A Fun and Free LA Summer!

Empty Pockets by danielmoyle (CC BY 2.0)

Some people call Los Angeles a cultural wasteland, but they couldn’t be more wrong. LA is THE place to be in the summer! Now that I’ve got a few weeks off to go exploring in this great city, I’ve decided to make a list of my LA summer favorite things to do. Trouble is I’m short on cash. But never fear! LA summer doesn’t have to be expensive. Grab your sunglasses, and check out how to spend a fabulous LA summer having tons of fun without spending lots of money:

LA Summer Art

I love love love art. And I love the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA)! I could spend the whole LA summer exploring the amazing collections in LACMA, and thankfully, I can! When you purchase a general admission ticket before June 30, you can sign up to get a free summer pass that will last 3 months!! This pass will not just fill your LA summer with art, but you also get free membership benefits with this pass! It just sounds too good to be true. Get moving to LACMA asap!

LA Summer: LACMA (photo by Sarah_Ackerman)

If you want to see more up and coming artists, take part in the Downtown Art Walk. Meet some new friends while enjoying food truck goodies and art (of course!)

LA Summer Theatre

My absolute favorite part of the LA summer last year was seeing the Independent Shakespeare Company in Griffith Park! The company puts on free Shakespeare productions all summer long. Grab a picnic dinner, and enjoy the Bard under the LA summer stars! The 2012 LA Summer plays include: The Winter’s Tale, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Comedy of Errors.

LA Summer: Free Shakespeare (photo by jean-louis zimmermann)

LA Summer Music

KCRW is putting on a few free LA summer concerts. WooHoo! The Summer Nights series will take place in Pasadena, Westwood, and Downtown LA. These events are free, all ages, and open to the public with no RSVP required, so get moving and soak up some tunes this LA summer!

LA Summer: Live Music (photo by Jason Persse)

Grand Performances is another great LA summer program with free events in Downtown Los Angeles. There’s something for everyone with dance-alongs, music, theatre, and more cool LA summer happenings. Check out the calendar now!

LA Summer Nature

This LA summer, become one with nature! There are a ton of free parks and beaches in LA, and the U.S. National Park Service has a few fee free days. The LA Parks website also has an events calendar that might hold a few free goodies. Take a stroll, go for a hike, or just read a book in the sand this LA summer!

For all you space enthusiasts out there, admission to the Griffith Observatory is always free! (It’s also a great place to take in the Hollywood sign or go for a long LA summer hike!)

LA Summer: Griffith Observatory (photo by justin_vidamo)

If you’re still searching for LA summer things to do, the Yelp LA event page is a fantastic place to bookmark. While you’re at it, check out @FreeFunLA on twitter for updates on what’s fun and free to do in LA! What are you doing with your LA summer? Tell me about it in the Comments section!