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Attractions in Los Angeles

Attractions in Los Angeles
LA is a city full of exciting possibilities, from day trips with woolly mammoths at the La Brea Tar Pits to evenings spent cheering on the LA Lakers with basketball fanatics such as Jack Nicholson, Selma Hayek, Dustin Hoffman, and Justin Timberlake. To help you narrow down your options and plan the perfect trip, here is a diverse sampling of LA's most popular attractions. Because while the possibilities may never end, every vacation must.

Contemporary art lovers shouldn't pass up the opportunity to stroll through Los Feliz, which has long been known as a haven for funky artists and their even funkier art. La Luz de Jesus Gallery, found in this area, regales onlookers with cheeky examples of Pop Surrealism, while the Black Maria showcases socially and politically subversive art.

Those in the mood (or the budget) to look at great art but not buy it can spend their time at LA's prestigious Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). The MOCA houses one of the most extensive collections of Western art from 1940 to the present, including works by Jackson Pollack, Sam Francis, and artists that are current and cutting edge, such as Japan's beloved Takashi Murakami.

Once a trip to the MOCA bites you with the museum bug, spend a day on Museum Row, where you'll find more museums to pique your interests. At the Museum of Tolerance you'll learn about children of the Holocaust, while down the street the Page Museum at La Brea Tar Pits will take you back in time with fossils of extinct animals trapped forever in its gooey depths. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is hailed as one of the best art museums in the nation, and the Architecture and Design Museum of Los Angeles will give you an interesting glimpse into the world of design. All these and many more museums are just a stroll away.

If you come to LA with kids in tow, you'd be a bad parent to deprive them of the "Happiest Place on Earth," Disneyland, or one of its equally blissful spin-offs -- Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Camp Snoopy and Six Flags Magic Mountain -- especially after a day or two spent on Museum Row.

LA can be a bit overstimulating for both visitors and residents. If you need a little vacation from your LA vacation, there is no better balm than Griffith Park, the largest city-run park in the United States. Come for a day of hiking and picnicking, or head over to the Griffith Park Observatory to catch the best views of the city and amazing planetary shows. Griffith Park is also home to the Los Angeles Zoo, the Museum of the American West, and the beautiful, open-air Greek Theater.

And finally, no visit to Tinsel Town is complete without a stop at the movies. Check out one of LA's historic movie houses such as the classic Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood or the Sunset 5 in West Hollywood, which is well known among industry professionals for showing the best new, independent films. Or, if you've got the extra time, make your debut on the silver screen as a movie extra. Calls for extras can be found in all the local papers, and who knows, the next star on the Walk of Fame could be yours!