Top Rated Attractions in Los Angeles

Put your walking shoes on and get ready for one of the best tours you will ever take of the city. Blissfully free of cost and incredibly enriching, the Free LA Tour takes you through the core of Los Angeles - Downtown and Hollywood. The dynamic Downtown tour includes walking through city landmarks such as Union Station, Pershing Square, City Hall and the Bradbury Building. The Grand Central Market, the Central Library and the historic theater district are featured in the tour as well. Stumble upon several hidden gems as well, and let LA surprise you. The tour requires a minimum of four people to conduct a free tour.

You know that any club featuring bands called Vomit Bomb and The Pukers on the same night probably isn't a place to take the parents. The Smell is a small, bare-bones warehouse showcasing the best of underground art and music. The club name possibly derives from the musty aroma that hangs in the air as a result of many sweaty people jammed into such limited space, or perhaps it's a reference to the less-than-glamorous location. Leave your delicate sensibilities at home and enjoy fresh talent. Shows are for all ages, so alcohol isn't on the menu but vegan snacks and tea are!

Tucked away in the Little Tokyo area of downtown Los Angeles, this ultra modern movie theater is known for showing indie films and hosting special events. The Downtown Independent, aside from being a movie theater, is an architecturally stunning venue with steel and glass sleek-shaped cube design that opened after a huge renovation in 2007. This space features just one theater with 250 comfortable seats. Beer is sold at the concession stand, making it far from a usual movie theater.

The Triforium is a massive sculpture located on the City Hall campus that was created by Joseph Young. As with much public art, the 60-ton sculpture has had its fair share of detractors as well as proponents, but as the old adage states, 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. The architect wished for the sculpture to beam lights into space as well as create a polyphonic/optical display through motion sensors, however budgetary restrictions prevented their implementation. Nonetheless, the sculpture has remained a part of public art in L.A. since 1975, and will continue to be until it obtains its original bells and whistles it was originally meant to have.

This attractive museum is both a study of the life of Japanese-Americans and a celebration of Japanese-American art. The museum has presented a number of art exhibitions tackling several different mediums, including photography, film and sculpture. The subjects of some past exhibitions have included "Asian American Artists and Abstraction, 1945-1970", and "The Kona Coffee Story: Along the Hawaii Belt Road."

The Chinese American Museum is the first in Southern California to document the experience of the Chinese in America. It is housed within the oldest surviving Chinese building, called the Garnier Building. The first exhibition was held in 1992 and featured the works of James Wong Howe, the Oscar-winning cinematographer. The museum's main aim is to eventually become an educational resource for other ethnic communities. In February, it celebrates the Chinese Lantern Festival, so if you're visiting LA at that time make sure it's on your itinerary.