201 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Los Angeles - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Underground Tunnels of Los Angeles

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

Rachel

Added by Rachel

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.

anhie

Los Angeles, California

The Museum of Death

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

Genki

Los Angeles, California

The Last Bookstore

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

kcmick

Added by kcmick

Los Angeles, California

Griffith Observatory's Tesla Coil

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

Rachel

Added by Rachel

Los Angeles, California

Bradbury Building

The legendary building that needed ghostly approval before being built.

Rachel

Added by Rachel

Los Angeles, California

Sunken City

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

Added by Bswanson

Los Angeles, California

Old Zoo Picnic Area

The abandoned zoo enclosures offer a perfect place to experience the other side of the bars.

Added by Lisa E

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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

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Szechuan Button

Gastro Obscura

Ingredients & Condiments

Szechuan Button

This herb gives cocktails another kind of buzz.

Gastro Obscura

sarahcorsa

Added by sarahcorsa

Hangtown Fry

Gastro Obscura

Hangtown Fry

This bacon-and-oyster omelet was a status symbol during the California Gold Rush.

Gastro Obscura

samirpatel

Added by samirpatel

Steam Beer

Gastro Obscura

Steam Beer

The unique style born out of the California Gold Rush blends the crispness of a lager with the flavor of an ale.

Gastro Obscura

Leigh ChavezBush

Added by Leigh ChavezBush

Atlas Obscura Trips

Moonlit Ghost Towns: Night Photography in Death Valley

Nov 11–16, 2019

Atlas Obscura Trips

Moonlit Ghost Towns: Night Photography in Death Valley

Tim Cook

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Stories
About Los Angeles

The remains of the tree.

The Life of a Historic Los Angeles Tree Comes to an End

For 144 years, it lived at El Pueblo de Los Angeles, the site where the city was founded in the 18th century.

by Jonathan Carey

Early 20th-century postcard of the "Sunset Express" train passing through Yuma, Arizona.

How the 'Sunset Route' Railroad Helped Diversify California

The connection between New Orleans to Los Angeles can still be felt today.

by Evan Nicole Brown

February 14, 2019

In 1943, the Brown Derby restaurant on Vine Street, in Hollywood, was a place to dine and dish gossip.

Mourners Once Held a Sidewalk Funeral for a Restaurant Named for a Hat

On Valentine’s Day 1994, protestors in Hollywood turned out to eulogize the Brown Derby.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

February 11, 2019

The Love Story Behind L.A.'s Bunny Museum

Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski’s collection has grown to over 30,000 rabbit-related items.

by Lizzie Philip

February 04, 2019

A woman looks through a tower viewer at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

Atlas Obscura and The New York Times Journeys Launch Science Weekends

Our new collaboration offers unique three-day experiences, starting in Los Angeles and London in 2019.

January 08, 2019

A Visit to One of America's Longest-Running Puppetry Theaters

The Bob Baker Marionette Theater has been serving up laughs and ice cream since 1963.

by Lizzie Philip

January 03, 2019

Making sounds from cabbage has been a go-to radio and film trick for decades.

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

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

January 02, 2019

The model is bright, but dusty.

Bringing Life Back to a Massive Miniature of Hollywood's Heyday

This model city is ready for its close-up.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

December 20, 2018

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