Things to Do in California

Offering two distinct team race events that follow the general concept of “The Amazing Race” television show. The L.A. Race is a annual one-day, day-long event throughout Los Angeles that requires more physical and mapping skills, while the three-hour CityRace Urban Adventure spotlights a particular neighborhood and involves research, thought-processing and problem solving skills.

Offering two distinct team race events that follow the general concept of “The Amazing Race” television show. The L.A. Race is a annual one-day, day-long event throughout Los Angeles that requires more physical and mapping skills, while the three-hour CityRace Urban Adventure spotlights a particular neighborhood and involves research, thought-processing and problem solving skills.

The five-acre oceanfront site was originally developed during the 1920’s Gold Coast era by William Randolph Hearst for actress Marion Davies. The Davies estate featured a mansion of 100-plus rooms and ornate marble swimming pool. The beach house was a hot spot on Santa Monica’s beach with Hearst and Davies entertaining luminaries from the Hollywood. The property was later purchased from Davies and converted to Oceanhouse, “America’s Most Beautiful Hotel,” and to the Sand & Sea Club, a limited-membership beach club. After the Oceanhouse venture ended, the main mansion was demolished in 1956. The...

The five-acre oceanfront site was originally developed during the 1920’s Gold Coast era by William Randolph Hearst for actress Marion Davies. The Davies estate featured a mansion of 100-plus rooms and ornate marble swimming pool. The beach house was a hot spot on Santa Monica’s beach with Hearst and Davies entertaining luminaries from the Hollywood. The property was later purchased from Davies and converted to Oceanhouse, “America’s Most Beautiful Hotel,” and to the Sand & Sea Club, a limited-membership beach club. After the Oceanhouse venture ended, the main mansion was demolished in 1956. The popular Sand & Sea Club continued to operate, even after it was sold to the state in 1959. The city ran the facility from the 1990s until the 1994 Northridge earthquake severely damaged all structures on site. Following an extensive rehabilitation a new public beach house opened, the only one of its kind in the country. Also on the grounds are the historic Davies guest house, a pool, splash pad, play area, beach volleyball and tennis courts, gardens, event space, cafe, and the historic Davies guest. The Pacific Coast Bike Trail winds along the western edge of the facility. The café offers food and beverages, plus rentals - beach chairs, umbrellas, boogie boards, volleyballs and beach tennis equipment.

This internationally renowned aquarium creatively examines the treasures of the Pacific Ocean, the planet's largest, most diverse body of water. The aquarium explores three regions of the Pacific Ocean: sunny Southern California/Baja Pacific, the frigid waters of the Northern Pacific and the coral reefs of the Tropical Pacific.

The facility's sweeping, wave-like architecture was designed to emulate the ocean.

This internationally renowned aquarium creatively examines the treasures of the Pacific Ocean, the planet's largest, most diverse body of water. The aquarium explores three regions of the Pacific Ocean: sunny Southern California/Baja Pacific, the frigid waters of the Northern Pacific and the coral reefs of the Tropical Pacific.

The facility's sweeping, wave-like architecture was designed to emulate the ocean.

It’s all about the science…captivating guests in a unique environment with contemporary tools, as well as technology that inspires visitors to want to know and understand how things work.

The largest building of the center features the themes of creativity and life. Examine the environment humans build to meet their needs for structure, transportation and communications. From computer technology and digital imaging to solar cars and earthquake-resistant buildings, Creative World...

It’s all about the science…captivating guests in a unique environment with contemporary tools, as well as technology that inspires visitors to want to know and understand how things work.

The largest building of the center features the themes of creativity and life. Examine the environment humans build to meet their needs for structure, transportation and communications. From computer technology and digital imaging to solar cars and earthquake-resistant buildings, Creative World showcases the wonders and consequences of human innovation. In World of Life discover the commonalties of the living world from the single-celled bacterium to the 100-trillion-celled human being.

Five additional galleries within this exhibit area feature the processes of creating, controlling, supplying, energizing and defending life. Special areas within the creativity and life areas are geared to children ages seven and under.

Housed in a separate on-site gallery, air and space exhibits feature aerospace artifacts and illustrate how scientific principles affect air and spacecraft design. The hands-on exhibits encompass air and aircraft, stars and telescopes, humans in space and planets.

The IMAX Theater presents 45-minute, science-related films in classic 2D or 3D format, taking visitors into outer space, over oceans, across continents and in between.

Outside in the science plaza, discover “The Aerial,” a hanging sculpture of 1,578 gold and palladium balls (three to seven inches in diameter) that hangs above the “DNA Bench,” a 30-feet in diameter sculpture representing a cross-section of the DNA strand. The “California Gate” is a 13-foot tall sculpture that demonstrates the use of positive and negative space. Also find the A-12 Blackbird exhibit, the only trainer ever built, a giant level exhibit and a garden.

The museum is housed in the historic Garnier Building, the last surviving structure of the city’s original Chinatown*. The museum strives to research, preserve and share the history, rich cultural legacy and continued contributions of Chinese Americans. Its collection of artifacts number more than 20,000 objects. (*see separate listing)

The museum is housed in the historic Garnier Building, the last surviving structure of the city’s original Chinatown*. The museum strives to research, preserve and share the history, rich cultural legacy and continued contributions of Chinese Americans. Its collection of artifacts number more than 20,000 objects. (*see separate listing)

Coronado is a small beach community with a village-like atmosphere that is a short ferry ride via San Diego Harbor Tours* or drive from San Diego. By water arrive at the Coronado Ferry Landing or drive across the Coronado Bay Bridge. Discover upscale shopping, white sand beaches, excellent dining opportunities and great views of San Diego's skyline. (*see separate listing)

The magnificent Victorian-era Hotel del Coronado with its signature red turrets holds court over the...

Coronado is a small beach community with a village-like atmosphere that is a short ferry ride via San Diego Harbor Tours* or drive from San Diego. By water arrive at the Coronado Ferry Landing or drive across the Coronado Bay Bridge. Discover upscale shopping, white sand beaches, excellent dining opportunities and great views of San Diego's skyline. (*see separate listing)

The magnificent Victorian-era Hotel del Coronado with its signature red turrets holds court over the south end of the "island" overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The Coronado Historical Association, housed in its Museum of History and Art, along with the city's visitor center, offers walking tours of the Hotel del Coronado, famous buildings and architecture, historic areas of the community and of Spreckels Park (from an arborists point of view).

Now more than 20 years old, the big draw to this event are the local restaurant chefs who come out to participate in market activities (and perhaps find a few fresh ingredients for their own menus). Find a wide range of fresh vegetables and produce.

Now more than 20 years old, the big draw to this event are the local restaurant chefs who come out to participate in market activities (and perhaps find a few fresh ingredients for their own menus). Find a wide range of fresh vegetables and produce.

The Saturday market has a strong following of residents who come back week after week to purchase fresh foods from their favorite local farmers. Find many certified organic products, fresh flowers, eggs, herbs, honey, cheese, nuts, meat and seafood, and a wide selection of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables. Local restaurant chefs are featured as part of the activities.

The Saturday market has a strong following of residents who come back week after week to purchase fresh foods from their favorite local farmers. Find many certified organic products, fresh flowers, eggs, herbs, honey, cheese, nuts, meat and seafood, and a wide selection of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables. Local restaurant chefs are featured as part of the activities.

The Hammer Museum, a public arts unit of the University of California - Los Angeles, (UCLA) is dedicated to exploring the diversity of artistic expression through the ages, recognizing that artists play a crucial role in all aspects of culture and society.

The Hammer’s collections, exhibitions, and programs span the classic to the cutting-edge, presenting historical and contemporary art, architecture and design, along with selections from its permanent collections....

The Hammer Museum, a public arts unit of the University of California - Los Angeles, (UCLA) is dedicated to exploring the diversity of artistic expression through the ages, recognizing that artists play a crucial role in all aspects of culture and society.

The Hammer’s collections, exhibitions, and programs span the classic to the cutting-edge, presenting historical and contemporary art, architecture and design, along with selections from its permanent collections.

Founded by Dr. Armand Hammer in 1990, the Hammer’s collections include The Armand Hammer Collection of Old Master, Impressionist, and Post-Impressionist paintings and the Armand Hammer Daumier and Contemporaries Collection. Associated UCLA collections include the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts, comprising more than 45,000 prints, drawings, photographs and artists’ books from the Renaissance to the present. The Hammer Contemporary Collection is led by works on paper, particularly drawings and photographs from 1960 to the present.

The Hammer presents major single-artist and thematic exhibitions of historical and contemporary art generated by its curators or organized in collaboration with other institutions. The Hammer also presents approximately ten Hammer Projects each year, providing international and local artists with a laboratory-like environment to create new work or to present existing work in a new context.

The Hammer is a lively cultural center offering a diverse range of free public programs throughout the year, including lectures, readings, symposia, film screenings, music performances and other events.

The 295-seat Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum is a state-of-the-art venue, housing the Hammer’s widely acclaimed public programs. It also serves as the new home of the UCLA Film and Television Archive’s renowned cinematheque (small screen viewings of classic and artistic films), creating a truly unique nexus of film, art and cultural dialogue.

The Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden covers five acres and showcases 70 works by artists such as Jean Arp, Alexander Calder, Claire Falkenstein, Barbara Hepworth, Gaston Lachaise, Jacques Lipchitz, Henri Matisse, Henry Moore, Isamu Noguchi, Auguste Rodin, David Smith and Francisco Zuñiga.