11 Jun 2013
Los Angeles is one of the world's most dynamic cities, constantly evolving and expanding its possibilities. Even frequent visitors and longtime residents who think they know LA can always discover something new in this exciting metropolis. Read on to find out more about the numerous experiences awaiting in the City of Angels this year.
1. Visit the Space Shuttle Endeavour
The California Science Center is now the permanent home of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which landed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) last fall and made an extraordinary journey through the streets of LA, before going on public display in the Samuel Oschin Pavilion. Visiting the Endeavour requires a timed ticket, which costs a nominal $2. Another popular ticket option includes the Endeavour plus an IMAX movie screening.
2. Relax in an Urban Oasis
Visitors and locals alike can now enjoy Grand Park, an urban oasis in Downtown that stretches from Grand Avenue at the Music Center to Spring Street at City Hall. The park's restored Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain has already become a favorite amongst photographers, especially in the evenings, when its changing colors create a magical scene.
3. Prepare for Battle and Skip the Line
Universal Studios Hollywood debuted Transformers™: The Ride 3D, last summer to major acclaim as an epic ride unlike anything this planet has ever seen. Fusing HD 3D media and flight simulation technology, the immersive, next generation thrill ride, based on the popular movie franchise, puts riders in the middle of the ultimate war zone.
The VIP Experience provides the ultimate behind-the-scenes visit to Universal Studios Hollywood. Limited tickets to the VIP Experience are $299 per person and include:
- Backlot tours that explore areas not open to the general public.
- VIP guide who shares Universal Studios history, provides no-wait VIP access to all rides in the park, and secures the best seats at any in-park show.
- Gourmet lunch in the private VIP dining room, valet parking, and VIP entry and exit from the park.
4. Board the World's Greatest Naval Ship
Built in 1940, Battleship USS Iowa was designated the "world's greatest naval ship" due to her big guns, heavy armor, fast speed, longevity and modernization. Having served her country for 50 years, Battleship USS Iowa now calls Berth 87 at the Port of Los Angelesin San Pedro her new home. Battleship USS Iowa opened to the public in July 2012, after being transformed into an interactive naval museum and living memorial.
5. ATTEND THE YEAR'S BEST CONCERTS
Every year, Los Angeles welcomes the biggest names in music, and 2013 is shaping up to be another stellar year for concerts. Legendary performers include Fleetwood Mac at the Hollywood Bowl (May 25) and Barry Manilow at the Greek Theatre (June 14-16). A new generation of superstars are featured at STAPLES Center this summer, with Justin Bieber (June 24-25) and Taylor Swift (Aug. 19-20, 23-24). Indie rockers will revel in the summer sun at L.A. State Historic Park in Downtown for the FYF Fest (Aug. 24-25). Headliners include the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Solange and My Bloody Valentine. Jazz fans can look forward to Herbie Hancock at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl (June 15-16). Other popular annual events at the Bowl include Mariachi USA (June 29) and the July 4th Fireworks Spectacular, featuring Josh Groban.
6. JOIN THE FESTIVITIES
The BET Experience (June 28-30) is expanding this year to a three-day weekend at L.A. LIVE in Downtown LA, featuring a celebration of music, entertainment, and culture that coincides with the 2013 BET Awards, taking place on June 30th at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE.
West Hollywood is home to Southern California's largest LGBT community, and it's the site of the annual Gay Pride parade (June 7-9), as well as the Halloween Costume Carnaval, the largest Halloween street party in the world. For more Halloween fun, head to Universal Studios Hollywood, where hundreds of thousands of horror fans make Halloween Horror Nights the scariest event in LA.
Multicultural highlights include Fiesta Broadway in Downtown (April 28), and Nisei Week in Little Tokyo (August 10-18).
The holidays in Los Angeles are unlike any other city, with numerous outdoor ice skating rinks, the Hollywood Christmas Parade and the LA County Holiday Celebration.
Los Angeles celebrates its car-free community multiple times a year with CicLAvia, the largest open streets event in the world. CicLAvia closes down select streets to car traffic making the roads free and clear for people to walk, skate, play and bike. There are two more CicLAvia events in 2013, CicLAvia – Iconic Wilshire Boulevard on June 23 and CicLAvia – Heart of LA on October 6.
7. EXPERIENCE LA'S CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS
Los Angeles has a whopping 105 museums including The Getty Center, the Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Arts (LACMA) and The Autry National; 52 major performing arts venues including The Walt Disney Concert Hall and The Hollywood Bowl; 35 major libraries and archives, including The Huntington Library; and more, totaling more than 2700 culture options. This year, LA's world-class cultural attractions host landmark exhibits, celebrates milestone anniversaries, and grow with highly anticipated openings. Some of the highlights include:
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM ADDS NEW EXHIBIT
In July 2013, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) opens Becoming Los Angeles, the third in a series of new indoor exhibitions. Located in NHM's newly-renovated 1913 and 1920s buildings, Becoming Los Angeles is a 14,000-square-foot exhibit that offers a unique take – and the only comprehensive take -- on Los Angeles history. A visually striking canopy will symbolize the sweep of local history and lead visitors through the exhibit's major sections or historical eras, from the pre-Spanish landscape to Los Angeles as a global city of the 21st century.
The museum is in the midst of its greatest transformation in its history in celebration of its Centennial. This year, NHM is scheduled to open its North Campus, a 3.5-acre urban wilderness that includes a pond for native and non-native turtles, a vegetable garden and a 1913-style garden. A scientific hub called the Nature Lab bridges the gap between NHM's indoor research and collections, and the outdoor North Campus.
WALLIS ANNENBERG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
The $50-million Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is currently under construction and expected to open in fall 2013. In addition to transforming and preserving the historic Beverly Hills post office into a 150-seat theater, the center will also include a 500-seat contemporary theater designed by Zoltan Pali of SPF:architects. The 1930s post office will be retained largely intact, and a city block will be transformed into a vibrant new cultural destination.
Several of LA's top cultural attractions are celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2013, further cementing LA's stature as the Cultural Capital of the 21st Century:
- The Natural History Museum Centennial Celebration (July 2013) - Following $168 million in renovations and expansions, LA's oldest continuously-operating museum is marking its 100th anniversary with a year-long series of special events and exhibitions.
- Fowler Museum at UCLA 50th Anniversary Celebration (Sept. 2013) - The Fowler Museum at UCLA will mark its 50th anniversary with a year-long series of special exhibitions and programs that draw on the Fowler's significant holdings of global arts.
- Walt Disney Concert Hall 10th Anniversary Celebration (Oct. 2013) - The iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall will host a series of special concerts to mark this milestone anniversary.
- The Hollywood Sign (Fall, 2013) – The iconic LA Landmark celebrates its 90th Anniversary this fall. In preparation for the festivities, Sherwin-Williams recently used 360 gallons of paint to restore the sign's crisp white finish. It is often said that the sign is the hardest-working actress in Hollywood, having appeared in more than 150 films and most recently, Argo.
- The Getty Center 15th Anniversary (Dec. 2013) - The $2.8 billion Getty Center art complex in Brentwood will mark its 15th anniversary with a series of special exhibitions.
8. Car Free LA
LA Tourism invites travelers to be a part of its new initiative, “Car Free LA.” This green movement encourages exploration of the city in a fresh and healthy way – via foot, bike and public transportation. “Car Free LA” features seven expertly-tailored itineraries centered around the city's various neighborhoods while highlighting LA's iconic attractions, vibrant music scene, historic architecture, arts and culture and entertainment. Themed itineraries include:
- Discover Hollywood Car Free
- Discover LA Music Car Free
- Discover Beach Cities Car Free
- Discover Multicultural Downtown Car Free
- Discover San Pedro Car Free
- Discover WeHo and Museums Car Free
- Discover Downtown Car Free
An array of guided tours are also an option with partners such as Starline Tours' Hop-On, Hop-Off tour; Bikes & Hikes LA; Red Line Tours, which offers walking tours through Hollywood, or for the culinary tourist, Melting Pot Food Tours, which allows you to indulge your taste buds while exploring the city.
9. EAT, DRINK AND dineLA
dineLA's RESTAURANT WEEK
July 14 –26 2013, dineLA's Restaurant Week returns for its second Summer Edition. For 12 days, diners can get a taste of the vibrant Los Angeles restaurant scene with specially-priced $15, $20, and $25 lunch menus and $25, $35, and $45 dinner menus from hundreds of LA County's most exciting restaurants. From lobster tacos and ceviche along the coast one night to osso bucco and bruschetta in Downtown the next, dineLA's Restaurant Week is the perfect opportunity to explore LA's diverse neighborhoods, cuisines, and dining experiences at a great value.
10. ARRIVING SOON
The $1.7-billion New Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will be a world-class terminal offering better passenger convenience, amenities and services, and solidifies LA's role as an international gateway when it opens mid-2013. The architectural design of the 1.2-million-square-foot facility, features arched stainless steel that stretches over column-free structures, mimicking the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification, TBIT will feature a Great Hall filled with luxury brand duty-free shopping - Hermes, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, among others – and LA-based shopping and dining options – Kitson, Fred Segal, Umami Burger and Chaya Sushi, to name a few. In total, the new terminal will offer 18 gates, nine of which will comfortably accommodate passenger loads for new-generation aircraft.
BONUS: 2014 SNEAK PEEK
Los Angeles welcomes a spectacular new public museum of contemporary art in early 2014, when The Broad opens on Grand Avenue in Downtown. The stunning design by Diller Scofidio + Renfro creates a 120,000 square-foot, three-level facility, and includes 50,000 square feet of gallery space on two floors, a lecture hall for up to 200 people, a public lobby with display space, and a museum shop. The museum's exhibition programming focuses on the contents of the renowned contemporary art collections of Eli and Edythe Broad, encompassing 2,000 artworks by more than 200 artists and unparalleled, in-depth groupings of works by select artists such as Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Cindy Sherman, Jean-Michel Basquiat and many others. The Broad is the latest addition to Downtown LA's cultural cluster that includes the Music Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall at the Music Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
ITALIAN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES
The Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA) is the only museum in Southern California dedicated to the Italian-American experience. IAMLA is being built in the historic Italian Hall, located adjacent to Olvera Street in Downtown. The now-restored Italian Hall was constructed in 1908 as a social and cultural center for the Italian community, in what was then the core of the city's Little Italy. The interactive museum documents the history and continuing contributions of Italian-Americans. It also highlights the once-vibrant Italian community in early Los Angeles with historical photographs and memorabilia, plus an oral history and research archive. IAMLA was selected to receive a National Trust for Historic Preservation grant to help develop design and exhibit concepts. Scheduled to open in 2014, IAMLA will be cooperatively administered by the Historic Italian Hall Foundation and the City of Los Angeles.
For more information about travel experiences in Los Angeles, go to the official visitor information website of Los Angeles at www.discoverLosAngeles.com, join the more than one million people who follow LA Tourism's Facebook page at facebook.com/LosAngelesFan or follow @discoverLA on Twitter and become a part of the conversation with #CarFreeLA.
Media contacts:
Susan Lomax Kimberli Samuel
Vice President, Communications Media Manager, U.S. & Canada
phn: 213-236-2397, fax: 213-624-9746 phn: 213-236-2385, fax: 213-624-9746
