Curbed LA pocket guide: 26 things to do in Los Angeles this spring

Welcome to Curbed LA’s pocket guide, a map of 26 essential things to do in Los Angeles, curated by our editors. We update this map seasonally, focusing on cultural institutions, architecture, the outdoors, and beautiful spaces.

For the spring, we’re paying special attention to parks and gardens, impressive architecture that’s open to the public, and our favorite museums. Our picks include well-known classics and new favorites, from the Getty to Echo Park Lake to the Museum of Neon Art. If we missed any cool spots, let us know in the comments.

Looking for more ways to explore the City of Angels?

• If you’re looking specifically for LA’s famous architecture, we’ve mapped the 20 most iconic buildings.
• Got kids in tow? Here’s a list of 26 family-friendly places and activities in LA.
• For the most classic and essential restaurants in Los Angeles, we defer to Eater LA.

The Valley is often painted as unglamorous and lame, but there’s no doubt that this northern arm of Los Angeles helped to shape what the city is today.

This off-beat museum has a huge collection of cool, nostalgic items from enormous neon signs to cars decorated by famed country-western tailor Nudie Cohn. Rare historic photos and documents from the San Fernando Valley’s past are displayed alongside Valley-made vintage BMX bikes. It’s a good, if super-compressed introduction to the area and LA kitsch in general.

Completely funded by oilman J. Paul Getty’s trust and designed by Richard Meier, the Getty is one of the most breathtaking places in Los Angeles. Meier’s light-colored marble buildings bob and weave, up and down, among pools, fountains, and a circular garden designed by Robert Irwin, all on top of a ridge high above the 405 freeway with 360-degree views. Plus you get to take a funicular up there. The Getty and its exhibits are free except for parking.

Excavated from marshland in 1905 by a real estate developer who wanted to recreate the canals of Venice Italy, LA’s historic Venice Canals feel like a world away from the tourist trap that is the Venice Beach Boardwalk. Unlike in Italy, you can’t ride gondolas or float on the water, but it’s an absolutely lovely place for a walk. Meander over the charming bridges and gawk at the eclectic mix of expensive homes.

The MAK Center is housed inside the R.M. Schindler House, a house the modernist architect Rudolph M. Schindler designed and lived in. Built in 1922, it’s considered one of the first modern houses in the world. It’s no longer a residence; the MAK Center now presents “programming that challenges conventional notions of architectural space and relationships between the creative arts.” Admission to the house is $10; it’s open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.