Beverly Hills is a very affluent small city in Southern California. It is entirely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, which is one of the largest cities in the world. Although there aren’t a lot of tourist attractions in Beverly Hills, there are a number of impressive landmarks and luxurious activities for visitors to enjoy.
10. Anderton Court Shops on Rodeo Drive
Located at 332 North Rodeo Drive, the Anderton Court Shops is a single building in modern architectural style that houses six shops. The building, which was constructed in 1952, was designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Rodeo Drive is not to be missed for its high end shopping, fabulous restaurants, and sights. The world famous strip is a great place to spot celebrities who are out and about, browsing shops like Jimmy Choo, Versace, Tiffany, Armani, Dior, and many more.
9. La Cienega Park & Community Center
This park and community center is one of the few areas in the city that are meant for physical activity. After spending time at museums or shows, take the family out for a day of fun and play. The center is fitted with a new outdoor fitness pavilion. The equipment can be used by people from teenage to elderly, at any fitness level, and requires no electricity. Other amenities include a playground for the kids, tennis courts, three baseball diamonds, two soccer fields, a jogging track, and a community center. The center is at 325 S. La Cienega Boulevard. Parking is free for up to two hours.
8. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the organization that presents the Academy Awards each year, also called the Oscars. The academy will have a six story museum filled with movie memorabilia slated to open in 2017. The museum will allow the academy to display items from millions of photos, over 100,000 film and video clips, tens of thousands of screenplays, posters, and drawings, and much more. The museum will be in addition to the Margaret Herrick Library, which is free and open to the public for research and reference. The library is located at 333 S. La Cienega Boulevard.
7. Saban Theatre
Take a step back in time with a visit to the Saban Theatre, located at 8440 Wilshire Blvd. The theatre, originally called the Fox Wilshire, opened in 1930. It was built in sumptuous Art Deco style. It was used as a movie theatre for fifty years, before becoming a venue for live music and performances. Today, it is one of the cool places to visit in Beverly Hills. Tickets are available for lectures, live music, dance, or stand-up comedy by calling the box office Monday through Saturday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, or calling Ticketmaster any time.
6. Paley Center for Media
The Paley Center for Media is a museum of television history. Instead of housing artifacts, this center has private screening rooms where visitors can watch all sorts of old shows, ranging from movies from the 1940s to games shows from the 1970s, and much more. The center conducts taped interviews with casts and writers of numerous shows, including audience questions, during its annual PaleyFest event. The museum is located at 465 N Beverly Drive. The center is open Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 5:00 PM, but closes for holidays and events. Admission to the museum is free, although donations are encouraged. Guided tours are available.
5. Beverly Hills ArtSHOW
If you’re in town in May or October and you enjoy art, you won’t want to miss the Beverly Hills ArtSHOW. For more than four decades now the Beverly Gardens Park has been taken over by artist’s tents for the two day event. This year there will be 240 artists in attendance with works done in virtually every medium. The show takes up four blocks of Santa Monica Boulevard running from Rodeo Drive to Rexford Drive. Visitors can visit the street of food trucks, the beer garden, and the wine garden. Dogs are welcome, except in food areas. There is no fee for attendance or for parking.
4. Beverly Hills Walking Chocolate Tours
If you love chocolate and would like a chance to see the city, give this walking tour a try. This tour, which is wheelchair accessible, takes guests on a 1.5 mile tour of nine chocolate and specialty shops. Some of the shops have been open since the 1930s or 1940s. Find out favorite chocolates of stars, like Katharine Hepburn and Frank Sinatra. Sample chocolate tea. There will be free samples at every stop, and interesting facts about buildings and movie stars. This tour starts at 2:30 and runs for 2.5 hours on Saturdays and Sundays, making it ideal for a romantic weekend.
3. Virginia Robinson Gardens
The Robinson mansion, built in 1911, was the first luxury estate in the city. Today, the six acre estate, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is owned by the County of Los Angeles and maintained by the County and non-profit organization Friends of Robinson Gardens. The mansion, Australian King Palm Forest, the Rose Garden, the Italian Terrace Garden, and pool pavilion are open to the public, but only by guided tour. The estate is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Call the office for reservations and tickets.
2. Greystone Park and Mansion
The Greystone Mansion, at 905 Loma Vista Drive, was the home of oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny. Built in 1928, it became the property of the city in 1965, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. A number of movies have scenes in them that were shot on the mansion’s grounds. The public is welcome to wander the beautiful gardens of the 18.3 acre estate every day during regular business hours. Tours of the interior are available the first Saturday of the months December through April. Parking and admission are free. The mansion can be booked for private events.
1. Trolley Tour
Take in the sights of this attractive town on a guided trolley tour. This guided tour is 40 minutes long, and takes riders past landmarks and celebrity homes as they hear about the history of the place. The tour starts at the corner of Rodeo Drive and Dayton Way, and leaves every hour on the hour, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased from the trolley docent. Adult fare is $5, children 12 and under ride for $1 each. The days the trolley runs varies throughout the year.
Whether you enjoy fine dining, world class shopping, or movies, you will find something here to suit your taste. With this city’s rich history with the film industry, visitors can connect with their favorite movie stars here like nowhere else. These are some of the best things to do in Beverly Hills.