Los Angeles Date Ideas
Top LA date ideas include sunset at Griffith Observatory (free), Hollywood Bowl picnic concerts ($1-200), Largo at the Coronet intimate shows ($25-45), Highland Park Bowl bowling in a 1927 building, and The Broad contemporary art museum (free).
25 places · 5 free · Updated Oct 2026
17,500 seats under the stars. LA Philharmonic summer season, pop concerts, film screenings. Picnicking before shows is half the experience. 50,000 free tickets and 50,000 $1 tickets released each season -- half of all tickets are $48 or under.
500-capacity club that has shaped pop culture since 1957. Elton John, James Taylor, and Tom Waits all played early career-defining sets here. Standing room, good sightlines from almost anywhere in the room.
280 seats. Comedy, music, spoken word, film -- sometimes all in one night. Jon Brion's Friday residency is legendary. A-list comedians drop in unannounced. Popular shows sell out within hours of going on sale.
On the Sunset Strip since 1972. Three rooms -- Main Room, Original Room, Belly Room -- running shows nightly. Headliners mixed with up-and-comers. Two-drink minimum. Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, and Dave Chappelle all worked this stage.
Sunset Strip comedy with nightly lineups -- established names and new talent. Free open mic every Tuesday at 5:30pm (sign up at 5pm, 2-minute sets). Two-drink minimum on ticketed shows. More polished than The Comedy Store.
Improv, sketch, and stand-up seven nights a week for $5-$12. No drink minimum. Founded by Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, Matt Besser. Franklin Ave is UCB's only remaining LA venue -- small, scrappy, consistently hilarious.
Free admission. Take the tram up to a hilltop with panoramic city views. European paintings, photography, sculpture, rotating exhibitions. Saturday hours until 9pm make this the best free date in LA. Parking $20.
Free contemporary art in DTLA. 2,000+ works -- Basquiat, Koons, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Kusama. The Infinity Mirrored Room is the draw everyone talks about (separate timed ticket). Thursday hours until 8pm. Timed-entry tickets released monthly -- mark your calendar.
Largest art museum in the western US. Home to Urban Light (the lamp post installation everyone photographs) and 6,000 years of art. LA County residents get free admission after 3pm weekdays. Second Tuesday of each month free for everyone. Open until 8pm Fridays.
LA's oldest bowling alley, from 1927. Beautifully restored original woodwork, eight lanes, a full Italian restaurant, and craft cocktails. Feels more like a speakeasy than a bowling alley. All ages before 8pm. Reserve on weekends or you won't get a lane.
38,000-square-foot micro-amusement park in the Arts District. VR experiences, story rooms, classic arcades, experimental games. Entry is free -- you pay per attraction ($5-$35 each). Better than dinner and a movie for groups or dates.
Multiple themed rooms, 60 minutes each, 2-8 players. The set design and production value here is noticeably better than most escape rooms -- this is LA, after all. Book online in advance; popular time slots sell out.
12-acre DTLA park with free programming year-round. Grand Performances summer concerts (June-August), Sunday Sessions dance parties, lunchtime Wednesday concerts at 12:30pm, and major holiday events including NYELA. No tickets -- just show up.
500-capacity Sunset Strip institution since 1973. Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley, and Guns N' Roses all played landmark shows here. The room still books strong indie rock, hip-hop, and electronic acts. Standing room with a small balcony. The On The Rox bar upstairs is a separate experience.
The Academy's own museum covering the history, art, and science of filmmaking. Real props, costumes, set pieces, and interactive exhibits. The 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater screens classic and contemporary films. Kids under 17 always free. Open until 8pm Fridays and Saturdays.
An active paleontological dig site where Ice Age animals are still being excavated in the middle of Miracle Mile. Watch researchers work through viewing windows. The park grounds (including the bubbling tar pits) are free to walk. Museum admission $15 adults, $7 kids. Combine with LACMA next door.
The Lab at Hollywood Improv is a 50-120 seat black-box space for experimental stand-up, improv, sketch, music, and variety shows. More adventurous programming than the main room. $10-20 tickets, no drink minimum. The main Improv next door has bigger names at higher prices.
Repertory cinema run by the American Cinematheque, screening classic, foreign, and independent films with frequent double features and post-screening Q&As with filmmakers and actors. Single-screen, 370 seats, beautifully restored Art Deco interior. $14 general admission, $8 students/seniors.
Always free admission. Contemporary art exhibitions, film screenings, talks, and live music events on the UCLA campus in Westwood. The courtyard hosts free Thursday night concerts in summer. Smaller than the Getty or LACMA but more focused, and you never have to worry about the cost.
A 700-capacity Art Deco theater on Wilshire Blvd booking indie rock, hip-hop, electronic, and Latin acts. The restored 1936 interior is gorgeous. Standing room only -- no seats means no bad spots. One of the best-sounding mid-size rooms in LA.
Outdoor movie screenings on Saturday nights in summer, projected on the side of a mausoleum wall at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Classic films, cult favorites, and horror. Bring a picnic, blankets, and wine. Gates open at 6:30pm, film at dusk. One of LA's most iconic summer experiences.
A restored 1920s vaudeville theater in Los Feliz hosting comedy, live music, podcast tapings, drag shows, and community events. 500 capacity with table seating and a bar. The programming is eclectic -- you might see a touring comedian one night and a drag brunch the next. Tickets vary by show.
A recreation of a first-century Roman country house on the Malibu coast, housing Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities. Free admission but timed tickets required (book in advance). The gardens, reflecting pools, and architecture are worth the visit even if you skip the galleries. Parking $20, free after 3pm.
Two-venue complex in Echo Park. The Echo (350 capacity upstairs) books indie rock, electronic, and Latin acts. The Echoplex (800 capacity downstairs) takes bigger shows and dance nights. Funky Sole on Saturday and Dub Club on Wednesday are long-running weekly parties. One of the most important indie venues in LA.
Disney runs this 1926 movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard. First-run Disney, Pixar, and Marvel films with live pre-shows, 4D effects, themed photo ops, and occasional character appearances. Not like any other movie theater. All ages.