Things To Do: Los Angeles Edition

If you’re on vacation and looking for things to do, Los Angeles gives you many options for structuring your leisure time. You could go big, with theme parks, or you could go the cultural route, with museums. But if you’re a fan of old Hollywood, the stars, the scandals, and the appeal of yesteryear, there’s plenty to occupy you in that regard as well. Here are some of our top recommendations to please your inner cinephile.

Dearly Departed’s Tragic History of Los Angeles tour is deliciously macabre, and it’s the best place to start if you’re interested in learning how Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and River Phoenix spend their last days on this mortal coil. You’ll also hear all about stalkers, murder, and drug addiction, and this tour packs in upwards of seventy sites in less than three hours, so you’ll be getting your money’s worth.

Hollywood’s Behind the Scenes Walking Tour is another solid choice. You’ll see better-known landmarks and some fascinating architecture, but you’ll also get the opportunity to see some seldom-visited theaters that are off the beaten track. This tour includes popular favorites like Grauman’s Egyptian Theater and Disney’s El Capitan.

Next up is the VIP Experience at Universal Studios Hollywood. Fair warning: this one is more on the pricey side, but you will get access to parts of the studio that most of the public never get a  chance to see, and you’ll also get front-of-the-line passes to all the rides in the park. There’s even on-site valet parking provided, and a catered lunch.

Our last recommendation is the Hollywood Studios and Movie Star Homes Tour, offered by Warner Brothers. This one crams a ton of activity into a single day, as you tour the grounds of Warner Brothers legendary studios, then take to the streets and see the former and current homes of such stars as Tom Cruise, Marilyn Monroe, and Halle Berry.    

For the past century, Hollywood has exuded a power that tantalizes us far beyond the images we see on movie and TV screens. Let one of these tours immerse you in the glitz and glimmer of the limelight, and you’ll bring home memories that last a lifetime.