City Guide
Los Angeles, California
Six places earn their spot in a city that often hides its best work in plain sight. Start at the Bradbury Building, where the ironwork and light feel like a film set because they usually are.
At a glance: 74 place guides, vibes that skew historic and hidden gem.
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Our picks in Los Angeles
Ranked. Start at the top and work down as far as your weekend allows.
- 1
Bradbury Building: The Ghostly Origins of an LA Icon
A draftsman designed this sun-drenched lobby after a message from his late brother arrived via a planchette board. The open cage elevators and iron stairs are still in use.
- 2
The Magic Castle: A Secretive Sanctuary for the World of Illusion
A private clubhouse for magicians, where a spoken password is what opens the hidden door. You need a member's invitation to get in, which is exactly why it has stayed good.
- 3
Hollywood Forever Cemetery: A Star-Studded Sanctuary for Cinema Lovers
Movies are projected onto the sides of white marble mausoleums while you sit on the grass. You are watching cinema history in a place where the people who built it are buried.
- 4
Watts Towers: Simon Rodia’s Soaring Mosaic Spire Masterpiece
Seventeen spires made of steel, mortar, and broken sea shells. One man built this entire complex by hand over thirty years using nothing but discarded materials.
- 5
The Last Bookstore: A Literary Sanctuary in a Grand Bank Vault
Shelves are built into an old bank vault and the fiction section is a deliberate maze. You have to hunt for what you want among the book tunnels and sculptures.
- 6
Murphy Ranch: The Secret Nazi Compound of Rustic Canyon
A survivalist compound built in the 1930s by a suspected Nazi sympathizer, raided by federal agents the month the country entered the war. Over 500 concrete steps drop into the canyon, and the graffiti on the ruins does the rest of the talking.
Know before you go
The Magic Castle needs a member's invitation or your own Academy of Magical Arts membership, so sort that out before you build an evening around it. Murphy Ranch drops into the canyon on a staircase of more than 500 steps, though the fire road reaches the stone gates without them. The Museum and Fossil Lab at the tar pits opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. Many sites, like the Mosaic Tile House, are only open on Saturdays. Avoid the Sunken City entirely as the terrain is unstable and fines for trespassing start at $450.
Common questions about Los Angeles
Is it worth going to the Hollywood Sign?
You cannot touch the letters, so the best views are from the trails below. Go early in the morning for the best light and to avoid the midday heat on the exposed hillsides.
How do we see the Bradbury Building interior?
The building is a working office, but the lobby and central courtyard are generally open for viewing. You can see the historic elevators and the brickwork without an appointment.
Do we need to book the cemetery screenings ahead of time?
Buy your tickets online to avoid the gate lines, which get very long very fast. Parking is ten dollars for cars but free if you arrive on a motorcycle or a bike.
Can we just turn up at the Magic Castle?
No. You need an invitation from a member or your own Academy of Magical Arts membership, and there is still a password to speak once you reach the foyer.
