Things to do in Los Angeles

The sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles can be both thrilling and threatening for first-time visitors. It's a relatively young city, and although it has a good collection of fine-art museums and culture, most people come here to experience the American dream, the star-studded areas of Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and the fantasy worlds of the many theme parks.

Queen Mary

The Queen Mary was bigger and faster than her predecessor, the Titanic. Built in 1937 at the John Brown shipyard on the Clyde, Scotland, she made over 1,000 crossings of the Atlantic. The Queen Mary held the record for the fastest ever North Atlantic crossing and was well-known for carrying the rich and famous in great luxury. She now rests in the Long Beach harbour and has been converted into a hotel and tourist attraction. Guided and self-guided tours are available, which include the luxurious dining room, the engine room, the wheelhouse and the indoor fresh water swimming pool. The Queen Mary also offers elaborate champagne Sunday brunch, a variety of restaurants, a wedding chapel and 16 Art Deco reception salons for private celebrations.

After touring the Queen Mary, you can then board one of the Cold War's most secret weapons, a Foxtrot-class Russian submarine. A tour of the vessel reveals its spartan and cramped conditions, which sit in sharp contrast to the luxury of the Queen Mary. Phone: +1 435 3511.

Universal Studios

Although Universal Studios is probably best-known today as a theme park (rivalling Disneyland in popularity), Universal Pictures is actually the largest film and television studio in the world. Founded in 1912 by German immigrant Carl Laemmle, the giant studios were built on a hilltop studio on the site of a chicken farm. Over the years, it has produced a string of blockbusters including Frankenstein, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jurassic Park, Jaws and Schindler's List.

These days, it's the rides that attract thousands of visitors to the studios. The most impressive include Jurassic Park, a treacherous plunge straight down an 84-foot vertical drop waterfall; Shrek 4-D, a special effects show based on the film; Fear Factor Live, the most extreme audience participation show ever; and Nickelodeon Blast Zone, a wild play zone just for kids. If you don't like the rides, take in a movie at any one of 18 screens (one of which is an IMAX). You can also get the chance to be a member of the studio audience to see sitcoms being taped at Universal. Phone: +1 818 508 9600.

Griffith Observatory

Griffith Observatory is an icon of Los Angeles and one of the state's most popular attractions. The renovated and newly named Samuel Oschin Planetarium features an array of state-of-the-art technologies to support world-class scientific educational programming for audiences of all ages. With a new dome, star projector, laser digital projection system, seats, sound system and theatrical lighting, the 300-seat planetarium theatre is one of the finest in the world. Live presentations are scheduled every hour. Phone: +1 213 473 0800.

Mildred E Mathias Botanical Garden

Located on the beautiful campus of the University of California, the garden was created in 1929, shortly after the university began classes in Westwood. It maintains one of the most important living botanical collections in the United States, with plant specimens from all over the world. The seven-acre garden is frost-free and exhibits many different species of tropical and subtropical plants. Approximately 5,000 species in 225 families are grown outdoors here.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

This mile-long stretch of Hollywood Boulevard attracts tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite celebrities. You are unlikely to see any stars, but the street is lined with bronze plaques, each with the name of a person who contributed to Hollywood's fame. They include the names of actors, directors, singers, songwriters and other important show-biz characters. The most famous names are to be found in front of Graumans Chinese Theater, where illustrious stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Kirk Douglas and Clark Gable have left their footprints, handprints and autographs in the concrete. A second walk of fame exists on Vine Street, owing to the huge number of stars who were keen to be immortalised here.

Museums

The J Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center houses a collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens and breathtaking views. On display are European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts and European and American photographs. The huge complex houses several research, education and conservation institutes, while four pavilions contain the permanent collection and a fifth presents changing exhibitions. On a clear day, there are some fantastic views of the city and beach towns.

La Brea Tar Pits is one of the worlds most famous fossil localities, recognised for having the largest and most diverse collection of extinct Ice Age plants and animals in the world. Visitors can learn about Los Angeles as it was between 10,000 and 40,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age, when animals such as sabre-toothed cats and mammoths roamed the Los Angeles Basin. Most of the exhibits are designed with children in mind. Outside the museum, the 23-acre Hancock Park features observation pits and life-size replicas of extinct mammals.