The Atlas Obscura Guide To

Los Angeles

171 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Los Angeles, California

Unusual
Attractions
in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Tunnels

Los Angeles, California

Underground Tunnels of Los Angeles

During prohibition, corrupt city officials ran drinking dens under the streets of Downtown Los Angeles.

34.0558, -118.2447

Added by Rachel

Echo Park Time Travel Mart.

Los Angeles, California

The Echo Park Time Travel Mart

Non-profit time travel mart sells goods you would need for a trip through the fourth dimension.

34.0768, -118.2593

Los Angeles, California

The Museum of Death

World's largest collection of serial killer artwork and other macabre exhibits.

34.1017, -118.3212

Portal of books.

Los Angeles, California

The Last Bookstore

This iconic LA bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank -- both symbolic and chic.

34.0477, -118.2494

Added by kcmick

The Bradbury Building

Los Angeles, California

Bradbury Building

The legendary building that needed ghostly approval before being built.

34.0505, -118.2478

Added by Rachel

Los Angeles, California

Griffith Observatory's Tesla Coil

High on a hill overlooking Los Angeles lives a world famous, high power conical Tesla Coil.

34.1184, -118.3004

Added by Rachel

Los Angeles, California

Old Zoo Picnic Area

The Abandoned Zoo enclosures offer a perfect place to experience the other side of the bars.

34.1339, -118.2886

Added by Lisa E

Los Angeles, California

Sunken City

A jumble of foundations, streets, and streetcar tracks inhabit the cliff where a landslide occurred in 1929.

33.7058, -118.2889

Added by Bswanson

See All 171 Things to Do in Los Angeles See All 171 Places

Atlas Obscura Trips

Dark Skies, Desert Beasts: A Night Photography Workshop in Borrego Springs, California

May 2—May 5, 2019

Journey deep into the desert of Southern California to explore and photograph the Dark Sky Sculptural Oasis of Borrego Springs.

Unique
Food & Drink
in Los Angeles

The Zombie

Gastro Obscura

The Zombie

Donn Beach only wrote the recipe for his famously potent cocktail in secret code.

Gastro Obscura

Added by rachelrummel

Are we missing a unique food or drink in Los Angeles?

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IvyMike has been to The Bonaventure Hotel

JosephWork4 has been to Galápagos Tortoise Skeleton

JosephWork4 has been to Nethercutt Collection and Museum

JosephWork4 has been to Marilyn Monroe's Grave

medeanswer wants to go to Bradbury Building

Stories
About Los Angeles

Three actors in use pie throwing for comedic effect in the 1947 flick 'The Perils of Pauline.'

How Pie-Throwing Became a Comedy Standard

One film studio in Los Angeles pioneered the trope of flying pies.

Hollywood by night, 1930.

Why Are There Palm Trees in Los Angeles?

Turns out it's an image thing.

by Dan Nosowitz

Interior of a winery with large casks, Los Angeles, c. 1910.

The Gnarled History of Los Angeles's Vineyards

It was once known as the “city of vines.”

Cracked wheat, anyone?

During the Great Depression, 'Penny Restaurants' Fed the Unemployed

Dishes cost a cent, or even came free.

An 1899 illustration from the Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection's seed annual.

Why Foley Artists Use Cabbage and Celery to Create Hollywood’s Distinctive Sounds

Adding sound flourishes to films in post-production remains low-tech.

Revisiting the Heyday of California's 'Crazy' Novelty Architecture

Giant hats, portly pigs, and drive-thru donuts.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

The Gamble House.

How a Location Scout Spends 3 Days Touring L.A.

Nick Carr shares his favorite Hollywood backdrops for Three Obscure Days in Los Angeles.

Sponsored by Discover Los Angeles

<em>Kagami mochi</em> with a traditional orange on top.

The Los Angeles Bakery Keeping Mochi in Temples and Traditions

Brian Kito wants to protect mochi’s status as more than a standard sweet.

by Richard Foss

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