Los Angeles: Things To Do

Beverly Hills Trolley Tours See block after block of celebrity mansions on this 40-minute drive, including the late Lucille Ball's ranch house that starred in an episode of I Love Lucy.  Beverly Hills; corner of Rodeo Dr. and Dayton Wy.; www.beverlyhills.org
architecture | culture | tour

Chinatown Adjacent to downtown, L.A.'s bustling Chinatown is packed with great dim sum restaurants, markets, curio shops, and a new spate of innovative art galleries (most situated on Chung King Road). Downtown L.A.; www.chinatownla.com
culture | art | food

Getty Center L.A. owes much of its reinvention as a high-brow culture capital to starchitect Richard Meier's travertine marble art institution, perched in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. A tram ride up the hill followed by a stroll through the museum's gorgeous gardens makes one forget all about the traffic snarls below. West L.A.; 1200 Getty Center Dr.; 310-440-7300; www.getty.edu
family | architecture | culture | art

Griffith Observatory Positioned near the Hollywood Sign, this recently renovated Art Deco-era marvel offers great views of the heavens (on a clear night) and astronomy shows narrated by the likes of Leonard Nimoy. Los Feliz; 2800 E. Observatory Rd.; 213-473-0800; www.griffithobs.com
family | architecture | culture

Hollywood Boulevard Tour the Kodak Theater, home of the Academy Awards show (but skip the attached Hollywood & Highland retail complex, a tourist trap akin to Time's Square and Fisherman's Wharf); see where the stars left their mark at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater; then hop across the street for a show at the glittering El Capitan Theatre. Hollywood; Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Ave.; www.hollywoodchamber.net
family | architecture | culture

Hollywood Hills Hiking trails in Runyon Canyon, a 130-acre public park and former '20s housing development, afford awesome views of the Hollywood sign, downtown L.A., and iconic Hollywood architecture like the Capitol Records building, not to mention the occasional celebrity sighting. You can even look down into the yards and pools of several large estates tucked into the hills. Hollywood Hills; Mulholland Dr., between Laurel Cyn. and Cahuenga Blvd.; www.runyon-canyon.com
hiking | outdoors

Santa Monica Beach Groove to the vibe of SoCal beach culture on this 3.5-mile-long stretch of sand. Kids will love the Santa Monica Pier, which is topped with snack bars, carnival games, and amusement park rides, including a vintage carousel. Santa Monica Beach; www.santamonicapier.org
beach | family | outdoors

Universal Studios See the actual sets of some of Hollywood’s biggest movies, including the ominous Bates house from Psycho, on the studio backlot tour. Thrill rides include Revenge of the Mummy, Jurassic Park, and, new in 2008, The Simpsons Ride.    Hollywood; 100 Universal City Plaza; www.universalstudioshollywood.com
family | theme park