JSLALALAND

BEFORE YOU LAND

LA is fun without spending a dime

Yes, a smoothie is almost $20, but many of LA's best spots need no ticket at all: the Getty, The Broad, Griffith Observatory, the lawn with the Hollywood Sign view. Parking in LA is never free, though, so every stop comes with parking and transit tips.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. Free entry, not free parking

    The running joke of this whole post: every stop comes with a line on parking or transit, because in LA, free admission doesn't mean you won't spend a cent.

  2. 01 | Getty Center: free, but you need a reservation

    The white museum on the hill, home to Van Gogh's Irises, closed Mondays. Parking is $25, $15 after 3 p.m. and $10 after 6; head up after three and you'll catch sunset.

  3. 02 | Getty Villa: an ancient Roman villa on the Malibu coast

    Gardens, pools and sea breeze; one lap feels like you've left the country. Free with a reservation, closed Tuesdays. Don't do it the same day as the Getty Center; one's on a hill, the other's by the ocean.

  4. 03 | The Broad: reservations recommended, or wait in the standby line

    Koons, Basquiat and Yayoi Kusama are all here; general admission is free, the Infinity Mirror Room needs a separate reservation, closed Mondays. Validated parking is $19 for 3 hours, or take the Metro A/E Line.

  5. 04 | MOCA + Hammer: both always free

    MOCA is right across from The Broad and stays open till 8 on the first Thursday of the month; the Hammer, next to UCLA, needs no reservation, with validated parking at $9 for 3 hours. Both are closed Mondays.

  6. 05 | Free days: The Huntington, LACMA

    The Huntington is free on the first Thursday of the month, with tickets released online at 9 a.m. on the last Thursday of the month before; LACMA is free for everyone on the second Tuesday of the month and closed Wednesdays.

  7. 06 | Urban Light: no free day needed

    The field of lampposts in front of LACMA is outdoors, so you can shoot it anytime; it's prettiest lit up after dark. The D Line's Wilshire/Fairfax station, which opened in May 2026, is right across the street.

  8. 07 | Griffith Observatory: night views, the sign and the stars, all at once

    The building, the terraces and the public telescopes are free; the planetarium costs extra. Closed Mondays, open till 10 p.m. Sunset is the busiest time; the DASH up the hill is just 50 cents.

  9. 08 | The space shuttle is back

    The California Science Center's permanent exhibits are free; Endeavour opens in the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center starting 11/13, free with a reservation and a small fee. Parking is $20.

  10. 09 | Free DTLA architecture walk

    City Hall's 27th floor is free on weekdays (bring ID), plus the Bradbury atrium, the Disney Concert Hall audio tour, the Central Library tour and The Last Bookstore, all strung together on foot.

  11. 10 | Lawns with a view of the Hollywood Sign

    Lake Hollywood Park is free, sunrise to sunset; at Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, climb the steep stairs and see the whole basin, with parking at $2/hour. In residential areas, please park quietly.

  12. 11 | The beach and the canals

    You can walk the Venice Canals anytime, but parking is tough; Hollywood Forever is free to stroll during the day, so keep your voice down; El Matador has boulder caves with sunset, and the path down calls for good walking shoes.

  13. 12 | Sunday Smorgasburg

    Every Sunday 10AM–4PM at ROW DTLA, free to get in, food extra, first 2 hours of parking free. The hardest part is 'resisting the urge to eat at every single stall.'

  14. 13 | The free-day calendar (screenshot it)

    First Thursday of the month: the Huntington is free and MOCA stays open till 8; second Tuesday: LACMA is free; every Sunday: Smorgasburg.

  15. 14 | Closed days: don't make a wasted trip

    Mondays: the Getty Center, The Broad, MOCA, the Hammer, Griffith; Tuesdays: the Getty Villa, the Huntington; Wednesdays: LACMA.

  16. 15 | Money-saving moves: free entry, not free parking

    Take Metro when you can, go to the Getty after three, take the DASH to Griffith, plan three stops in one area so you only park once, and read the signs before you park. What you save is just about a matcha.

  17. One last line

    A smoothie costs almost $20 and parking costs more than lunch, but every evening the whole city turns gold. 'The most expensive thing is parking; the best thing is the sunset.'

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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).