Suggestions for things to do in LA

[BadPinkTink]

Right Im in the middle of planning my June California trip. Disney is sorted so Im now stating to plan my LA days.

Im specifically looking for something to do with my friends in LA. They live in LA and we usually try to do something unusual or unique one day.

What Im looking for is something unusual, unique or alternative. Something that an LA / SO CAL local would do, something an LA / SO CAL local knows about and thinks oh I must check that out.

The usual touristy things have been done or are we are not interested in

Last year we went to The Church of Scientology / Citizens Commission on Human Rights
Psychiatry: An Industry of Death exhibition.

Some things I am looking at for this year are

1. Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust
2. THE MUSEUM of JURASSIC TECHNOLOGY
3. The Museum of Tolerance

 

[theluckyrabbit]

The Museum of Tolerance is a really moving and memorable experience. You could couple that with the Museum of the Holocaust. The two museums go together in theme and could make for a very deep, thought provoking day. As a more relaxing end to the day, you could check the concert schedule at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. That place is historic -- the list of artists who have played there is amazing. Prices are very reasonable for concerts, and the intimacy of the performance space is very special. Or you could museum yourself out by ending the day at the Getty Center or the Getty Villa -- both are lovely.
(You could start at the Museum of the Holocaust, go to the Grove/Farmer's Market for lunch, head to the Museum of Tolerance, maybe eat at Century Square -- interesting food court there and Eataly is there, too, then head for Santa Monica -- maybe the beach or the Promenade for a bit, then a concert at McCabes or one of the Getty Museums?)
On a completely different note, there is the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena and the Gamble House (gorgeous architecture). Decanso Gardens isn't far away from there, if you wanted to continue the gardens theme.
The Japanese American Museum in Little Tokyo is very interesting. (And I think MOCA is right next door.) And then you could spend some time walking around Little Tokyo and getting something to eat. Then cruise down to the nearby Arts District for more fun food and drink. That area is really building up right now.

 

[BadPinkTink]

The Museum of Tolerance is a really moving and memorable experience. You could couple that with the Museum of the Holocaust. The two museums go together in theme and could make for a very deep, thought provoking day. As a more relaxing end to the day, you could check the concert schedule at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. That place is historic -- the list of artists who have played there is amazing. Prices are very reasonable for concerts, and the intimacy of the performance space is very special. Or you could museum yourself out by ending the day at the Getty Center or the Getty Villa -- both are lovely.
(You could start at the Museum of the Holocaust, go to the Grove/Farmer's Market for lunch, head to the Museum of Tolerance, maybe eat at Century Square -- interesting food court there and Eataly is there, too, then head for Santa Monica -- maybe the beach or the Promenade for a bit, then a concert at McCabes or one of the Getty Museums?)
On a completely different note, there is the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena and the Gamble House (gorgeous architecture). Decanso Gardens isn't far away from there, if you wanted to continue the gardens theme.
The Japanese American Museum in Little Tokyo is very interesting. (And I think MOCA is right next door.) And then you could spend some time walking around Little Tokyo and getting something to eat. Then cruise down to the nearby Arts District for more fun food and drink. That area is really building up right now.

Brilliant thanks, just what I was looking for some of the suggestions we have already been to. In previous years we have been to Little Tokyo, I love the Santa Monica area but I usually go there on my own, as my friends used to live over that side of LA and they are all Santa Moniced out, lol when ever I suggest it, I get the side eye and "really, hmm I think I might be working that day, lol"

Im going to add the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena and the Gamble House to the list. When I travel in Europe I usually try to visit historical homes so thats a great suggestion.

Any one else got any ideas?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I forgot to add: if you do plan to visit the Huntington and want to throw some science into the mix, look at the website for JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). They are located near Descanso Gardens (listed in my post above) and do public tours once a month (?)/few times a year (?). JPL is fascinating -- run by NASA -- the movie "Hidden Figures" got lots of help from the archives there. That might be a cool thing to add to your list.

 

[Gonzjj]

Lunch or Dinner at the Tam O’ Shanter. Call early for reservations for Walt’s table.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Even if you don't get Walt's table, if there isn't anyone seated there at the time, the host or hostess will let you see it and will take your photo there if you ask nicely. And the sandwich bar is great and doesn't require a reservation -- so that can keep your schedule a bit more flexible if you need it.

Another thing to add: look over the Hollywood Bowl schedule. The season opens in June. Tickets for the cheap seats can be super fun. And there are so many fun concerts of all kinds (e.g. classical, jazz, rock and pop, movie music, Disney!, etc.).

 

[oakleycat]

Huntington Library was going to be my first suggestion so glad to see it is popular. I agree with JPL and the Museum of Tolerance as well, both are fascinating. The Skirball Center is great too. If you're looking for something quick and unique the pop-up museums are big right now. I haven't been but friends have been to the Museum of Illusions and Museum of Selfies and got neat pictures.

 

[VandVsmama]

We visited friends in LA over Easter weekend and we went to the LA Natural History Museum and the California Science Museum (which is where the Endeavor space shuttle is housed). Seeing that enormous space shuttle and being able to walk under it and see the enormity of it was a moving experience. Truly amazing. You should totally go see it.

I would swear that A Night At The Museum was filmed at the LA Natural History Museum (which is basically next door). That museum was a lot of fun, too. There a lovely rose garden in between the 2 museums. We lucked out and got pupusas for lunch from this really excellent food truck parked outside the CA Science Museum.

 

[EllinK]

If you want something low key, I love to hike near the Griffith Park Observatory near the Hollywood sign. The views of LA are fantastic and the terrain is very specific to CA.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I just thought I'd give a small update, I will do a proper trip report in a few weeks but I think this deserves its own seperate update.

Today we went to The Museum of Tolerance. It has a few difference sections / exhibitions, all based on different aspects of human rights, racism, terrorism, and The Holocaust.

The main exhibition has 2 sections

1. A general human rights, racism, terrorism exhibition
2. The Jewish Holocaust

There is a separate Anne Frank exhibition which is an extra charge

They also have scheduled talks by Holocaust survivors which are included in the ticket price.

We paid $15.50 each for an adult ticket. I tried to buy online in advance but their system would not accept payment from outside USA..
We were there from 12.15pm to 4pm and could have spend longer as we didnt do the Anne Frank exhibition.

We started in the general human rights, racism, terrorism exhibition. This is a short walk through multi media exhibition.

At 1pm we went to a small lecture threatre style room where Holocaust survive Renee Firestone aged 95, spoke for over an hour, telling her story. This is such an incredible, moving and and extremely special experience, which I wasnt expecting.
You can Google her and read about her but in short

1. She is from Eastern Europe, the area around Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia.
2. When she was about 20, the Germans invaded the area and her family with all the other Jewish families were told they had to go to Germany to work.
3. They were herded into cattle trains and expected a journey of approx 6 to 7 hours.
4. 3 DAYS LATER they reached their final destination.
5. They did not know at the time, but the train went from their home in Eastern Europe, through various countries and cattle carriage after cattle carriage on the train was filled with Jewish people.
6. Their final destination was Auschwitz in Poland
7. When they were finally allowed off the train, they were split into groups
8. The old people were put into one group, the children into another group, then men into another group and women into another group.
9. She was separated from her parents and her brother but managed to stay in the same group as her sister.
10. They found out afterwards that the old people and the children were taken direct from the train to the gas chambers.
11. In the camp , the men and women were kept separate
12. After 6 months in Auschwitz. she was separated from her sister and found out afterwards her 16 year old sister was killed by medical experiments in the camp.
13. After 14 months in Auschwitz. she was part of a group selected to go a factory camp
14. The factory was liberated by the Russians and Renee managed to get back to Budapest , Hungary
15. She found her brother and father, and stayed in Budapest.
16. She married and eventually came to America and became a fashion designer.
17. Now she spends her time, as much as she can, telling her story

After listening the Renee Firestone we went back downstairs to the main Holocaust exhibition.
This is a walk through multi media exhibition which takes over an hour to go through.
You are given a card with a photo and a name and at various stage through out the exhibition you insert the card into a computer and you follow that persons journey during the war
Its a very hard exhibition to experience, there are real photos and videos from the death camps, and you hear and see some of the more harrowing stories.
I have been to a Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany, so I knew what to expect, but my friends were a bit overwhelmed with some of the graphic testimonies and footage.

After the exhibition we got a special extra experience. The exhibition and various areas of the museum have volunteers as well as regular paid staff. When we went to the Holocaust section, an elderly gentleman volunteer gave us a short introduction before we went through. At the end of the exhibition, he came over and explained the final section, which is a wall of quotes by various non Jews who were part of the resistance during The War and who tried to help Jews escape or hide. He pointed out one quote, which was by Oscar Schindler. It turns out, this elderly gentleman volunteer is the son of a man saved by Oscar Schindler. But even more amazing, this elderly gentleman's father was non other than Leopold "Poldek" Pfefferberg, the man who helped Thomas Keneally to write the book Schindler's Ark which was eventually made into a film by Stephen Spielberg called Schindlers List!

With todays current world climate, the exhibitions and stories are still just as relevant in 2019 as they were in 1945.

Renee and the other survivors wont be around for much longer.

These stories need to be told and retold and never forgotten.

LA is not just the glitz and glamour , if you are have the time to go to Hollywood Boulevard, or The Grove, you really should make the time to go a bit further down and go to The Museum of Tolerance

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I am so glad you got to visit the MOT -- it really is a very special place and deserves to be noted. Thank you for posting about your visit.
If you ever find yourself on the way to Mammoth or Bishop, visit Manzanar's Visitor Center and the museum there -- another very moving place from a difficult time in history (especially since you've already visited the Japanese American Museum in Little Tokyo).