7 Epic Places In Los Angeles Every Local Is Proud Of

Tourists love Hollywood, but locals are wont to find the crowded streets irritating. However, some attractions are just too beautiful to pretend to dislike them. From a gorgeous museum full of ancient artifacts to one of the country’s most beautiful beaches, here are seven incredible landmarks locals love to show off.

1. Getty Villa

Museum

The Getty Villa is absolutely stunning. It is one-half of the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the structure itself is a recreation of a Roman country house. It also contains 44,000 historical items from Greece, Rome, and Etruria, some dating as far back as 6500 B.C. About 1,200 of these objects are regularly on display in 23 galleries, including several sculptures and daily use items. The property also boasts four gardens, a Mediterranean café, and a shop with books, jewelry, and gifts.

2. Mulholland Drive

Hiking Trail

Aerial view of Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles, California

The winding Mulholland Drive is a scenic road that cuts through the Santa Monica Mountains. A relaxed cruise along this road, complete with a good soundtrack, will make anyone proud to call Los Angeles home. David Lynch, director of 2001’s Mulholland Drive, called the road “mysterious” in an interview with Filmmaker Magazine. “It’s rural in many places. It’s curvy, it’s two lanes, it feels old. It was built long ago, and it hasn’t changed too much,” he said. “And at night, you ride on top of the world. In the daytime, you ride on top of the world too, but it’s mysterious, and there’s a hair of fear because it goes into remote areas. You feel the history of Hollywood in that road.”

3. Griffith Park

Museum, Park, Zoo

4 September 2016 - Los Angeles, USA. Famous Griffith Observatory museum building on the Hollywood Hills. Many tourists visiting planetarium with sceni

Los Angeles has one of the largest public parks in the United States, and it’s right in the middle of the city. Griffith Park is 4,000 acres of trails and untamed chaparral, with highlights including the Griffith Observatory, the L.A. Zoo, and the train museum, Travel Town. Gorgeous views and a rich history have secured the park as one of Los Angeles’s most important landmarks.

Venice Beach

Closer to home is famous Venice Beach. While some may dismiss this beach as a tourist attraction, it’s hard not to feel at peace after ditching the bustling boardwalk for the warm sand and rolling waves. Nearby Santa Monica offers similar ocean views, and the Ferris wheel on the pier is visible from a considerable distance.
Venice Beach, CA, USA

5. Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine

Shrine, Memorial, Museum, Shop, Yoga Studio

When the hustle and bustle of city life gets to be too much, Angelenos can head to the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine. Believing that everyone, regardless of faith, should have a place to be at peace, Paramahansa Yogananda founded the Self-Realization Foundation. The picturesque area is free and open to the public, and the Meditation Garden is particularly beautiful.

6. Barnsdall Art Park

Museum, Park

Frank Lloyd Wrights Hollyhock House in Barnsdall Art Park, Hollywood, Los Angeles

The views from this hilltop park are fantastic, but there’s a lot more to it than that: Barnsdall Art Park is where nature and history intersect beautifully. The park also contains the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG), where a half-dozen exhibits featuring a diverse array of artists are displayed each year. The park is also home to the historic Hollyhock House, designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.