Griffith Park and Griffith Observatory are two of the most popular attractions in Los Angeles. Located in the eastern part of the Santa Monica Mountains, Griffith Park is the largest urban park in Los Angeles, covering an area of 4,210 acres. It is home to the Los Angeles Zoo, the Griffith Observatory, a planetarium, a Greek theater, golf courses, tennis courts, hiking trails and an equestrian center. Walking trails and scenic drives through the mountains offer stunning views of the city and beyond.
The park and observatory are named after Griffith J. Griffith, who donated most of the park to the city in 1896 and donated funds to the city for the creation of the observatory. Disneyland is another popular destination for families visiting Los Angeles. Located just outside Los Angeles, Disneyland has been attracting visitors since the 1950s.
Disneyland Park is home to attractions and experiences in elaborate themed sets, while Disneyland California Adventure Park offers seven lands based on movie themes. Beyond the attractions and Disney characters that roam the streets, the resort also offers a full complement of features and services for a complete vacation experience. Hotels, restaurants, shopping and all kinds of entertainment options are available at the Disneyland Resort. Anaheim, home of the Disneyland Resort, is also worth exploring on a weekend trip with its outdoor dining and shopping areas extending from the park throughout the city, including historic downtown Anaheim.
The Hollywood Hillside Sign, Hollywood Boulevard and the Chinese Theater are some of the best places to visit in Hollywood. If you're lucky, you might even spot a celebrity or two on Rodeo Drive for shopping. A fun family activity in Hollywood is to find all the stars of your favorite actors among the more than 2,500 on the Walk of Fame. The Getty Center is another popular attraction in Los Angeles.
Located on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains, this massive 0.75 square mile complex covers 110 acres and was designed by Richard Meier. The unique building and beautiful gardens provide the perfect setting for this impressive museum which houses European paintings, drawings, sculptures and decorative arts as well as photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries. Car lovers won't want to miss out on visiting the Petersen Automotive Museum which features a mix of permanent and temporary exhibits with more than 300 cars and motorcycles ranging from perfectly preserved items from 1886 to concepts for the 21st century spread over four floors. For a bit of activity, check out the 26-mile bike path along Santa Monica Bay which stretches almost along its entire coast connecting some of its best beaches such as Venice Beach to the south and Will Rogers State Beach to the north.
The California Science Center is another great place to visit with its permanent exhibits covering topics such as living world, technology and ecosystems as well as special exhibits for an ever-changing selection of things to see. The outdoor area displays replicas of extinct animals while an impressive 188,000 gallon algae tank can be found inside. The Los Angeles farmers' market began in 1934 as a very modest affair that grew out of difficulties created by The Great Depression when eighteen farmers gathered and set up stalls on open ground near Wilshire Boulevard to sell their products directly to consumers. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art claims to be one of the largest art museums in western United States with nearly 130,000 pieces spanning from antiquity to modern times including outstanding collections of Asian, Latin American and Islamic art.
The museum also exhibits completely reconstructed fossils of a variety of mammals dating from 40,000 to 10,000 years ago. Long Beach is another community in Los Angeles worth exploring with its miles of beaches crowned by a downtown waterfront district full of attractions friendly to tourists as well as vintage car lovers who won't want to miss out on visiting The Nethercutt Collection which showcases an excellent variety of American and European cars from 1890s to 1990s in pristine condition with descriptions of their previous owners included with each vehicle. The Museum of Contemporary Art consists of two separate installations dedicated to works from 1940s onwards featuring pieces from its permanent collection as well as regularly changing exhibits featuring new works and emerging media. Los Angeles County is home to 10 million residents making it one of most populous states in US if it were one with its diverse population coming from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different languages making it one of most diverse cities in world today with no majority population. Los Angeles covers a very diverse geographical area primarily consisting of desert basin surrounded by San Gabriel mountain range divided by Santa Monica Mountains.
