Theater and opera houses
Kodak Theater in Los Angeles
Since its opening in 2001, the Kodak Theater has hosted the annual Academy Awards Ceremonies. The theater, which was also specially designed for this purpose, can accommodate 3,400 visitors and contains one of the largest stages in the USA. When an Oscar is not being awarded, concerts, beauty pageants and other shows such as American Idol, the American version of Germany is looking for the superstar, take place in the theater.
| Contact | 6801 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California 90028 www.kodaktheatre.com |
Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles
The city’s most famous and perhaps most extravagant cinema is located on Hollywood Boulevard and was built in 1927. It has a very exotic facade and a red pagoda roof. The hand and footprints of some Hollywood stars can be seen in the cement of the courtyard in front of the cinema. The cinema is still used for premieres and impresses with its spacious interior.
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| Contact | 6925 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California 90028 |
Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles
The Hollywood Bowl, which is one of the largest natural amphitheaters on earth, is currently used primarily for musical events. Opened in 1922, the building can accommodate up to 18,000 spectators and is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestras. Many famous bands and musicians have appeared in the Hollywood Bowl such as The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Doors, Frank Sinatra, Pink Floyd and many others. Due to the shell shape of the stage, the Hollywood Bowl ensures perfect musical enjoyment.
| Contact | 2301 North Highland Avenue Hollywood, California 90068 www.hollywoodbowl.com |
Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles
2,265 visitors can welcome the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorales, which opened in 2003. The building designed by architect Frank Gehry evokes the memory of a sailing ship due to its appearance, but one made of stainless steel. The modern complex pampers visitors with excellent acoustics and is one of the best concert halls in the world.
| Contact | 111 S Grand Ave Los Angeles, California 90012 www.musiccenter.org |
War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco
This magnificent building has housed the San Francisco Opera Association since it opened in 1932. The San Francisco Ballet is also housed here. The opera house has about 3,150 seats. The United Nations held its first session here in 1945.
| Contact | 301 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, California 94102 |
Museums and exhibitions
Getty Center in Los Angeles
In addition to J. Paul Getty’s fascinating art collection, an interesting marble building houses a study center for archeology, culture and art, as well as galleries with paintings, photographs, sculptures, old manuscripts and much more. The building complex was built from 1991 to 1997 according to a design by Richard Meier. The museum’s collection comprises around 50,000 exhibits from the fields of photography, paintings, manuscripts, sculptures and drawings. These include top-class artists such as works by van Gogh. Furthermore, visitors can enjoy the approximately 12,000 m² garden and enjoy wonderful views of the city and the coast on clear days.
| Contact | 1200 Getty Center Drive Los Angeles, California 90049 www.getty.edu |
Hollywood History Museum in Los Angeles
In the Max Factor Building, built in 1935, props from famous Hollywood films are shown in the HHM, whereby these exhibits cover the period of silent films up to the recent present. This museum is an absolute must for film fans.
| Contact | 1660 North Highland Avenue Los Angeles, California 90028 www.thehollywoodmuseum.com |
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Outstanding collections of images and objects of art make the Los Angeles County Museum of Art one of the leading art museums in the United States. The museum opened in 1910 as part of the University of Southern California. The museum is particularly known for its exhibits from the fields of American, Islamic and Korean art. The museum’s collection comprises a total of over 100,000 exhibits. The museum is divided into the Ahmanson Building, the Japanese Pavilion, the modern Robert O. Anderson Building and the Bing Theater. Visitors can admire works of art from almost all eras of humanity.
| Contact | 5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90036 www.lacma.org |
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County opened in 1913 and is the largest natural history museum in the western United States. The museum’s collection includes an incredible 35 million species and artifacts, spanning a geological period of 4.5 billion years. The building of the museum with its rotunda is also very interesting.
| Contact | 900 Exposition Blvd Los Angeles, California 90007 www.nhm.org/site |
George C. Page Museum in Los Angeles
The museum shows prehistoric finds made in the Brea tar pits. These finds date from a time that dates back to 40,000 BC. goes back. Below are skeletons of fascinating, already extinct animal species. Visitors also have the opportunity to observe paleontologists treating fossils. It is also possible to hike through the park along the Brea tar pits and marvel at life-size models of the prehistoric animal species. The George C. Page Museum opened in 1977 and is part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The museum has been exhibiting new finds since 2009, including saber-toothed tigers, bison, lions and primitive dogs.
| Contact | 900 Exposition Blvd Los Angeles, California 90007 www.tarpits.org |
Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MOCA)
This art museum opened in 1979 and contains the works of famous modern artists and is divided into three buildings. MOCA’s repertoire also includes contemporary architecture and design. The design of the museum itself is also very interesting. The architect Arata Isozaki created a building complex that consists of several smaller cuboids. The focus of the collection is on American and European art from the 1940s.
| Contact | 250 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, California 90012 www.moca.org |
Huntington Library – Educational and Research Facility in San Marino, Los Angeles
The Huntington Library is more than just a library. Visitors can find art collections and several botanical gardens here. The Huntington Library was founded in 1924 by Henry Huntington, a railroad pioneer. The collection comprises around five million manuscripts, 500,000 books and 600,000 photographs, most of which consist of works from France and England from the 18th and 19th centuries. On 425,000 m² there are gardens dedicated to the areas of Chinese garden, jungle garden, palm garden, desert garden and Zen garden.
| Contact | 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, California 91108 www.huntington.org |
California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento
The California State Railroad Museum is one of the best railroad museums in the United States. It was founded in 1976 and today shows an exhibition of different trains from different eras. The oldest exhibit dates from 1862, but more modern diesel locomotives can also be found here.
| Contact | 111 I Street Sacramento, California 95814 |
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
Opened in 1935, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is the best museum of modern art in San Francisco. The museum offers changing exhibitions on approximately 1,340 m² of exhibition space and the museum’s collection includes important works by artists such as Ansel Adams, Frida Kahlo and Paul Klee.
| Contact | 151 3rd Street San Francisco, California 94103 |
Monuments and memorials
Cabrillo National Monument
The Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego was established in 1913 in honor of the first European in California, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, and today covers an area of 0.6 km². In this park there is a 4 m high and 7 tonne statue of the discoverer, which was given to California by Portugal.
