It doesn't rain very often in Los Angeles, but when it does, it pours. The advantage during rainy times is that the usually jammed streets and freeways become a bit less congested and allow you easy access to the indoor attractions all over the huge city. Visiting any one of L.A.'s museums is a great way to spend a rainy day, and there are many to choose from.
Museums
The "Miracle Mile" in Downtown Los Angeles is home to a large number of museums: the Peterson Automotive Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the La Brea Tar Pits. The Peterson Automotive Museum is a must for car aficionados. Its exhibits include movie stars' cars, vintage models and customized lowriders, as well as displays about L.A.'s car culture. LACMA is a huge art museum-it is almost impossible to see everything on display there in one visit. It has displays of American, Asian, European, Egyptian, Persian and Islamic art, sculpture, furniture and textiles as well as contemporary art and modern sculptures including works by Picasso and Magritte. The La Brea Tar Pits are outdoors and so best viewed on a sunny day, but visit the adjacent Page Museum to see displays of the bones of the ancient mammoths, sabre-toothed cats and giant ground sloths, among other prehistoric creatures, and learn how they came to get stuck in the pools of tar.
Huntington Library and Gardens
The Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino is most often visited for its beautiful gardens, but on a rainy day the library and art gallery on the site provide ample entertainment and information to occupy visitors. The library contains exhibits of historical books and manuscripts, including a Gutenberg Bible, an illustrated copy of Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" from 1410 and first editions of books by Dickens, Joyce and Swift, among others. In the mansion house at the Huntington you can see works of art by such greats as Constable, Turner and William Blake.
Griffith Observatory
The art deco facade of the Griffith Observatory stands out as one of L.A.'s iconic monuments, perched on Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. Following recent renovations, the Observatory reopened to visitors in 2006 with no admission charge. Its Samuel Oschin Planetarium features "the most sophisticated star projector in the world" and offers several different shows throughout the day. There is a small charge for the planetarium shows. The Observatory has regular programs and changing special programs to educate visitors about the science of astronomy.
Griffith Observatory
2800 East Observatory Road
Los Angeles, CA 90027
213-473-0800
