DK Travel : Los Angeles : Places of interest

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Lalique

Best known for its exquisite crystal pieces, this boutique actually stocks the entire product line, including jewelry, watches, and perfume.
Little Tokyo

The Japanese have been a presence in LA since the 1880s, but radical redevelopment in the 1960s replaced most of Little Tokyo’s original structures with bland modern architecture. The few surviving buildings on East First Street are now protected as a National Historic Landmark. Stop at the Japanese American National Museum, and check out the MOCA Geffen Contemporary close by, and the Japanese Village Plaza.
Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific

Take a virtual dive through three major regions of the Pacific Ocean at this first-rate aquarium. You’ll travel to the kelp beds of Southern and Baja California, the stormy shores of the northern Pacific, and the coral reefs of the tropical Pacific. Pick up laminated “dive charts” to help you identify the species, then meet some of them in the flesh (see Aquarium of the Pacific).
Long Beach Museum of Art

This small community museum mounts several temporary exhibits annually in addition to showing selections from its permanent collection. A tour of the galleries yields encounters with paintings and drawings by early 20th-century European and Californian artists along with furniture and decorative objects from throughout American history. The museum is distinguished by a waterfront location with great views of Long Beach’s famous offshore oil wells.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

It’s impossible not to marvel when touring the galleries of this well-respected art and culture museum. A virtual cornucopia of paintings, sculpture, furniture, and objects that would take several days to peruse awaits in six buildings. LACMA also hosts international touring exhibits.
Los Angeles Maritime Museum

This Art Deco museum celebrates LA’s seafaring tradition through displays of ship models, photographs, nautical equipment, and memorabilia. A highlight is the exhibit about the USS Los Angeles, a navy cruiser that saw battle in China and during the Korean War. A recreated 18-ft (5.4-m) model of the ill-fated Titanic is a crowd pleaser.
Los Angeles Zoo

Your kids will love the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo, located within the LA Zoo. Here, they can pet barnyard animals at Muriel’s Ranch, greet the zoo’s newest members in the animal nursery, and dress up for interactive play and storytelling sessions at the Adventure Theater.
Lummis House

Now the headquarters of the Historical Society of Southern California, this was once the home of the eccentric Charles Fletcher Lummis (1859–1928), who walked the entire 3,000 miles (4,830 km) from Ohio to LA in 1885. Best known as an outspoken California booster and preservationist, Lummis built his house with his own hands out of concrete and found materials, including boulders and railroad rails. The house is also known as El Alisal, the Spanish name for sycamore, which once grew here in abundance.
Malibu Adamson House & Malibu Lagoon Museum

Located on a bluff overlooking the Malibu Lagoon, this Spanish Colonial-style mansion was built by Rhoda Rindge Adamson and her husband, Merritt, in 1928. The complex showcases hand-painted ceramic tiles manufactured by Malibu Potteries, owned by the Rindge family. The Rindges also built the Malibu Colony, a celebrity enclave now home to Tom Hanks and Barbra Streisand. The Malibu Lagoon Museum next to the Adamson House chronicles Malibu’s history, from its Chumash Indian origins to its position as movie star Shangri-la.

Intricate tile detail in Adamson House
Marina del Rey

With over 6,000 yachts and pleasure boats, Marina del Rey is the largest small-craft harbor in the world and the place to come for those seeking fun on the water. Active types could explore the harbor on kayaks. You can also catch a dinner cruise, book a whale-watching trip (January to March), or charter a sport fishing boat. Favorite landlubber activities include a sunset dinner at one of the many excellent restaurants.