Everyone In Southern California Should Check Out These 15 Tourist Attractions According To Locals
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Natasha Kayes
Author
We love being able to inspire your travels and adventures, making recommendations, and sharing tips. We also love hearing from you! After all, we know that locals have a great take on the places worth visiting. So recently, we asked our Only In Southern California readers which tourist attractions they think everyone in Southern California should check out, and the responses rolled in. We narrowed down the 15 most recommended attractions in Southern California, and as a local myself, I absolutely love this list:
1. The Beach
By far, the most common response was “the beach.” No matter what we ask in our polls - your favorite place to go, the attraction everyone should visit, where to take the best photos, etc., - this seems to always be the overwhelming front-runner. If there is anything we love, it is our beaches - and we think everyone should enjoy them, whether sunbathing, surfing, shell-seeking, watching the sunset, or road-tripping down Pacific Coast Highway with the windows down.
2. The Getty Museums
1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049, USA
Aside from our beaches, the Getty Museums were probably the most recommended attractions in SoCal. It is hard to say which of the two, the J. Paul Getty Museum or the Getty Villa, is most worth visiting. I personally love them both, for different reasons. The Getty Museum is a sprawling modern complex with incredible art, exhibits, and views, as well as a unique circular botanic garden.
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17985 Pacific Coast Hwy, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, USA
The Getty Villa in Malibu is a spectacular recreation of an ancient Roman villa and houses collections of art from the ancient world and a picturesque reflecting pool.
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3. Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA 91108, USA
One of the most amazing places to enjoy diverse natural beauty, the Huntington Library and Gardens features stunning themed gardens, water features, historic buildings, art collections, a beautiful library, a tea house, and more.
4. Disneyland
92802, Anaheim, CA 92802, USA
This is a pretty obvious one. One of the most iconic and beloved places in SoCal, and long known as the “magic kingdom,” how could a list of must-see attractions not include Disneyland? After all, it is “the happiest place on earth!” Enough said.
5. Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island, California 90704, USA
I don’t know if I would personally call an entire island a “tourist attraction,” but I do agree with the many locals who responded that everyone in Southern California should visit Catalina Island at least once. This postcard-worthy island off the coast of Long Beach, with its tiny waterfront town of Avalon, is a perfect little getaway and offers plenty of opportunities for adventure.
6. San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Dr, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
Located in the beautiful Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo features over 4000 animals and was a pioneer in cageless exhibits. It features a variety of ecosystems and close-up encounters with adorable critters.
7. Griffith Observatory
2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
The magnificent Griffith Observatory is one of the most popular attractions in Los Angeles. Located on a slope of Mount Hollywood, it offers sweeping views over Los Angeles including downtown skyscrapers, Hollywood, the Hollywood sign, and the Pacific Ocean. And that’s just outside! Inside is an awesome museum with interactive exhibits, a domed Planetarium, and powerful telescopes that open to the public.
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8. Santa Monica Pier
200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA
Santa Monica is one place that most of us locals take out-of-towners, and the historic Santa Monica Pier is the city’s crown jewel. Stretching across the beach into the surf and beyond, it houses a vintage carousel, a Ferris wheel, a roller coaster, shops, restaurants, and more. Street performers, carnival snacks, and incredible views are the icing on the cake.
9. Balboa Park, San Diego
San Diego, CA, USA
Balboa Park is one of those places that you have to visit to really get it. You could literally spend days exploring the stunning architecture, art and history museums, meticulously designed and manicured gardens, ponds and pools, fountains, a pipe organ amphitheater, trails, artist studios, nature trails - and yes, the zoo!
10. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
1 Tramway Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
In just about 10 minutes, the world’s largest rotating tram car takes visitors from the desert floor to Mountain Station near the top of San Jacinto Peak, all the while treating them to spectacular 360-degree views as they ascend. At the top, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway stops at what is arguably SoCal’s coolest visitor center and awesome hiking opportunities.
11. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
1500 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118, USA
Of the many museums in Southern California, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum is one of the most interesting and popular. It houses fascinating exhibits, lets visitors walk through Air Force One, features a full replica of the famed Oval Office, and is the burial place of Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
12. Hotel Del Coronado
Located off the coast of San Diego on Coronado Island, the legendary Hotel Del Coronado is not only a historic hotel with a storied past, it is a unique and strikingly beautiful structure, has a variety of great eateries, and sits right on one of the prettiest beaches in the state.
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13. Olvera Street
Olvera Street, Olvera St, Los Angeles, CA 90012, USA
Tiny Olvera Street is one of the oldest streets in Los Angeles and a historic monument in the city. Now a Mexican marketplace, it gives the feeling of being in “Old Los Angeles,” preserving and sharing the culture of California’s earliest residents. Take a walking tour, see the oldest standing residence in SoCal, enjoy authentic flavors in one of the restaurants, and shop for handcrafted pottery, accessories, folk art, leather, and more.
14. Universal Studios Hollywood
100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608, USA
When it comes to theme parks, Universal Studios is a long-standing icon in Los Angeles and a truly one-of-a-kind adventure. Rides and shows take visitors on a thrilling behind-the-scenes tour of the world’s largest and busiest motion picture and television studio.
15. Queen Mary
1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802, USA
This epic cruise ship first sailed the Atlantic Ocean in 1934 and now sits permanently on the coast in Long Beach and draws thousands of tourists. Full of history and legends, the historic luxury liner represents the elegance and glamour of a bygone era of travel which visitors can explore via guided tours aboard the Queen Mary.
Whether you live in the state or are planning to visit, these attractions in SoCal are pretty unbeatable. If you don’t live here, how many of these places have you visited? If you are a local, what do you think of this list? What would you add? Follow Only In Southern California on Facebook to keep up with all things SoCal and to share your own photos and recommendations!
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