Downtown Los Angeles

Dodger Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is in Chavez Ravine overlooking downtown Los Angeles. Dodger Stadium is a classic pitcher’s park and claims to be the cleanest park in the major leagues. Schedules and tickets are available online. 1000 Elysian Park Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Phone: 323-224-1500.

Exposition Park is a cultural center with a number of sites: California Science Center, California African-American Museum, Exposition Park Rose Garden, IMAX Theatre at California Science Center, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, LA84 Foundation/John C. Argue Swim Stadium, Natural History Museum of L. A. County. Located at 701 State Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037.

The California Science Center has more than 1,000 interactive exhibits. Guests are encouraged to touch just about everything. There is a working hovercraft, an earthquake demonstration, a drunken-driving simulator, a wind machine, echo chairs, and a 50-foot animatronics model that comes to life to explain how the body works. Visitors can also explore the actual space shuttle Endeavor, which is is on display. Go weekdays after 1:30 pm to avoid the crowds of school groups or on weekends. Admission is free, but there is a charge for IMAX, the High Wire Bicycle, the Motion Based Simulator, and the Cliff Climb. Parking is $12/car. The center is located at 700 State Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037. Phone: 323-724-3623. 

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has a mission “to inspire wonder, discovery, and responsibility for our natural and cultural world.” Just a few of the exhibits include complete dinosaur skeletons, Navajo textiles, 2,000 gems and minerals, an insect zoo, a hall of birds, and dioramas of California marine life. Collections include 25,000 fish species and moths and butterflies. Admission is $12/adult; $9/senior (62+), students with ID, and kids 13–17; $5/kids 3–12; and kids under 3 are free. Hours are 9:30 am–5:00 pm daily. The museum is closed Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Parking is $12. The museum is located at 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007. Phone: 213-763-3466. 

The Music Center is a performing arts center in downtown Los Angeles. The venues include the beautiful Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, The Ahmanson Theatre, and the Mark Taper Forum. Resident companies are the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Opera, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Performances and tours are available. 135 North Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Phone: 213-972-7211. 

The Staples Center is home to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Kings, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Los Angeles Sparks. Schedules and ticket information online. 1111 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90015. Phone: 213-742-7340.