Disneyland
The 50-year-old theme park is still the world's most famous and new attractions are always appearing in the 'Magic Kingdom'. The park is divided into themed 'lands' (Main Street USA, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Toontown) each with a variety of rides and entertainment. Favourite attractions include the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventure. The fabulous Electrical Parade and night-time laser light show alone are worth the trip.
Located next to Disneyland, Disneyland California Adventure has four theme areas that represent California: pass under the Golden Gate Bridge at Sunshine Plaza, then visit Paradise Pier hyping the glories of seaside piers, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, A bug's land - life from a bug's point of view, and Golden State which celebrates the history and beauty of California. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, plunges riders down a 43m (141ft) elevator shaft.

Anaheim
1313 S. Disneyland Drive
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: (714) 520 5060.
Web: www.disney.go.com
Opening hours: Hours vary, check before visiting.
Admission Fee: Yes.
Disabled Access: Yes


Dolby Theatre
Adjoining the Chinese Theatre, the massive Hollywood and Highland retail and entertainment complex is home to the Dolby Theatre (formally known as the Kodak Theatre), where the Oscars ceremony is held. Take a behind-the-scenes tour and climb the staircase trodden by the stars. The Dolby Theatre will house Cirque du Soleil’s show Iris, about the history of film, for the next decade. The Hollywood and Highland complex's observation tower showcases a panoramic view of the famous Hollywood sign. It’s overlooked by giant statues of elephants, a tribute to the silent movie epics of legendary director DW Griffiths.


6801 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: 323 308 6300.
Web: www.kodaktheatre.com
Opening hours: For guided tours: Daily 1030-1600 (Jun-Sep); 1030-1430 (Sep-May).
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes


Getty Center
The Getty is much more than just a museum; if you visit, plan to stay the whole day. From the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, the marble terraces of the Getty Center afford spectacular panoramic views of the city, the mountains and the ocean. The unique buildings, designed by architect Richard Meier, employ simple shapes that form an organic, stunning, whole. They contain not only J Paul Getty's painting collection, including Van Gogh's Irises , but a centre for the study of archaeology, culture, art history and humanities. The changing exhibitions vary from Byzantine art to American photographers. The galleries display sculpture, photographs, drawings, furniture and more than 100 illuminated manuscripts. Lectures, concerts and educational programmes are also held here. The Getty Center is surrounded by beautiful gardens with rare and native plants and trees. The handheld electronic Getty Guide, a self-guided audio tour, is worth the small charge.


1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: (310) 440 7300.
Web: www.getty.edu
Opening hours: Tues-Fri, Sun 1000-1730 (until 2100 Sat).
Admission Fee: No
Disabled Access: Yes


Getty Villa
This beautiful structure (modelled after Italy's Villa del Papiri) was originally built to house Getty's personal collection. Perched on a Malibu cliff with ocean views, it is now an antiquities museum with a focus on the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria and features a superb collection of artifacts, all laid out in themed rooms. There is also an interactive kids' room with materials to reproduce works of art. It is worth the visit just to stroll the grounds, which replicate the grandest of Roman villa living. There’s also a small amphitheatre where summer productions are held.


17985 Pacific Coast Highway
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: (310) 440 7300.
Web: www.getty.edu
Opening hours: Thurs-Mon 1000-1700.
Admission Fee: No (but advance, timed tickets required, available by telephone or online up to three months in advance. A limited number of same-day offered daily at Getty Center).
Disabled Access: Yes


Grammy Museum at LA Live
This 2,787sq m (30,000sq ft) museum on four floors is dedicated to music’s greatest names and the whole creative process of the art and technology of recording. It has permanent and changing artifacts, films and displays, many of which are interactive. The museum doesn’t limit itself to Grammy winners but celebrates music as a whole, though you can watch previous great Grammy performances. There are also Q&A sessions and live shows at the museum, which hasfeatured artists including Annie Lennox, Ringo Starr, Harry Connick Jr., and Herbie Hancock. The museum is part of the hip LA Live entertainment complex.


800 W Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: 213 765 6800.
Web: www.grammymuseum.org/
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1130-1930, Sat-Sun 1000-1930.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes


Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Built by showman Sid Grauman in 1927, this is the most famous of the flamboyant picture palaces along this stretch of Hollywood Boulevard. The forecourt is where the hand and footprints of Hollywood celebrities are embedded into the cement. Other art deco theatres nearby that are worth a look are the El Capitan and The Egyptian. The Hollywood Walk of Fame passes outside the front of the Chinese Theatre. This trail of bronze stars embedded in the paving stones runs 5.5km (3.5 miles) along Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea and Gower Streets and along Vine Street between Yucca Street and Sunset Boulevard. It honours over 2,000 artists in the film, TV and music industries.


6925 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: (323) 463 9576.
Web: www.chinesetheatres.com
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fee: No (except for tours)
Disabled Access: Yes


Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
This classic 12-storey 305-room hotel is the birthplace of the Academy Awards, as the first Oscars ceremony took place here on 19 May 1929. The oldest continuously operating hotel in Hollywood, the Roosevelt is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places and is a Hollywood Historic Site. Recently restored to its Spanish colonial splendour, it is one of the key attractions on Hollywood Boulevard. Pop in for a cocktail at Teddy's Lounge, if not for a night in the Marilyn Monroe suite for a bit of old Hollywood glamour.

7000 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: (323) 466 7000 or 1 800 950 7667.
Web: www.hollywoodroosevelt.com
Opening hours: All day.
Admission Fee: No.


Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens
It is virtually impossible to see everything on this lavish estate in one visit. The former home of railroad tycoon Henry E Huntington is filled with French porcelain, tapestries, American paintings and a remarkable collection of British and French art from the 18th and 19th centuries. Famous highlights are Gainsborough's Blue Boy and Lawrence's Pinkie . Among the 4 million items in the Library are rare books and manuscripts: a Gutenberg Bible, an early 15th-century manuscript of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and early editions of Shakespeare. Save some time to stroll in the beautiful Botanical Gardens, whose 81 hectares (200 acres) include a Japanese garden, desert garden and rose garden. The 'Garden of Flowing Fragrance' Chinese garden is a real work of art, created to stimulate both the spirit and the mind - like the wonderful Huntingdon itself .

San Marino
1151 Oxford Road
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: (626) 405 2100.
Web: www.huntington.org
Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Fri 1200-1630, Sat and Sun 1030-1630.
Admission Fee: Yes (free first Friday of the month 1030-1630 with advanced tickets only)
Disabled Access: Yes


Knott's Berry Farm
America's oldest theme park began as a tea room in 1928. Later Walter Knott built the 'Ghost Town' to entertain customers queuing for his wife's boysenberry pies and chicken dinners. Today, shows and attractions are part of its several themed areas, which include an Old West Ghost Town and Camp Snoopy . The real draw is the hair-raising thrill rides - the Silver Bullet, Supreme Scream and Ghost Rider, one of the tallest and longest wooden roller coasters in the West, and the 50s-themed XCELERATOR, with cars that look like '57 Chevys.

Buena Park
8039 Beach Boulevard
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: (714) 220 5200.
Web: www.knotts.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1800, Sat 1000-2200, Sun 1000-1900; extended summer and holiday hours. Hours vary with the season, so check before visiting.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes


Los Angeles County Museum of Art
This outstanding collection of art and artifacts (over 100,000) forms one of the leading art museums in the United States. In the enormous Ahmanson Building, art, sculpture and decorative arts from Asia, Europe and the Americas are on display. Highlights of the collection include the Indian and South-East Asian art collection, regarded as the finest in the West; the Western Art galleries and pre-Columbian artefacts from Latin America. There is a special Japanese Pavilion designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; the striking, modern Robert O Anderson Building, and the Bing Theater. The Broad Contemporary Art Museum at LACMA with its impressive BP Grand Entrance was opened in 2008, as part of an ongoing 10 year expansion plan.


5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: (323) 857 6000.
Web: www.lacma.org
Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs 1200-2000, Fri 1200-2100, Sat and Sun 1100-2000.
Admission Fee: Yes (free after 1700 for LA residents only and free for all on the second Tues of the month)
Disabled Access: Yes


Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
Housed in a striking red sandstone building designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, this celebrated art museum showcases the work of leading modern artists. The permanent collection features the likes of Piet Mondrian and Mark Rothko. Pyramid skylights enhance the bright galleries, while the courtyard boasts an attractive fountain. MOCA has a secondary site, located close by and accessible by free shuttle, called Geffen Contemporary , which hosts changing exhibitions in an old warehouse. MOCA's third venue is at the Pacific Design Centre in West Hollywood, which focuses on contemporary architecture and design.

250 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: (213) 626 6222.
Web: www.moca.org
Opening hours: Mon, Fri 1100-1700, Tues, Wed closed, Thurs 1100-2000, Sat, Sun 1100-1800.
Admission Fee: Yes (except for free on Thursdays 1700-2000).
Disabled Access: Yes


Pasadena
Except for New Year's Day, when all eyes turn to the Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl football game, Pasadena is mostly a quiet place. Nestled at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, its tree-lined streets and open-air shopping districts, like Paseo Colorado, South Lake Avenue, quaint Old Town Pasadena and the excellent Norton Simon Museum, make it a lovely place for a stroll. Though peaceful in the week, it comes to life on Friday and Saturday nights when restaurants and bars are buzzing and the city takes on a much funkier atmosphere.


171 South Los Robles Avenue
Los Angeles
United States
Tel: 626 795 9311.
Web: www.pasadenacal.com
Opening hours: 1000 til late.
Admission Fee: No
Disabled Access: Yes