12 Free Things to Do in Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is expensive to live in but surprisingly cheap to enjoy. Here are 12 things you can do in DTLA without spending a dollar.
1. Walk the Arts District Murals
The blocks between 3rd and 7th on Anderson, Mateo, and Hewitt streets are covered in large-scale murals from internationally known street artists. Self-guided, no admission, best in morning light.
2. The Broad
General admission to The Broad’s permanent collection is free. Reserve timed tickets online in advance — they go fast but are reliably available midweek. The collection includes Koons, Basquiat, Kusama, and Hockney.
3. Grand Park
A 12-acre park stretching from City Hall to the Music Center. Lawn seating, fountains, and views of the civic buildings. Free community events happen regularly, especially on holidays.
4. The Last Bookstore
The largest independent bookstore in California fills two floors of a former bank building on Spring Street. The upstairs labyrinth — a tunnel made of books — is free to explore.
5. Angels Flight Railway
A one-dollar ride (not quite free, but close). The world’s shortest railway connects Hill Street to the top of Bunker Hill. Operating since 1901, restored in 2017.
6. LA Central Library
The Richard J. Riordan Central Library is architecturally stunning — the Bertram Goodhue-designed building (1926) has a rotunda ceiling, a sunken garden, and regular free exhibitions. The children’s wing murals by Dean Cornwell alone are worth the visit.
7. Bradbury Building Lobby
The ground floor of the 1893 Bradbury Building on Broadway is open to the public. The skylit atrium with wrought-iron railings and open-cage elevators is one of the most photographed interiors in Los Angeles (you have seen it in Blade Runner). Free to enter during business hours.
8. Olvera Street
The oldest street in Los Angeles, now a Mexican marketplace with stalls selling crafts, churros, and tacos. Free to walk through. The Avila Adobe (1818), the oldest surviving house in the city, is free to enter.
9. Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Rafael Moneo’s contemporary cathedral (2002) is open to visitors. The tapestries by John Nava, the alabaster-filtered light, and the calm interior make this one of the most striking modern buildings in the city.
10. Hauser & Wirth Gallery
The Arts District mega-gallery hosts free exhibitions of major contemporary artists. The courtyard garden, designed by Piet Oudolf, has a chicken coop and is a peaceful counterpoint to the warehouse-scale art inside.
11. Downtown Art Walk
On the second Thursday of each month, dozens of galleries open their doors for free. The walk runs from roughly 6 PM to 10 PM and covers galleries in the Historic Core, Gallery Row, and the Arts District.
12. Vista Hermosa Natural Park
A hilltop park near the 110 freeway with native plants, a meadow, and a clear view of the DTLA skyline. One of the few places in downtown where the ground is actually green. Open sunrise to sunset.