Cheap Activities in Los Angeles, California

Whether you’re a visitor or a resident, finding affordable activities in Los Angeles is possible. There are even some apps you can download to your phone or tablet that can help you find there. One good example of one is called Trover. It helps you discover what’s interesting to see and do around your current location. The app is free and based for smartphone social networks. You can also share your discovery with friends and other Trover users.

But if you don’t have a smartphone or android – all hope isn’t lost!

Fun Activities Outside

The Angeles National Forest is easily accessible from Altadena and Sierra Madre. If you can climb high enough, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views of the city. The past part is it’s completely free! Elevations at the forest range from 1,200 to 10,064 feet.

You may also want to check out the Urban Trail. During the day or night this trail is filled with walkers, runners, strollers, and dogs (which must be kept on leashes). If you’re looking for a great panoramic view of the entire city – try the Runyon or Fryman Canyons.

Of course you can’t visit LA without seeing the famous Hollywood sign. Even though it’s very hard to reach the top of Mount Lee to sign the sign up close, you can visit it from afar by venturing up Beachwood Drive. The sign is clearly visible up and down the road. After your done admiring the sign, don’t forget to walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Art and Culture

LA is for art lovers. Almost every week there is an art walk somewhere around the city. The most well known is The Downtown Art Walk. Twice a year Culver City features unique art during the Brewery Art Walk. Both are free of charge.

If you’d rather beat the heat, you may want to think about going to museums. The Hammer is located by UCLA and also shows free movies. You can visit their website for programs and exhibits at hammer.ucla.edu. The Los Angeles Getty Museum has completely free tickets – but you must pay $15 in parking.

Markets

If you want to shop for antiques and oddities, the Fairfax Flea Market is suggested. For just $3 you can get in on Sundays. All money goes to a local charity.

On Wednesday you can visit the Farmer’s Market located on 3rd Street and Promenade. Many of the city’s best chefs go here to select produce for the week. Lastly, with over 38 merchants, you can also visit the Grand Central Market. They are open until 6:00 p.m. every day and sell many exotic goodies.

Shows

Of course LA is also famous for being the home to many talk shows, game shows and sitcoms. Being there gives you the chance to become an audience member.

Most of the shows allow you to be in the audience for free. These include Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right. However it’s suggested you order your tickets in advance since seats sell out quickly. You may want to do this before even leaving for your trip.

There is also a cabaret show in Los Feliz called Show At Barre. It features Broadway, TV and film stars singing and active live each night. The “For the Record” series runs Tuesday through Sunday and costs $35. It has featured directors such as Quentin Tarantino and John Hughes. You can also find discounts from Show At Barre’s Facebook and Twitter pages. You can visit them at showatbarre.com

So if you want to stay inside or see the sites, there are always affordable options to fill your trip with in LA. Don’t worry about spending all your shopping or food money – relax, enjoy the city and have fun saving.

Nichole is a senior at Middle Tennessee State University majoring in Journalism and double minoring in Global Studies and Political Science. She hopes to one day travel the world and learn how to say “where’s the toilet?” in as many languages as possible. While studying in her family’s homeland, Italy, she learned two very important lessons: there’s nothing better than eating blood orange gelato in front of the Pantheon and wine really is just grape juice.