Want to know all the best secret spots in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles has seemingly endless things to do and every time someone finds something new, it immediately goes viral and is no longer one of LA’s secret spots.
But there are still plenty of lesser known places around LA that you won’t find on every travel guide, so we consider them as secret spots or hidden gems.
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Secret Spots In Los Angeles
For the purposes of this post, the greater Los Angeles area is being covered, so think places like Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Burbank, and more.
This article is also featured on GPSmyCity.
To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Los Angeles.
Tiki Bars
Tiki bars are becoming more popular for vacationers and locals alike as we all tend to gravitate toward nostalgia and aesthetics these days.
LA is home to several lesser known tiki bars that would make for a great night of bar hopping or a fun little bucket list to check off as you go.
1. Tonga Hut
Tonga Hut is the oldest tiki bar in LA and has been around since 1958.
They also have a second location in Downtown Palm Springs that we love!
I highly recommend trying the Nutty Chi Chi and Syd Thomas’ Kraken the Dole Whip.
The Nutty Chi Chi is a creamy pina colada with macadamia nut and Kraken the Dole Whip is Kraken and vanilla rum, macadamia nut, coconut, and pineapple.
Hiking Trails and Parks
LA is home to a ton of popular hiking trails like Runyon Canyon that give you great views of the city and where you’re likely to run into a celebrity or two.
2. Inspiration Point at Will Rogers State Park
The Inspiration Point trail at Will Rogers State Park is by far my favorite trail I’ve been on in LA so far, so we’ll start with this one.
When we went we only saw about a dozen or less people on the trail itself.
As you make your way around the loop, there are lookout points with benches along the way.
Hence the name, Inspiration Point.
It’s just a nice place to soak in the views of the mountains, the mansions, the oceans, and the sunset.
3. Lake Hollywood Park
Most people that want to see the Hollywood Sign will go to Griffith Park and hike toward the sign from there.
Or maybe find street parking as close as they can and walk the rest of the way.
But there’s a much easier way to get your photo up close to the Hollywood and it’s Lake Hollywood Park.
It’ll definitely be busy on Summer and holiday weekends, but it’s free and so is the parking!
The drive in is scenic and takes you around a reservoir that you probably didn’t know existed way up in the Hollywood Hills!
Houses
While Avila Adobe is technically a house and could fall under this next category, these next few places are more so known for their opulance than being older historic landmarks, though they are still historic landmarks too.
4. Getty Villa
While most visitors will make their way to the Getty Center, set atop the Hollywood Hills, where you really want to go is the Getty Villa over in Malibu.
You’ll feel like you’ve been transported into an Italian palace.
Best of all, admission is free!
You just have to go to their website in advance to book a window of arrival on the date you want.
Once you’re in you can stay as long as you want (until they close).
They do charge for parking, but if you visit the Getty Villa and the Getty Museum in the same day you can use the same parking ticket for both.
Disney History Sites
This is my favorite section of this entire post!
There are so many places in Los Angeles that are significant to the history and lore of the Walt Disney Company and Walt Disney’s life in general.
While obvious spots would be Disneyland and the various Disney related stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, there are even more lesser known spots that have preserved pieces of Disney History.
5. Tam O’Shanter Table
Tam O’Shanter is a Scottish steakhouse that is part of the Lawry’s group, which is known for their prime rib.
Walt Disney used to frequent this place back in the day and even enjoyed it so much, he had his favorite table – Table 31.
Today, that table has a plaque designating it as Walt Disney’s favorite table.
When you go, you can always request to sit at this table, but there may be a wait.
6. Merry-Go-Round at Griffith Park
The story of the carousel at Griffith Park says that this is where the idea for Disneyland was born.
Walt Disney would take his daughters to this carousel on their daddy-daughter day each week and he would sit on the bench and watch them ride around the carousel.
One day he had the idea that there should be a place where the kids and parents could go on the rides together.
At first, his wife Lillian said no because amusement parks back then were dirty, but Walt decided his would be clean and proper.
One of the benches from this area can be found at Disneyland at the entrance to the theater where they show Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln.
You can still see and experience this same carousel today.
It’s located between the Los Angeles Zoo and the Los Feliz park entrance.
It has been in Griffith Park since 1937!
There are 68 horses and all of them are jumpers.
The carousel is open on weekends throughout the year from 11 am to 5 pm.
During Summer, Christmas vacation and Easter vacation, it’s also open on weekdays from 11 am to 5 pm.
7. Walt’s Gravesite
Walt Disney and much of his family are buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Glendale.
While this cemetery in particular isn’t as welcoming to tourists as some of the others, you can still respectfully go visit Walt’s grave here.
This garden is in the far Eastern side of the cemetery along the curve of Arlington Drive, North of Cathedral Drive.
8. Snow White Cafe
Snow White Cafe is located right in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard.
While it’s not officially associated with Disney, it’s known for it’s Snow White murals.
Supposedly, the original owner that opened the bar in 1946 was a friend of Walt Disney’s.
He had asked the animators at the time to pain the murals in the cafe, which are the murals you still see today.
9. Walt’s Disney’s Storybook Mansion
One of Walt Disney’s houses is located in Los Feliz and it’s open to tours occasionally.
From the street you just see the entrance gate and drive way.
Walt and Lillian had this house built in 1932 after the success of creating Mickey Mouse and it was their family home until they moved to Holmby Hills in 1950.
You can find the house at 4053 Woking Way.
Walt owned another famous home that you may have heard about where he built a mini railroad in the backyard.
This house still exists at 355 Carolwood Drive and you can see that mini railroad at Walt’s Barn in Griffith Park.
Celebrity Cemeteries
I mentioned Walt Disney’s grave site as a unique place to visit in LA that has significance to Disney history, but there are several cemeteries where you can visit celebrity grave sites.
Since we’re focusing on secret spots in Los Angeles I want to share a cemetery that is TINY and hidden just behind Westwood, the neighborhood outside of UCLA.
10. Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park
What’s wild about visiting this cemetery is that JP attended UCLA for 5 years back in the 90s and had NO IDEA this place existed right down the street.
When you find out which celebrities are buried here, it’s crazy to think it’s not more popular.
Most notably, Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner are buried right next to each other.
My personal favorite grave sites I was able to visit here are Don Knotts and Eva Gabor.
Some other notable graves here include Natalie Wood, Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster, Mel Torme, Rodney Dangerfield, Peggy Lee, and more.
Neighborhoods
The Greater Los Angeles area is made up of many well known cities and neighborhoods like Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, and more.
But let’s talk about a couple less visited areas.
11. Chinatown Square
We recently went on a ghost tour through Chinatown and the main square is just absolutely beautiful day and night.
I highly recommend staying long enough to enjoy a meal here.
A popular restaurant here is Full House Seafood Restaurant.
Then, if you want to get some drinks after, go to General Lee’s.
12. Venice Canals
Just behind Venice Beach is a neighborhood known for the Venice Canals.
It’s a cute little neighborhood you can make a quick drive through or you can walk around.
The canals are man-made and were created in 1905 by a developer that wanted to re-create the feel of Venice, Italy right in Los Angeles.
You can see them in some movies and tv shows, most notably in the movie Valentine’s Day.
More Fun Things To Do In Los Angeles
While these secret spots in Los Angeles are so fun to explore, there are plenty of other activities for tourists and locals who have a variety of interests.
Universal Studios Hollywood One Day Itinerary
We’ve been annual pass holders at Universal Studios Hollywood a few times over the past several years and love to take our visitors here.
We know that most visitors will only get one day here to try to see and do it all, so we’ve compiled the ultimate Universal Studios Hollywood one day itinerary.
This is actually one of our most popular posts on our entire blog!
Best Winery Day Trips Around Los Angeles
Within LA and nearby, there are a ton of destinations for wine lovers.
From wine tasting rooms to actually wineries, Southern California has some of the best and most award winning wines in the entire world.
Visiting in the Fall?
We’ve shared all the best things to do in LA:
This includes popular events like Nights of the Jack, Carved at Descanso Gardens, and LIGHTS OUT At Pomona Fairplex.
While some of our favorite activities haven’t returned since the pandemic like Malibu Wine Safari and Pumpkin Nights, there’s still so much to do here.
Visiting in the Winter?
Winter is a fun time in LA because it’s usually still warm enough to enjoy the seasonal festivities.
Our personal favorite winter activity in Los Angeles is the LA Zoo Holiday Lights.
Some past favorites that haven’t returned since the pandemic include Malibu Lights: Winter Nights and Snow Day LA at Elysian Park.
Conclusion: Secret Spots In Los Angeles
There are so many secret spots in Los Angeles that appeal to visitors with a variety of interests.
From the historical landmarks to the speakeasies and tiki bars, you can always be exploring new places in LA that aren’t viral internet sensations.
Which one are you most excited to visit first?
