Many people come to LA to see the usual sites like the Hollywood sign, Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach yada yada yada.

There’s nothing wrong with these sites. But, since I’m a born and raised native of Los Angeles, I find all these boring. Here’s a small itinerary of things you should definitely check out if you’re in Los Angeles. These are seven unusual sites in Los Angeles only locals know about!

1. Sunken City

If I were your tour guide, the number one place I would show you is Sunken City.

Sunken City is a beautiful but chaotic piece of land that nature has reclaimed as its own.

It’s not open to the public but many people manage to sneak in and take pictures.

If you decide to come here, you should be aware that this place is located on the beautiful but deadly cliffs of San Pedro California.

I say deadly because there are often news stories of teenagers trying to sneak in at night to party by jumping the fence near the cliff and falling to their deaths. Don’t do that… There’s another way in, I just don’t know where it is since it changes all the time. You’ll have to find it yourself.

All the signs say it’s illegal which means you’re trespassing. This means, enter at your own risk.

Sunken City is a beautiful section that screams Los Angeles and its urban chaos.

Only in LA can you find a cliffside town, torn to pieces by a natural disaster that’s been taken over by graffiti artists. You can see the broken streets and sidewalks. You’ll find beautiful murals. The art changes each time you go. It’s a magical place for sure.

In 1929 a massive landslide on this land sent many houses, stores, and part of the adjoining park into the ocean. It turns out, this land was collapsing at a rate of 11 inches per day. Fortunately, they evacuated everyone before the houses collapsed.

Today, the city of San Pedro is proposing turning Sunken City into a park with public access.

2) The Korean Friendship Bell

Right before Sunken City is an amazing Korean Friendship Bell.

It’s a Los Angeles Landmark that overlooks the ocean. It’s beautiful but only Los Angeles natives seem to know of it. One of the best things about this park is there’s literally a hostel next door. Although this hostel is seasonal, I’ve never seen it open.

Either way, this place is free to the public and it makes for a beautiful afternoon picnic to soak in the beauty.

3) WHITE POINT BEACH

This area of LA is a little tricky since it’s by a cliff that’s constantly pummeled by waves. This means the roads near the end sometimes get eroded and the city needs to repair or make new roads. Considering this fact, White Point state beach is now a little harder to get to, but this place is worth the trouble.

White Point Beach is free if you park in the park on the bluff. If you enter and go downhill they’ll charge you. There’s also a lot of metered parking spots curbside as an option as well.

White Point beach is at the bottom of the cliff. At the bottom of the hill, the road forks and you can either go right or left. If you go right it’s mostly rocks and gravel but it makes for an excellent area to snorkel. If you’re into it, you’ll see tons of natural wildlife swimming around you. The other side is primarily sandy beach.

The best part of White Point is the rocky area. If you decide to explore you’ll see flat rocks. It looks like a man-made structure since rocks don’t form like that.

It turns out, in the 1920s natural sulfur hot springs were discovered in the area. Naturally, they made a saltwater pool for people to bathe in and have fun in LA sun.

The giant quake of 1933, in nearby Long Beach, damaged the foundation of the hot springs and the area closed for business. This luxurious natural hot spring was then hit by another disaster, The Great Depression… and that was the end of that.

Growing up I always wondered why this area was flat. It wasn’t until doing a little research that I found all this amazing history. White Point Beach is a must if you’re into nature, history, and beauty.

This beach is a place many local families frequent on weekends to have barbecues.

4) The Queen Mary

If you want to stay in the area come on over to Long Beach where we have a couple of exciting and may I say frightening things to see.

You can check out the regal and dare I say very haunted Queen Mary. It’s so haunted you can buy a ticket for their daily haunted tours. Here, they take you to the most paranormal hot spots. You can read more about it here.

I took it myself out of curiosity. Although I didn’t see any ghosts, the places they show you are definitely creepy.

As a bonus make sure to check out The Dark Art Emporium nearby for creepy oddities to curb your appetite for dark tourism.

5) Catalina Island

Catalina Island is or should be on everyone’s to-do list. Although, I believe this is not on many tourists’ radar. It’s got a quaint Mediterranean feel. Once you arrive, it doesn’t even feel like you’re in LA anymore… but yah are!

This tiny island can be reached from either LA Harbor in San Pedro City or in Long Beach Harbor in Long Beach City. It’s cheap to get to and it’s beautiful. Many locals come here on special occasions. This is a day trip for sure!

Here’s another bonus for you. If you’re staying in this part of LA you can always go graffiti hunting in Long Beach. It will give you a sense of how beautiful Long Beach really is.

6) The Old Abandoned LA Zoo

If you’re planning on staying near the Hollywood area, I have a couple of good surprises for you. You’re probably gonna head to Griffith Park at some point. I mean this park houses some of the best and most well-known tourist attractions. Here you will find, Griffith Park itself, which is a place people flock to. You’ll find the Hollywood sign at the top… On another point at the top, you’ll find the Griffith Observatory. You can see all LA from here.

However, none of this excites me as much as the sight I’m about to tell you about. Every time I take a friend, it’s full of locals, which makes me believe tourists don’t know about it.

On a certain section of Griffith Park, you’ll find an old abandoned zoo. Although, on the other side of the hill you’ll find the LA Zoo. Not to be confused with the Old LA Zoo, the LA Zoo is up and running. The Old LA Zoo is an abandoned creepy area.

The old LA zoo is a relic. Essentially, it’s a ruin of the past. You’ll find man-made bear caves, cages, chicken pens, and jail-like cells that probably housed wild animals like tigers or monkeys. It’s creepy but the urban jungle that is Los Angeles has officially taken it over. It’s covered in graffiti. Although I gotta say, it only adds to the ambiance. People go on dates here. Kids come here and hang when they ditch school.

There are reports of ghosts sneaking up on people while they explore this area. It’s a great place to check out. It’s also the site of the Haunted Hayride every Halloween. They specifically picked this area due to its haunted history.

7) The Museum of Death

On Hollywood Blvd, you’ll find something a bit unusual but fascinating. It’s the Museum of Death. Although many people drive by it, not many tourists enter.

The Museum of Death is a quaint museum with a lot of great artifacts. Imagine, reading letters from serial kills in jail? Or getting freaked out by the autopsy photos of The Black Dahlia and reading about the gruesome Charles Manson murders? You’ll find all that here.

You’ll read about voodoo, shrunken heads, and even explore a mortician’s cabinet.

Eventually, you’ll hit the suicide room where they exhibit the many stories of great musicians and famous people who have decided to end it all.

This little museum is creepy but hella fun!

So, if you’re looking for something different and cheap come to the Museum of Death and get your thrills like a local!

Let Me Break It Down For You:

Places you need to visit that only locals know about are:

— The Korean Friendship Bell

— Sunken City

— White Point State Beach

— Catalina Island

— The Queen Mary’s Haunted Tour (Everyone knows about the Queen Mary, but don’t know about the haunted tour)

— The old LA zoo

— The Museum of Death

Check out the YouTube video I made below for more info on the above places.

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