How to See All of Los Angeles's Great Art and Design in Two Days
An artsy weekend in LA can include everything from tours of classic midcentury houses by Frank Lloyd Wright to a shopping spree for streetwear and art supplies in Little Tokyo
While the City of Angels is widely known for beachy Barbie fun and Hollywood glitz, Los Angeles is also a one-of-a-kind design hub. Past the celebrity tours and Hollywood Walk of Fame are the city’s genuine A-listers: attention-grabbing architecture, mind-bending modern art, trend-setting fashion, and history-making design that have made LA a nucleus of American creativity.
The city boasts a rich design legacy rooted in midcentury modernism, and its diverse creative industries — which now extend beyond entertainment into apparel and toys — have cemented LA as a laboratory for groundbreaking design. It’s a sprawling canvas where sun-drenched optimism meets cutting-edge originality.
Today, LA’s world-class art scene is home to both beloved institutions and alternative experiences, supported by several design schools — such as the Otis College of Art and Design and the ArtCenter College of Design — which draw global talent and contribute to the city’s vibrant ecosystem of visual innovation. With a dizzying array of artistic pursuits spread across more than 500 square miles, LA can be a daunting destination, especially for first-timers. But visitors who learn how to navigate the city’s riches will find LA is a deliciously rewarding feast for the eyes, no matter what your aesthetic craving.
Who I am: For nearly 20 years, I have called Southern California home. I’m Derrik J. Lang, a travel, culture, lifestyle, and entertainment journalist with a penchant for savvy design. I’ve explored dozens of unique museums, art-centric festivals, and quirky attractions in the LA area for both business and pleasure. When it comes to design, my coverage has ranged from profiling Pritzker Architecture Prize winners to covering Shia LaBeouf’s viral stint as a performance artist.
Before You Go
Getting around: It’s entirely possible but ill-advised to explore LA without a vehicle. For those visiting for less than a week, having access to wheels will shave off considerable time waiting for trains and buses (and lower the cost compared to rideshares or taxis). Focus on enjoying time in specific neighborhoods or areas rather than attempting to criss-cross the city: It’s not worth it.
Plan ahead: Many attractions operate with surprisingly limited hours, and several spots require advance ticket purchases. Prioritize important visits and craft your days around those. And give yourself time to get around; cutting it too close could leave you with less time at your destination or cause you to miss a reservation.
Where to Stay
Two Design-Filled Days in LA
First thing to do when you land: If you’re flying into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), take a gander at the iconic Theme Building — the upper floors are long abandoned — then leave as quickly as possible. Despite many recent enhancements, the West Coast’s largest airport remains a nightmarish experience as it continues to undergo an overhaul ahead of the Summer Olympics in 2028, when construction is expected to finally be complete.
Day 1: Frank Lloyd Wright, time travel, and polished steel
Morning
- Start the day at the Los Feliz location of Maru Coffee, a java purveyor specializing in exquisitely sourced beans. (There are also locations in the Arts District and Beverly Hills.) Sip a pour-over or matcha served in hefty, custom-designed ceramic mugs in the gorgeously minimalist space, which would feel at home in Seoul or Tokyo.
- Trek up to the Hollyhock House in East Hollywood’s Barnsdall Art Park. (Book in advance for access.) Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed eight buildings throughout the city, the geometric structure was intended to be an opulent home for iconoclast Aline Barnsdall, though she barely lived in it. The city views are spectacular, as is the house’s huge elemental-inspired fireplace.
Afternoon
- A bizarrely brilliant curio shop for chronological adventurers, Time Travel Mart in Echo Park stocks artsy oddities like robot oil, barbarian repellant, pastports, and space-time continuum repair tape. There are books and greeting cards, too. The shop’s quirky charm serves a dual purpose, funding a creative writing center for local students.
- Head to downtown’s Grand Central Market to fuel up — and try not to be intimidated by the many options. The 30,000-square-foot food hall, open since 1917, features more than 40 vendors, including gooey smashburger specialist For the Win, chill Mediterranean spot Miznon, and popular seafood slinger Broad Street Oyster Company.
- Pop over to the Broad art museum, housed in a building that looks like a cross between a giant white honeycomb and a big futuristic sponge. The collection features post-war and contemporary heavy hitters like Jeff Koons’s Balloon Dog (Blue) and Ed Ruscha’s Norm’s, La Cienega, on Fire. It’s not a massive museum, so a visit can be brief.
Evening
- Savor the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall — whose exterior is clad in more than 6,000 undulating panels of light-catching polished steel — across the street from San Laurel, chef Jose Andres’s chic Golden State-meets-Spain restaurant. San Laurel’s unobstructed views from the Conrad Los Angeles hotel’s 10th floor are unrivaled.
- After dinner, go on a nighttime shopping spree throughout Little Tokyo, a lively 4-acre neighborhood dotted with restaurants, bars, and boutiques. Browse cutesy art supplies at the Kinokuniya bookstore, ceramic serving ware at Bunkado, cutting-edge streetwear at Japangeles, and vintage threads at Space City.
Day 2: A levitating boulder, vintage cars, and Mad Men
Morning
- Doughnuts in LA are, well, a thing. The varieties at hip Kettle Glazed Doughnuts in Hollywood are works of art — but aren’t overdone like those at many other popular doughnut shops. Besides a classic glazed, try something fruity, like the blueberry lemon old-fashioned or the raspberry jelly-filled creation that’s slathered with lemon.
- Beat the crowds and start the day by browsing the collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), currently undergoing a massive expansion with the Peter Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries. (It’s scheduled to be fully completed in 2026.) Don’t forget to venture out back to experience Levitated Mass, a 340-ton boulder that appears to float above a walkway.
Afternoon
- Zip across the street to the Petersen Automotive Museum, with its bold exterior sheathed in stainless steel ribbons. Inside, explore a car collection that showcases the evolution of automotive design, from classic vintages to futuristic concepts. Big auto buff? Pay an extra fee to explore more rides in the vault, which contains, among other things, a Popemobile.
- Pick a nearby street and explore the local shops and restaurants along it. Beverly Boulevard specializes in high-end home furnishings and well-known boutiques. Melrose Avenue is more funky with several solid dining options, like Ronan and Crossroads Kitchen. West Third Street, close to the Grove and the Original Farmers Market, exudes a relaxed vibe.
Evening
- Perched high above LA in the Hollywood Hills, Yamashiro, built more than a century ago, is a feat of outlandish proportions. A replica of a Japanese mountain palace near Kyoto, the estate has housed a restaurant with eye-popping city views since the 1960s. It’s not the best Japanese cuisine in town, but it’s certainly the most dramatic.
- For a kitschy — and extremely cheap — nightcap, chart a course for HMS Bounty in Koreatown. The dimly lit nautical-themed dive bar with wood paneling and portholes covering the walls has served as a filming location in several films and TV shows, most famously on Mad Men as the site of a bad date for Elisabeth Moss’s Peggy Olson.
If you have three days
All of the above, but add…
- In Beverly Hills, the Richard Meier-designed building once home to the Paley Center for Media has morphed into the Mr. Brainwash Art Museum, a madcap collection of the Banksy collaborator’s colorful pop-art pieces, such as a pile of boom boxes and a rooftop collage of celebrity portraits evoking the courtside section at a Lakers game.
- Tour unique flora at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. Tucked at the end of a residential street in Beverly Hills, the home was built in 1911, and now serves as an exotic Eden in the middle of the city. The frozen-in-time property plays host to docent-led tours and special events like yoga and sound baths.
- Take the winding tram up to the Getty Center, a 110-acre cultural complex hovering above LA that’s home to masterpieces by van Gogh and Monet. With its stunning travertine stone, lush gardens, and sweeping city views, it’s a place of quiet contemplation. Opt for a visit later in the day to catch the sunset and cheaper parking.
If you have four days
All of the above, but add…
- For die-hard midcentury modern architecture fans, touring the legendary Eames House nestled in the Pacific Palisades is a bucket-list experience. (Visitors are only permitted inside by appointment.) Designed by Charles and Ray Eames, the steel-and-glass structure with colorful exterior panels is a masterclass in modern living.
- Venice’s renowned Abbot Kinney Boulevard is lined with boutiques, cafes, and shops showcasing a range of styles from Scandinavian ultra-minimalist to unapologetically Californian bohemian. The area also boasts several architecturally significant homes, including some of Frank Gehry’s early works.
- Venture back in time at the Getty Villa, a replica of a first-century Roman country home perched on a Malibu hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It’s a retreat where art, architecture, and nature converge. Wander through courtyards, admire recreated frescoes, and get lost in a world-class collection of ancient Greek and Roman art.