Theater holds one of the largest indoor stages in the country. If you were ever curious about the place where award ceremonies like the Emmys or the MTV Movie & TV Awards take place, this tour will help you explore every nook and corner of the theater.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The LA Memorial Coliseum is an outdoor sports stadium located just south of Downtown Los Angeles right below the University of Southern California campus. Historically, this venue is most famous for hosting the 1984 Summer Olympics. Currently, it serves as the home for the USC Trojans football team.
Museum of Contemporary Art
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) is the only artist-founded museum in Los Angeles. While it remains temporarily closed, the museum’s team continues to update the MOCA YouTube channel with talking tours and pre-recorded Q&A sessions, showcasing the museum’s extensive collection.
If you’re looking to “walk” through the museum at your own pace, check out the virtual tour for a truly interactive experience.
Natural History Museum of LA County
ray_explores / Flickr
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is located south of Downtown LA between the LA Memorial Coliseum and the USC campus, and it is the largest natural and historical museum in the western United States. During its temporary closure, the museum has set up the NHMLAC Connects portal on its website, allowing nature (and history) buffs to continue exploring and learning from its exhibits.
Pershing Square
Brian Arechiga / Flickr
Pershing Square is a small public park in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles dating back to the mid-19th century when it first became known as St. Vincent’s Park. Nowadays, it’s a popular gathering spot for both locals and tourists.
One of the main reasons to take a tour of Pershing Square is the variety of art installations that are permanently or temporarily on display at the park. Some of those include the Spanish American War Memorial, the Beethoven statue, and the Doughboy sculpture.
Shrine Auditorium
David Merrett / Flickr
Shrine Auditorium is one of the iconic special event venues in Los Angeles. Located south of Downtown LA immediately next to the USC campus, this venue has hosted some of the most prestigious ceremonies in the entertainment industry, including the Academy Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Shrine Auditorium was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1975.
Union Station
Union Station is the main ground travel hub in Los Angeles. Calling all the bus and train lovers: if you miss the busy vibe and atmosphere of the station as you await your departure, you can treat yourself to a virtual tour of Union Station for a quick fix of your cravings. As an added bonus, its Art Deco / Streamline Moderne architecture makes for a very eye-pleasing experience.
Hollywood
Griffith Observatory
The Griffith Observatory is an iconic LA landmark sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood. The facility is a very popular gathering spot for Angelenos and visitors alike because of the incredible views it offers from Downtown LA and the Hollywood sign all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Fans of the first Terminator film will recognize Griffith Observatory as the place where Arnold Schwarzenegger’s eponymous character made his very naked first appearance.
Hollywood & Highland / Walk of Fame
John Verive / Flickr
The corner of Hollywood Blvd and Highland Avenue is largely regarded as the heart of Hollywood. This is where you will find some of the most iconic attractions you’ve seen and heard of, including the Dolby Theatre, the TCL Chinese Theatre, the El Capitan Theatre, and the Madame Tussauds Hollywood Museum, among many others.
Dolby Theatre
If you’re an Oscars fan, you’ve already visited Dolby Theatre virtually because this is the venue where the Academy Awards have been taking place since 2002. With this virtual tour, you can explore the area around the theatre that’s normally covered by the expansive red carpet, and go up the famous staircase that movie stars ascend as they enter the theatre on Hollywood’s biggest night.
You can use the same tour to “visit” the Hollywood and Highland Center that is adjacent to the Dolby Theatre and features various shopping and entertainment facilities, as well as a gorgeous view of the Hollywood sign.
TCL Chinese Theatre
The TCL Chinese Theatre is an iconic Hollywood landmark that dates back to 1927. In its almost 100-year history, the theatre has hosted (and continues to host) numerous big movie premieres and junkets, including the original 1977 Star Wars.
Even more iconic are the famous hand and foot prints featured in front of the theatre. Here, the legacy of some of Hollywood’s most prominent figures is quite literally cemented in the ground with prints by Mairlyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Frank Sinatra, Tom Cruise, and Al Pacino, among many others.
Walk of Fame
Even though the Walk of Fame runs 1.3 miles from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue, the area around Hollywood & Highland is the most vibrant portion of it with some of the most sought after stars, including Michael Jackson, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep and Britney Spears.
Hollywood Sign
You can’t go to Hollywood and not visit the Hollywood sign. Even if you can’t walk up to the sign in person, we found a video on YouTube that will transport you there virtually, giving you a taste of what it really feels like hiking up the Hollywood hills to reach the sign.
West LA
Farmers Market
Prayitno / Flickr
Better known as the Original Farmers Market, this historic Los Angeles landmark and tourist attraction features more than 100 vendors, ranging from restaurants, grocers and tourist shops. The market is a permanent installation and, under normal circumstances, it’s open every day. When touring LA, the Farmers Market is usually on everyone’s must-see list because it’s the best way to sample different ethnic cuisines and discover various specialty foods in one place.
The Getty
The Getty is an iconic art museum and recreation destination. Located in the Hollywood Hills, it’s famous for its incredible architecture, beautiful gardens and sprawling views of Los Angeles.
Petersen Automotive Museum
Located in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles, the Petersen Automotive Museum is dedicated to celebrating the history, culture and artistry of the automotive industry. The museum features 100,000 square feet of exhibits, including 25 galleries and over 300 vehicles on display.
On this virtual tour, you can walk through some of those exhibits and check out some really cool old-school automobiles. Also, the museum’s team is actively updating its blog, showcasing various vehicles from its vault.
Rodeo Drive
Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive is one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. With this virtual tour, you can walk up and down, exploring the various big-name designer stores lining the street on either side. You can also check out the Beverly Wilshire Hotel made famous by the movie Pretty Woman.
Santa Monica Pier
The Santa Monica Pier is one of the most popular attractions in the Los Angeles area. Built into the Santa Monica Bay of LA’s Pacific coastline, the Pier contains a small amusement park, concession stands and areas for views and fishing.
Venice Beach
Venice Beach is an ocean-side town in the LA area, boasting such popular attractions as the iconic Venice Boardwalk, and the always popular skate park and Muscle Beach outdoor gym. While you do need to be there in person to really immerse yourself in the neighborhood’s bohemian spirit, this virtual tour will give you a taste of the action to keep you satisfied long enough until you can travel there safely.
Studios
Paramount Pictures Studios
As the only big movie studio that is still physically located in Hollywood, the Paramount Pictures lot is a historic location that any movie buff should check out. On this tour, you can explore the studio lot and check out the iconic entrance port and fountain in front of it.
This is where various iconic Hollywood productions were shot, including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Godfather, and Chinatown. And if you’ve been watching Ryan Murphy’s latest Netflix hit Hollywood, you may be curious to know that the show’s fictional Ace Studios is largely based on Paramount Pictures. Here’s your chance to see what the actual studio looks like on the inside.
Universal Studios
While various film and TV productions continue to be filmed on the studio’s backlots, the main attraction here is the sprawling Universal Studios amusement park. On this tour, you can walk across the park and check out some of its most prominent features, including the iconic Universal globe.
Warner Bros. Studios
With this tour, you can go on a virtual stroll across Warner Bros.’ various sets and studios, and get a behind-the-scenes look at how movie magic is made. You get to check out outdoor sets that range from city settings to suburban neighborhoods, and then go on a tour of the famous Stage 48 where you will find props and exhibits from iconic Warner Bros. shows like Friends and Two and a Half Men.
There’s a reason why they call California the land of opportunity – there are so many things to do there, and LA’s eclectic roster of attractions and activities is the perfect example of that. The City of Angels is also the best city for single people, so there’s yet another reason you might wanna plan a future visit (plus there are plenty of things to do solo in LA). And while you’re in planning mode, check out these 15 free things you can do in Los Angeles, so you’re ready to take the city by storm (and on a budget).
We hope these virtual tours will help satisfy some of your travel cravings until we are able to wander freely again. And once that happens, Wanderu will be here to help you get to Los Angeles and thousands of other places around North America and Europe.
