Free Things to Do in Los Angeles: 10 Picks

Free in Los Angeles means free to enter, not free to reach. This guide lists ten free places, says when each is open, and names the costs around them. If you want a paid ride between the sights, a tour bus in Los Angeles, hop on, hop off is one option, but you can see every place below without one. Do it on your own if you have a day, a Metro card and no need for a guide; a tour is worth it if you want the stories, because it costs €17.80 to €30.27 per person against about $5 for a day of Metro rides.

Key Takeaway Griffith Observatory, the Getty Center, The Broad and MOCA are all closed on Mondays. On a Monday, plan the beaches, the Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign views.

1. Griffith Observatory: free views of the city and the sign

Griffith Observatory is free to enter, and it has the best free view of Los Angeles. The observatory calls itself "a free-admission facility". It is open noon to 10 pm Tuesday to Friday and 10 am to 10 pm on weekends. It is closed on Monday.

The grounds are open every day from 5 am to 10:30 pm. Parking closest to the building is paid. The visit page gives no rate, so check the signs on the day. Free parking is also listed farther downhill. Without a car, the Observatory/Los Feliz DASH bus runs from the Vermont/Sunset Metro station daily from 10 am to 10 pm for 50 cents, or 35 cents with a TAP card.

The live shows in the planetarium are separate from the free entry. Check the observatory's own site for show times and prices before you go.

If you want a guide, the Griffith Observatory guided hike is from €30.27 per person. It is run by Bikes And Hikes LA Tours, lasts 2.5 hours, and has a 4.8 rating from 210 reviews. The listing says a private option is available and gives no other group size. It includes a guide, observatory entry and free parking near the observatory. Hotel pick-up and the tip (15% to 20% is suggested) are not included. It is not suitable for people with mobility impairments, and the meeting point can vary by option. It showed free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance on 22 October 2026, so read its own terms before you book.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 22 October 2026.

2. Hollywood Sign views: look and hike, no ticket

You can see the Hollywood Sign for free, and you do not need a ticket. The Hollywood Sign Trust says that seeing the sign and hiking are free. It names two official viewpoints: Ovation Hollywood, at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, and Griffith Observatory.

You cannot touch the sign. It is fenced and watched by cameras. The trust lists three official trails, and they are open from sunrise to sunset every day. The Mt. Hollywood trail is 5.3 miles and rated easy. The Brush Canyon trail is 6 miles and rated easy. The Cahuenga Peak trail is 3 miles and rated hard. The page gives no costs for the trails beyond saying hiking is free.

The best free view in a big city is usually the one you walk a little to reach.

3. Getty Center: free art, but you pay to park

The Getty Center has free admission, and you need a timed-entry reservation. The Getty's visit page lists free entry, with hours of 10 am to 6:30 pm Tuesday to Friday and Sunday, and 10 am to 9 pm on Saturday. It is closed on Monday.

Parking is $25 per car, $15 after 3 pm and $10 after 6 pm. After 6 pm on Saturdays it is free. There is no street parking near the Getty. Metro bus 761 stops at the entrance, which saves the fee.

Pro Tip Go on a Saturday evening. The center is open until 9 pm, and parking after 6 pm is free.

Plan two to three hours for a first visit. The Getty suggests 15 to 20 minutes for the tram and 30 to 45 minutes each for the exhibitions and the Central Garden. Some galleries are closed for renovation, so look at the Getty's page before you go.

4. Hollywood Walk of Fame: free, busy, and best on foot

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is free to visit. Metrolink's visitor page says so, and it points to the Metro B Line and the Hollywood/Highland station.

The Walk of Fame runs along Hollywood Boulevard, which is busy and crowded. Give it an hour, and keep valuables out of sight. The Dolby Theatre, the home of the Academy Awards, is on the same block.

If you want stories about the stars and the film locations, the Hollywood and Beverly Hills open-top bus tour is from €18.69 per person. It is run by Golden Ticket LA, lasts 2 hours, and meets at 6808 Hollywood Blvd. It is a small-group tour with a 4.5 rating from 210 reviews, and the listing gives no group size. It includes a live guide and an open-top bus ride. Tips and parking are not included. The listing showed free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance on 22 October 2026, so read its own terms before you book.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 22 October 2026.

5. The Broad and MOCA: free contemporary art downtown

The Broad and MOCA Grand Avenue both have free general admission. The Broad says "General Admission is Always Free." A timed ticket is recommended, and walk-ups are open daily. It is open 11 am to 5 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 11 am to 8 pm on Thursday, and 10 am to 6 pm on weekends. It is closed on Mondays.

MOCA is across Grand Avenue. It is free as well, and it recommends advance reservations. It is open 11 am to 5 pm Tuesday to Friday and 11 am to 6 pm on weekends. It is closed on Monday.

The Broad's garage charges $19 for three hours with museum validation. The Metro is cheaper. Both museums sit within the Downtown Los Angeles area.

6. Arts District murals: free to see, a guide for the stories

The Arts District murals are free to see because they are on the street. The district borders Little Tokyo, and the Little Tokyo/Arts District Metro station is across the street from the Japanese American National Museum. A walk past the buildings costs nothing, though the stories behind the art are easy to miss.

A guide fills that gap at a low price. The Arts District street art and graffiti walk is from €17.80 per person. It is run by LA Art Tours for groups of up to 20 and lasts 2 hours. The listing counts over 100 works, meets at 527 Colyton St, and has a 4.8 rating from 31 reviews. It includes a street-artist guide. It is wheelchair-accessible, and meals, drinks and transport to the start are not included. It showed free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance on 22 October 2026, so read its own terms before you book.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 22 October 2026.

7. Santa Monica Pier: free to walk, paid for rides

You can walk onto Santa Monica Pier for free. The pier's FAQ page says it is open daily from 6 am to 10 pm. Parking is paid, in the pier deck and nearby lots, and posted rates apply.

The Metro E Line ends at Downtown Santa Monica. From there, walk west on Colorado Avenue to the pier. The Third Street Promenade is about a 10-minute walk from the pier. The historic merry-go-round is closed on some weekdays, so check the days before you plan around it. Rides cost extra, and the pier's own site is the place to check their prices.

Beaches are the other free part of this stop. The county's beaches page lists no entry fee, and it does list metered parking at some lots, so budget for the car. The Santa Monica and Venice Beach page covers the area in more detail.

8. Venice Beach boardwalk: free people-watching and a skate park

The Venice boardwalk is free to walk, and it is the busiest stretch of the coast. The boardwalk is called Ocean Front Walk. The Venice Beach Recreation Center at 1800 Ocean Front Walk holds Muscle Beach and a skate park, according to LA Parks.

A 22-mile bike path runs along the coast, from Will Rogers State Beach to Torrance, and it passes Venice. You pay only if you rent a bike. Parking near the boardwalk is paid and busy on weekends, so take a bus or ride-app if you can.

9. LACMA: free on the second Tuesday

LACMA is free for every visitor on the second Tuesday of the month. LACMA's ticket page also lists free entry for LA County residents after 3 pm on weekdays, and free entry for youth. A normal adult ticket is $25 for county residents and $30 for everyone else.

Walk-up tickets are sold, but timeslots can sell out, and LACMA says advance timed entry is highly recommended. The museum is closed on Wednesday. The Metro D Line stops at Wilshire/Fairfax Station, which brings you right to it. The nearby La Brea Tar Pits and LACMA page has the area.

10. Grand Central Market and Angels Flight: cheap, not free

Grand Central Market is free to walk through, and its many stands make it an easy cheap meal downtown. The market at 317 South Broadway is open daily from 8 am to 9 pm, and hours vary by vendor. Angels Flight, the short railway across the street, costs $1.50 each way and stops at 10 pm.

You can eat well here without spending much. The next section shows what a budget meal costs in the city.

What still costs money on a free day

A free day in Los Angeles still has three costs: parking, food and the ride. You can cut the first and last with the Metro. LA Metro charges $1.75 a ride, and a day never costs more than $5 when you pay with a tap.

In October 2026, published Los Angeles guides priced a budget meal at $11 to $15 per person, in the 2026 Los Angeles Travel Cost Study.

Things to Do in Los Angeles' count of GetYourGuide listings on 22 October 2026 found 24 tours and tickets priced under €25 per person, starting at €4.45.

The lowest price is a self-guided bike tour app with one review. The cheaper guided walks above are better tested. For more ways to move around, see getting around Los Angeles.

Pro Tip Tap the same card or phone on every Metro ride. The $5 daily cap only works when you tap.

Free does not mean easy. Several of these places are far apart, and the car-free day above needs the Metro and a bus for the Getty. If you are short on time, pick two or three places, not all ten.

How to choose the free things to do in Los Angeles

Choose by the day of the week and by how much walking you want. The table shows when each pick is open and what to book.

For a first visit, start with Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign views. Read the Griffith Observatory LA page for the hike routes and the paid options. Then add one museum and one beach.