23 Once in a Lifetime Things to Do in Los Angeles

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Ahh, the city of Angels, Los Angeles. Often thought of as star-studded, full of beautiful people, and kale-eaters. As someone who grew up in Los Angeles, it really is SO much more than that – full of diverse cultures, seedy Hollywood history, and one of the top foodie cities in the country! What’s more, you can have some of the most incredible once in a lifetime experiences in Los Angeles.

In this travel guide, I’m sharing some of my local favorite once in a lifetime things to do in Los Angeles from stepping into TV and movie history to the SoCal challenge.

Once in a Lifetime Things to do in Los Angeles Map

Behind the Scenes Experiences

It’s no secret that Los Angeles is a filming hub. We simply call it “the industry.” Naturally, some of the most unique, once in a lifetime, can’t do this anywhere else-type activities have you going behind the scenes of the industry.

1. Attend a TV show taping

You know when you hear a laugh track over your favorite TV sitcoms or the camera pans to the audience during a talk show? Yeah, that’s a real audience! And the best part is that it’s free to get tickets for tapings!

Often you need to request tickets then wait to see if you received them.  If selected, just know that TV show tapings are a whole day event. You have to arrive early and are in the studio for hours. They sometimes even supply free pizza for a meal if the taping takes a long time.

Request tickets for gameshows here and select sitcoms here.

Note that not every show films all year so depending on your travel dates, you may only have access to certain shows.

Finally, the most popular sitcoms sell out or have tickets that are only available to friends of the production team…meaning take what you can get because it really is a once in a lifetime experience just to be there!

2. Tour a backlot

Another great way to go behind the scenes of your favorite movies and TV shows is to tour a studio backlot. There are a couple ways to go about this in Los Angeles.

First, if you visit Universal Studios Hollywood, there is a “ride” that is a backlot tour. It quite literally takes you on the Universal backlot where you’ll see original sets including the Psycho house, a wrecked plane from War of the Worlds, Whoville from the Grinch, and even lately Jupiter’s Claim from Nope.

Tickets to Universal vary in price depending on the crowd levels, but you do need admission to the theme park to go on this tour.

Alternatively, you can take the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. Similar to the Universal tour, you ride in an open air tram through the studio. You’ll see iconic sets like the Friends fountain, the gazebo from Gilmore Girls/Pretty Little Liars/Hart of Dixie, and more! This tour also features the only jungle set still in existence!

The Warner Brothers Tour also includes two museum exhibits – one on the movie making process with lots of props and costumes and an entire museum for DC and Harry Potter, which have lots of fun interactive components making it a top Instagrammable spot in Los Angeles.

3. Work out with the stars

Okay you might not actually see a celebrity, but you can work out where the stars have. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a number of body builders famously worked out at Gold’s Gym and Muscle Beach in Venice.

You can easily check out Muscle Beach on a day trip to Venice, one of Los Angeles’ most interesting beaches.

4. Visit filming locations

A studio tour is one way to see where movies and TV shows have filmed, but there are a ton of real life places around the city to visit that have been used for natural backdrops.

For example, the Bradbury building in downtown LA is known for Blade Runner and 500 Days of Summer. Griffith Observatory has been used in countless films like Charlie’s Angels, La La Land, The Terminator, Transformers, and Rebel Without a Cause.

Even just touring the city, you’re likely to stumble upon a filming location whether you realize it or not.

5. Step into vintage Hollywood at Musso and Frank Grill

Vintage Hollywood means historic restaurants. You can picture it now…some up and coming writer meeting with studio hotshots about a new movie in a corner booth under a cloud of cigarette smoke, martinis in hands.

What you’re picturing is Musso and Frank Grill. Located on Hollywood Boulevard, this restaurant opened over 100 years ago in 1919 and had “the Backroom” reserved for Hollywood’s elite. Now, you can still visit the restaurant and if you sit in the room with the bar, that was the Backroom. The bar has the original furnishings and fixtures from the 1920s.

Stars like Charlie Chaplin, Marliyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, and more frequented Musso’s so it really is a special place!

You can make a reservation to eat here or slide up to the bar when a seat opens. There is parking in the back for $12 with restaurant validation.

6. Walk along the Stars

Yes, I’m talking about the Walk of Fame.

Another way to go behind the scenes of the film industry is to explore the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Before we chat about this, let me be the one to break the news. Hollywood is not glitz and glam…not anymore. It’s dirty, full of tourists and unhoused people, and is certainly no stranger to scammers. That said, the Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, and the El Capitan are all historic Hollywood spots that you should definitely see if they’re on your bucket list!

Stay vigilant, keep valuables out of sight, and get really comfortable with the word no (it is a complete sentence after all).

Now onto the Walk of Fame.

The Walk of Fame is a bunch of literal stars in the sidewalk for each person of note with a symbol that represents their field. Those are a classic film camera for motion pictures, TV receiver for broadcast TV, phonograph record for music, radio microphone for radio, and comedy and tragedy masks for theater performance!

Be sure to check out a full list of stars on the Walk of Fame so you don’t miss who you’re looking for! It can be fun to just wander though.

7. Measure up with the Stars

Outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (now called the TCL Chinese Theatre) are all the handprints of your favorite stars including Judy Garland, Abbott and Costello, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, Julie Andrews, Tom Hanks, and even some fun ones like Darth Vader, C3PO, R2-D2, Donald Duck, and Alvin and the Chipmunks!

This makes for a unique and fun experience in measuring your own hands against your favorite stars.

8. Hold an actual Academy Award

You might think this experience would be available at the Academy Award Museum in Los Angeles, but it’s actually at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. As part of their museum exhibits, you’ll get an opportunity to hold an actual Academy Award that was won for a movie produced by Warner Brothers.

This is certainly a once in a lifetime experience just to feel how heavy the dang thing is!

9. Visit the grave of your favorite star

This is kind of a macabre final thing on the Behind the Scenes list but the curtain does close on us all one day. You can visit the grave of some of your favorite Hollywood stars at cemeteries around the city.

Judy Garland, Maila Nurmi (aka Vampira), Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny) and Johnny Ramone are buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

At Forest Lawn in Glendale, you’ll find Elizabeth Taylor, Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Brittany Murphy, Paul Walker, Humphrey Bogart, and Walt Disney, among many others.

Marilyn Monroe is buried at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary.

None of these places have admissions, so you can just show up and scout out your favorite stars. Of course, with all of these, please be incredibly respectful.

At the Movies

It’s no surprise that some of the most unique movie-watching experiences happen in Los Angeles so here’s a little roundup of the once in a lifetime ones you have to try to experience when visiting.

10. Rooftop movies

There’s nothing quite like watching one of your favorite movies surrounded by stellar city views. You can find rooftop movies all around the city.

One of the most popular is the Rooftop Cinema Club that puts on movies at a couple locations around the city. They have a variety of tickets available depending on the type of chair you want and snack add-ons. The cheapest option is a lounge chair sans popcorn for $19.50. You will save on popcorn if you purchase it ahead of time with your ticket, though.

Melrose Rooftop Theatre is another fun one with big comfy beanbag chairs, a bar, and full kitchen! Tickets start at $29 but they have many packages including dinner and a movie for $49 per person. This is definitely the Insta-worthy spot for a cute date night.

11. Movies at the cemetery

Another unique movie-watching experience is at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery through Cinespia. They show outdoor movies during the warmer months.

This is definitely the more budget-friendly option because you can pack your own food, wine, and beer! You also bring your own blankets, pillows, etc.

12. Attend a movie premier or at least watch a movie at the same theater

If you’ve ever wanted a lavish movie-watching experience in locations where movie premieres happen, these two theaters are for you!

Lots of premieres happen at TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. like Jurassic World Dominion, Thor: Love and Thunder, Nope, and The Fabelmans.

For the TCL Chinese Theatre, you can request tickets for upcoming premieres here.

Alternatively, you can grab a movie ticket to see a non-premiere movie there to at least step inside and have the movie-watching experience. Grab movie tickets here.

The other big theatre on Hollywood Blvd. to visit is the El Capitan. This is Disney’s home in Hollywood.

While it’s much harder to get into an El Capitan premiere, they often have fan screenings and they do show Disney movies regularly. Check out their latest happenings here.

13. Watch a live scored movie

This is like a two-for-one because not only do you get a once in a lifetime movie watching experience, but you get to do it at the Hollywood Bowl, one of the most iconic venues in the city!

Every year, the Hollywood Bowl pairs a movie with an orchestra who plays the movie’s score live! They’ve done Harry Potter, Black Panther, Nightmare Before Christmas, and so many more. This year, I already see Game of Thrones on the lineup (yes, I know that’s TV and not a movie).

If the movie has a musical component, they tend to bring out big celebrities to sing the parts. For example, Billie Eilish sang Sally’s Song in Nightmare Before Christmas and Sara Bareilles played Ariel in their live rendition of The Little Mermaid.

Events

14. Pop-up events

One of the hands-down coolest things about being in a big city is that pop-up events, exhibits, and museums come to town.

Let’s take Stranger Things as an example. Throughout the seasons of Stranger Things, Los Angeles has been home to a number of pop-ups and events.

You could find Stranger Things photo ops in Universal Hollywood CityWalk in 2019. They also took over the Santa Monica Pier in 2019 and transformed it into season 3’s Fun Fair with photo ops, performances, specialty foods, and ride takeovers.

Los Angeles has also hosted the Stranger Things Store and the Stranger Things: Experience, a walkthrough/escape room experience. I just visited this one and it was a BLAST.

The premise is that you go to Hawkins National Lab for a sleep study but things don’t go as planned and soon you have to escape from the clutches of Demogorgons, Demo-dogs, and even Vecna! You end the experience in their 80’s mix-tape section, which was similar to the Stranger Things Store with food spots from the show, photo ops, and even an arcade!

Needless to say, these pop-up type events are so fun and are definitely worth a visit!

You can browse Fever Events to see what’s in the city while you’re visiting.

15. Watch the Rose Parade

Every New Year’s Day, Pasadena hosts the Tournament of Roses with the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl football game.

The Rose Parade is free to attend and is quite the spectacle. Each parade float is made of entirely sustainable plants, flowers, and non-perishable foods.

The parade travels ~5 miles so you have lot’s of sidewalk that you could set up on. People typically bring camping chairs and some people even camp out the night before to claim their spot.

You can also purchase tickets for bleacher seating for around $120 each, but bring blankets because those metal seats get FREEZING.

Uniquely Southern California

16. The SoCal Challenge

One of the best parts of Southern California is the incredible diversity in not only its people but also its landscape. We often say “where else could you visit the beach and snow in the same day?”.

That brings us to the SoCal Challenge where you do just that and then some. First, start your day at the beach. Some people surf, but I say if you touch the ocean, it counts. I recommend Santa Monica Beach so you can visit the pier too while you’re there!

Next, drive up to Big Bear, California for the snow. It takes about 2-2.5 hours from the beach. Here, you can catch a lift and ski or snow board a slope!

Then to round out the challenge, drive east just an hour and a half to Joshua Tree National Park for some desert action! You can hike the Lost Horse Mine Trail or visit Cholla Cactus Garden to get a really good feel for the desert. Plus, if you stay into the night, the stargazing is magnificent!

That’s the SoCal challenge – beach, snowy mountains, and desert – all in a day!

You can also expand this and turn it into a proper SoCal road trip.

Related read → One day Joshua Tree itinerary

Uniquely Los Angeles

Yes, this whole list is uniquely Los Angeles, but these are some once-in-a-lifetime gems that you can only find here.

17. Weigh yourself on Jupiter

You might be like…huh? to this one. But, yes, only in Los Angeles can you weigh yourself on other planets including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Mars, and more! If you venture to Griffith Observatory’s lower level, you’ll find the Hall of Planets where each planet in our solar system is featured.

Not only can you learn about each one, but each one has a scale so you can see how much you would weigh in that planet’s gravity! It’s one of the most fun, interactive parts of the whole museum!

18. Shop at Time Traveler Mart

Calling all time travelers, the Time Traveler Mart has everything you need for your journey no matter when and where it takes you!

Located in Echo Park and Mar Vista, this shop makes for a totally fun outing. You’ll find unique oddities like a Victorian tablet, emergency Mummification kit, and postcards from Pangea.

19. Step into an infinity mirror room

Okay, I lied, this one isn’t technically limited to Los Angeles, but artist Yayoi Kusama has only made 20 infinity mirror rooms during her whole career, so getting the chance to step into one in certainly a once in a lifetime experience to have in Los Angeles.

You’ll find her Los Angeles room at the Broad, a contemporary art museum. While visiting is free, you’ll need to secure advanced reservations online ahead of time.

Note that you only have a single minute in the room so make it count!

20. Bowl in a historic alley

One of the oldest bowling alleys is located in Los Angeles at Highland Park Bowl. This bowling alley was opened in 1927 where the building also housed a doctor’s office and pharmacy. The alley itself is historic with authentic restored wooden lanes, a beautiful mural, and bowling pin resetting mechanisms.

Lanes are $35 and up depending on the day of the week and time.

21. Experience a historic theme park

I don’t care if you’re a fan or not, Disneyland is without a doubt a historic icon that changed the theme park game. Disneyland opened in 1955 and to this day features some of the same attractions that opened alongside the park originally.

By visiting Disneyland even just for a day, you’ll have the opportunity to see classic rides like the Jungle Cruise, Autopia, Casey Jr. Circus Train, and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

Not to mention, Disneyland has expanded quite a bit with Galaxy’s Edge and California Adventure, so there’s always lots to do at both Disneyland and California Adventure!

22. Step into Walt Disney’s Barn

Not only can you go to Disneyland where the magic happens, but you can learn more about Walt Disney around Los Angeles, specifically at Walt’s Barn in Griffith Park. In fact this part of his history took place before he dove into creating Disneyland.

In 1950, Walt created a 1/8th scale steam railroad and had it on display for family and friends. His barn served as a workshop and is now open to the public on the third Sunday of the month from 11am to 3pm. Inside you’ll see a showcase of Walt’s passion for railroading with antiques, artifacts, and his personal items.

Foodie Things

23. Taste your way around the world

No, I’m not talking about Epcot in Walt Disney World.

Los Angeles is truly a melting pot of cultures so it’s no wonder that the food is so dang good. One of the best things to do in LA is taste your way around the world and honestly you can’t do this in most places!

My favorite spot to do this in is Grand Central Market downtown. Here’s what I recommend:

• An iconic strawberry donut from Donut Man (an LA staple)
• A pupusa from Sarita’s Pupuseria (pork, bean, and cheese is my favorite)
• Currywurst from Berlin Currywurst
• A Japanese Bento box from Bento Ya
• Fresh made pasta from Knead
• Mexican street snack spiced fruit from La Fruiteria
• Pad Thai from Sticky Rice

It works best if you can go with a friend or two to split things. And there’s lots to do around Grand Central Market so you can easily walk around, then come back.

Another great spot to taste your way around the world in LA is at Smorgasburg, a food truck pop up that happens in Row DTLA every Sunday (rain or shine).

I haven’t tried enough (because there’s never enough), but here’s what I loved:

• Pad thai from Radam Silom
• Tacos from Tacos 1986
• Churros from Churro Boss

And what I wish I had room for was something from the Japanese Takoyaki truck.

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Thank you to Fever Up Events for gifting me tickets to the Stranger Things Experience. As always, all opinions are my own.

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• Travel Insurance – Going on an international trip? Don’t forget travel and medical insurance with SafetyWing.
• Travel Card – If you’re new to travel hacking, fear not! My favorite card for beginners gives you $750 in rewards when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months, plus lounge access, 10x points on hotel bookings, and free TSA pre-check!
• Get Your Guide – Check out Get Your Guide for a one-stop-shop for booking travel activities.
• Booking.com – This is my favorite hotel search aggregator, specifically for reading reviews. On Booking.com, the reviews can be searched for keywords like WiFi, breakfast, pool, amenities, etc.! So helpful!
• Anti-pickpocket bag – Worried about having your valuables swiped? PacSafe makes the best travel bags with zippers and straps that lock and with mesh steel enforced fabric.
• Give the Gift of Travel – This is the perfect gift for travelers in your life! Tinggly allows you to gift experiences around the world, perfect for birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries.
• Staycation Idea – Check out Resort Pass, which gives you day passes to resorts so you can use their pool, spa, and fitness center, a great staycation idea!

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