5 Best Landmarks in Los Angeles (2026)

Santa Monica Pier sits where Ocean Avenue meets the Pacific, home to Pacific Park's amusement rides, a historic carousel, street performers, and rows of food stands. It's described on its own site as one of the most photographed spots in the world, and its scale of foot traffic backs that up: this is the single most-reviewed landmark on this page by a wide margin. The pier connects directly to Santa Monica's beach and shopping district, and it's reachable by Metro without a car.

Griffith Observatory sits above Los Angeles in Griffith Park, offering free general admission to its exhibits, telescopes, and the Samuel Oschin Planetarium (the planetarium shows do cost extra). It's billed as Southern California's gateway to the cosmos, and reviewers consistently point to the same draw: sweeping, free views of the city and the Hollywood Sign from its terraces.

The Broad is a contemporary art museum in downtown LA offering free general admission to its permanent collection, plus rotating special exhibitions like the current Yoko Ono show. It houses major names in modern art, and reviewers describe the building's architecture as a destination in its own right, on top of what's inside it.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame runs along Hollywood Boulevard, embedding more than 2,700 stars honoring figures from film, music, and television into the sidewalk. It's steps from the TCL Chinese Theatre and Dolby Theatre, and it remains one of the most visited stretches of pavement in the country simply for the novelty of walking it.

The Hollywood Sign, perched above the city since the 1920s, is the landmark most visitors mean when they say they're going to see Hollywood. There's no direct access to the letters themselves; reviewers instead point to hiking trails through Griffith Park, viewpoints at Lake Hollywood Park, and the Griffith Observatory terraces as the best ways to see it up close or from a distance.