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Museums
700 State Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90037
Telephone: (213) 744-7422
Distance from hotel: 14 miles
Contemporary science center features interactive exhibits and an IMAX Theater.
301 S Euclid Street
La Habra, CA 90631
Telephone: (562) 905-9693
Distance from hotel: 29 miles
Housed in a renovated 1923 railroad station, the museum's visitors are typically locals who have found a great way to get the kids away from the tube. Remember when you were little and going to the grocery store with Mom was the end-all-be-all? Well, the kids are in control here with a pint-sized, well-stocked market where they can play checkout.
Expect an endless day of dressing up, playing house and acting grown-up. Let them get down and dirty in the Dino Dig, a sandbox filled with soil and a few hidden bones. Got a little drama king or queen? The kid-friendly theater offers props and costumes. Or make your way through the Nature Walk, an indoor taxidermy room filled with lions and bears, though you may not want to tell the tykes that these wilderness kings were once alive and walking.
1440 Harvard Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Telephone: (310) 998-1151
Distance from hotel: 10 miles
Hikes take place throughout the week at more than 80 sites in L.A. and Ventura counties. The hikers include infants in Snuglis, toddlers in Gracos and rambunctious 8-year-olds (accompanied by mom or dad, of course). Expect lots of singing and excited squeals when animal tracks are spotted in the mud. Call it intervention: Before the kids become addicted to electronic gadgets, introduce them to some natural wonders with the help of this non-profit organization.
Two-hour, "kid-safe" Family Nature Walks will take you through some of the most beautiful settings in the city, including Griffith Park, Solstice Canyon and Temescal Gateway Park. All hikes are easy, as not to wear out little legs, and some trails are even stroller-friendly. Along the way, cheery volunteers will point out animal burrows, teach birdcalls and lecture on the differences between non-toxic and poisonous plants, among other activities.
9786 West Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Telephone: (310) 553-8403
Distance from hotel: 8 miles
Topical screenings, special events and interactive displays draw diverse audiences who care about the past, and those simply interested in becoming more culturally "in the know." A chronological tour for groups takes visitors from exhibit to exhibit, through the rise and fall of the Third Reich and the liberation of the Jews. Using archival materials, multimedia and dramatic installations, the museum makes the Holocaust experience intensely personal.
Galleries are filled with advanced technology, hands-on computer stations, interactive displays, films and video. One wall-sized, digital map documents 250 current hate groups in the United States. Another deals with civil rights struggles in the past century. The "Point of View Diner" exhibit addresses personal responsibility, re-creating a 1950's diner with a menu of controversial topics on the jukebox. After visitors select a topic, they input their opinions and have them instantly tabulated.
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462
Telephone: (323) 667-2000
Distance from hotel: 8 miles
The galleries explore broad themes relating to the history and diverse cultures of the American West.
7021 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028
Telephone: (323) 465-7900
Distance from hotel: 15 miles
Celebrates Hollywood and the art of film, television, radio, sound recording and new media. Features interactive exhibits, studio backlot tour and original sets of "Star Trek" and Cheers.
6767 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028
Telephone: (323) 462-8860
Distance from hotel: 15 miles
Life-like figures of Tom Cruise, Michael Jackson and Madonna. Celebrated political leaders and sports greats are also in the 220-figure collection.
401 E. M Street
Wilmington, CA 90748
Telephone: (310) 548-7777
Distance from hotel: 17 miles
The 1864 Greek Revival residence is the former home of General Phineas Banning, the "father" of the Los Angeles Harbor.
Exposition Park
600 State Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90037
Telephone: (213) 744-7432
Distance from hotel: 15 miles
Treasures of African American art, history and culture. A kaleidoscope of art highlights the contributions of African Americans to world culture.
2655 Glendower Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Telephone: (323) 660-0607
Distance from hotel: 15 miles
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1924, utilizing his unique "textile block" construction, is available for tours by reservations.
3601 S. Gaffey Street
San Pedro, CA 90731
Telephone: (310) 548-2631
Distance from hotel: 13 miles
Site of one of the most complete coastal defense batteries in the US; more than 400 vintage photos and historic memorabilia, circa 1914-1975.
15415 E. Don Julian Roud
City of Industry, CA 91745
Telephone: (626) 968-8492
Distance from hotel: 28 miles
A 6-acre site featuring one of the oldest cemeteries in Southern California. Museum documents Southern California's history from 1830-1930.
369 E. First Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Telephone: (213) 625-0414
Distance from hotel: 10 miles
National museum dedicated to sharing the experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry. Situated in Little Tokyo, the museum houses interactive exhibits, a National Resource Center, water garden, gift shops and book store.
6780 Hollywood Blvd.
Telephone: (323) 466-6335
Distance from hotel: 15 miles
Believe it or not, this amazing and silly "museum" is still open. Its bizarre collection of wax figures, photos, and models depicts unnatural oddities from Robert Leroy Ripley's infamous arsenal. Our favorites include the skeleton of a two-headed baby, a statue of Marilyn Monroe sculpted with shredded money, and a portrait of John Wayne made from laundry lint.
5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Telephone: (323) 857-6000
Distance from hotel: 10 miles
With more than 120,000 works in its permanent collection, LACMA is the premier visual art museum in the western United States.
Berth 84
San Pedro, CA 90731
Telephone: (310) 548-7618
Distance from hotel: 13 miles
Maritime artifacts, scale models and nautical art.
411 W. Colorado Boulevard
Pasadena, CA 91105
Telephone: (626) 449-6840
Distance from hotel: 29 miles
Permanent collection of European art from the Renaissance to mid-20th century, including works by Raphael, Botticelli, Rubens, Rembrandt, Watteau, Goya, Monet, Renoir, Degas and van Gogh, and sculpture from India and Southeast Asia.
5801 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Telephone: (323) 934-PAGE
Distance from hotel: 10 miles
World famous fossil museums housing skeletons of saber-toothed cats, mammoths and dire wolves that roamed the LA Basin 10,000 to 40,000 years ago.
6060 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Telephone: (323) 930-CARS
Distance from hotel: 11 miles
From memory lane to the fast lane. Authentic architecture and actual vehicles marking important milestones history. Exotic and ordinary vehicles from Hollywood and Detroit.
Exposition Park
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Telephone: (213) 763-DINO
Distance from hotel: 10 miles
The third largest natural science and cultural history museum in the country, housing more than 33 million artifacts and specimens.
2701 N. Sepulveda Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Telephone: (310) 440-4500
Distance from hotel: 8 miles
The Skirball Cultural Center seeks to interpret the Jewish experience and to strengthen American society through a range of cultural programs and museum exhibitions for adults and children of all ages and backgrounds.
10899 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Telephone: (310) 443-7000
Distance from hotel: 12 miles
Located on the corner of Wilshire and Westwood boulevards, this often-overlooked museum rarely has more than a dozen or so visitors strolling the grounds, despite its prominence in the local arts community. The distinctive gray-and-white-striped building designed by architect Edward Larrabee Barnes also houses the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts on its upper levels. The museum highlights rotating selections from Hammer's lot of largely impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. These include works by Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Gogh, plus sculpture and lithographs by Honoré Daumier.
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Telephone: (310) 825-4361
Distance from hotel: 10 miles
Tucked away on the UCLA campus, the galleries are quiet and intimate. While many ethnographic museums can seem a bit dry, these topical exhibitions, along with the knowledgeable staff, provide a rich look into unique cultural customs from around the world.
A deceptively small exterior hides one of the country's largest collections of African artifacts. Thousands of objects offer a glimpse into the religious and social experience of tribal living; many pieces delve into shamans, rites and magic, an important part of tribal history. Fowler's intriguing antique silver collection is fraught with scandalous stories of power, prestige and seduction (only the rich could afford silverware in 1550). The museum also presents touring exhibitions, including rare finds from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Music and video clips often supplement the displays.
46 N Los Robles Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101-2009
Telephone: (626) 449-2742
Distance from hotel: 28 miles
One woman's love of Asian culture has blossomed into this divine assemblage of art and artifacts from the Far East. Grace Nicholson (1883-1948), a Pasadena art dealer, spent most of her life collecting, and now the museum is the beneficiary of nearly 17,000 of her pieces. Established in 1971, the collection is housed in Nicholson's former home, a re-creation of an imperial palace of northern China. The green-tiled roof that curls up toward the heavens is believed to prevent evil spirits from landing on the property.
You'll find Japanese paintings, textiles and ceramics; Buddhist sculptures; jade carvings and vibrant Chinese ceramics from the Han and Ming dynasties. A courtyard garden, modeled after an authentic Chinese garden, features plants from Asia and a tranquil koi pond.
Distance from hotel: 37 miles
At Movieland Wax Museum, visitors can see more than 300+ famous stars in thrilling sets with authentic costumes and props.
Distance from hotel: 30 miles
Learn to fly military jets, planes and helicopters without enlisting! Fun and challenging for all ages and abilities from first time pilots to actual fighter pilots.
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