Unusual Things to do in Los Angeles

Last Updated on February 1, 2026

Tourists, emigrants to Los Angeles, or even lifelong residents will probably still not have seen everything cool this amazing city has to offer. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or novice, improve your street cred with these offbeat, behind-the-scenes attractions and unusual things to do in LA, and discover another side to a city which everyone thinks they have figured out…

Six Unusual Things to do in Los Angeles

1 La Brea Tar Pits & Museum

The La Brea Tar Pits are a fascinating – and definitely unusual! – place to visit: an active paleontological site right in the heart of Los Angeles. These bubbling tar pits are located right off Wilshire Boulevard, and they were formed over tens of thousands of years, through various intervals of uplift and faulting. This allowed crude petroleum to seep to the surface from underground reserves, creating shallow pools that entrapped and preserved millions of fossils. 

La Brea Tar Pits is the only ongoing urban Ice Age excavation in the entire world. The adjacent museum showcases the animals, fossils and plants that have been discovered here, ranging from mammoths and saber-toothed cats to dire wolves, and more. There’s even an Excavator Tour during which you can visit the live dig site and watch scientists working on recently excavated fossils (this tour is free if you buy a ticket to the museum).

2 The Medieval Torture Museum

L.A.’s Medieval Torture Museum is the largest interactive torture museum in the U.S.! If you’re interested to learn more about torture throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, this museum is for you. Covering 6,000 square feet, the museum has an extensive collection of torture devices, restraint and execution devices. The museum offers a fully immersive experience, with a story-based audio guide often based on real-life stories, and staged displays of torture and interrogation.

• Location: The Medieval Torture Museum is conveniently located right on the Walk Of Fame (6757 Hollywood Blvd), just a couple of blocks east of the Chinese Theater.
• Opening Times: Fridays & Saturdays: 11am – 11pm; Sundays: 11am – 10pm; Monday – Thursday: 11am – 9pm.
• Admission: $31.99 if you buy the ticket via the website.

3 Venice Canal Historic District

Even though many tourists make it to iconic Venice Beach when they visit L.A., the nearby historic Venice Canal District is often overlooked. After having fallen into disrepair, many of the canals, which date back to the early 20^th century, were simply filled in!

However, the canals have were restored and reopened in 1993 and this neighborhood has become stylish and highly desirable as a result. See the eclectic mix of old and new LA, along this series of waterfronts and walkways – the canal walk is one of the most pleasant walks in Los Angeles, and in my opinion, one of the best unusual things to do in LA.

4 The Watts Towers Campus

Located in the South of L.A., this folk arts center houses galleries, a museum and access to the famous ‘homemade’ towers themselves – built out of steel and all sorts of found objects, such as broken glass, sea shells, bottles, pottery and tiles. In total, there are 17 towers, the tallest of which is 99.5 feet tall. They were built over the span of 34 years by Sabato Rodia, an Italian immigrant. After starting the project in 1921, he finally finished it in 1954. In 1990, they were declared a National Historic Landmark.

Admission to the campus includes admission to the Watts Towers Arts Center, the Watts Towers of Simon Rodia and the Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center. Listed as both a National Historic Landmark and a Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Monument, this is one attraction that has bags of personality.

• Location: 1765 E 107th Street, in the Watts neighborhood. The towers are a 10-minute walk from the 103rd Street / Watts Towers Station on the Metro A Line (Blue). If you arrive by car, there’s plenty of street parking.
• Note: You can see the towers from the outside anytime, but I recommend joining one of the guided tours to learn more about the entire project.You can only access the grounds if you book one of the guided tours. They cost $12, last around 30 mins and run only on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Check the website for more information. 

5 Museum of Death

If you love all things death, then the Museum Of Death is a Must See place for you: the museum’s collection includes all sorts of death artifacts, the artwork and letters from famous serial killers, body bags, coffins, a skull collection, antique mortician apparatuses, cannibalism, Manson Family photos and the Theater Of Death. As per the museum’s website, the Museum Of Death is not for the faint of heart!

• Location: 6363 Selma Ave (just a block north of the Lighthouse Art Space on Hollywood Boulevard)
• Admission: $20 per person – you can buy tickets on the website.
• Opening Hours: Mondays – Sundays from 11am to 8pm

If you feel like you need a break from the sprawling mess of a city that Los Angeles is, spend a couple of hours at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, and you’ll feel relaxed, refreshed, and ready to take on the city again! This place combines arboretum, botanic garden and historical site (the remaining portion of the Rancho Santa Anita) and offers 127 acres of beautiful gardens, natural landscape and historic structures. If you love nature and the outdoors, you will adore the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.

Nestled into the hills near the San Gabriel Mountains, you’ll be meandering through jungle gardens, cactus & succulent gardens, the palm and bamboo collection, you’ll see waterfalls and an orange grove – just to name a few of the highlights. If you’re hungry, grab a bite at the park’s Peacock Cafe in delightful surroundings – and yes, there are peacocks!

• Address: 301 N Baldwin Ave, Acadia
• Opening times: Open every day from 9am to 5pm, only closed on Christmas Day. Last entry is at 4:30 pm.
• Admission: Adults $18. Students & seniors $14. Children $8. Children under 2 are free. Buy your tickets in advance online, since tickets are limited.

Images used under creative commons license.