Free & Cheap Cultural Activities in Los Angeles

Admission: FREE (every day!)
Parking: $10

It’s mentioned in just about every guide that’ll tell you what to do in L.A. (including quite a few on this very site!) but locals, especially if they are diehard eastsiders, rarely make it out to the Getty. So if you are reading this, you lazy pieces of crap, let me remind you that a trip to the sprawling, inspiring, romantic, beautiful AND educational Getty Center will only cost you $10 to park. That’s IT. So next Saturday when you think you’ve got no money to do anything, think again and get thee up the 405.

Admission:
FREE on Thursdays from 5PM – 8PM
$10 All Other Days
$5 Students

Though this downtown museum has been having it’s own share of financial troubles , it’s still ridiculously cheap to get in. $10 is affordable and FREE is even better. The best part about free nights is that tons of broke attractive people will be there. And you can even take the Metro there and not hassle with parking. So escape from your fiscal responsibility for a night and enjoy some contemporary art.

Admission:
FREE all day Thursday
$10 All Other Days
$7 Students

With an Impressionism collection to rival…another good Impressionism collection…not to mention contemporary collections and some really cool lecture series, the Hammer is the little museum that people don’t think to visit. However, it’s proximity to cheap Westwood eateries, not to mention UCLA coeds, make it a worthy destination on a Thursday.

Admission:
FREE the second Tuesday of every month
$12 Adults
$8 Students

LACMA hosts a very diverse collection of art spanning centuries as well as being L.A.‘s home to some of the best traveling exhibitions. If you can’t make it on Free Day, admission is on a “donate what you can” basis from 5PM-8PM every day.

Admission
$23.95
Ok, twenty three bucks isn’t all that cheap, and I can’t even wholeheartedly recommend going to Long Beach, but through May, they are running a program with local libraries where you can stop in at any Long Beach branch on the list here and get 50% off, which is a pretty good deal. Also, they have piranhas, so you can’t really put a price on that.

Admission:
FREE all day Thursday
$10 All Other Days
$7 Students

The mission of the Skirball Center, perched above the 405 near the Getty Center, is to “explore the connections between four thousand years of Jewish heritage and the vitality of American democratic ideals.” Well, I’m not sure about that, but they do run neat exhibits about Superheroes and you can’t turn around without seeing one fo the streetlamp banners. Plus, head over on a Thursday and the price is cheap, but for you, free.

Admission:
FREE

That’s right, a visit to the Griffith “Rebel WIthout a Cause” (or “Bowfinger” if you prefer) Observatory is totally free. If you want to take in a show at the planetarium it will set you back $7 but it’s really enough to just wander and admire the views of L.A. on a clear day. Hey, you can see my house from here!

Admission
FREE first Tuesday of every month
$9 Adults
$6.50 Students

There’s really nothing better to help you forget about your money woes than to stand in the shadow of a reconstructed Mastadon. Head down to the Natural History Museum where you will feel dwarfed, but your wallet will not.

Admission:
FREE First Thursday of every Month
$15 Weekdays, $20 Weekends (Adults)
$10 Students

One of the best deals around if you’ve got a Thursday to spare, head over to the Huntington’s website and order up some advanced tickets for free day. The Huntington houses an extensive collection of art, rare books and manuscripts, and botanical gardens. Fancy!