planning for summer
About this time of year, I hop on the internet and make a list of all the fun things I could do with my kids over the summer. There are so many free or low cost places to go when you live in Los Angeles. Over the next few weeks, I will post many ideas for fun this summer and year around. If you want to add to my list, just post a comment and I will either add to the list or send out your information in the next post. I also have a list of pick-your-own fruit places and foodie events that I will post soon.
These adventures are always free:
California African American Museum, Exposition Park, Downtown Los Angeles
California Science Center, Exposition Park, Downtown Los Angeles
UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, Los Angeles
The Getty Center, Brentwood, Los Angeles
The Getty Villa, Pacific Palisades
Hollywood Bowl Museum
The Los Angeles Fire Department Museum, Hollywood, only open Saturdays 10-4
MOCA Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood
Museum of Television and Radio, Beverly Hills
Muckenthaler Cultural Center, Fullerton
The Nethercutt Collection and Nethercutt Museum, Sylmar
Santa Monica Museum of Art (Suggested $5 donation), Santa Monica
STARS Center Sheriff’s Museum, 11515 Colima Rd. at Telegraph Rd., Whittier
This museum is free every Wednesday:
Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, Claremont – Free Wednesdays
These venues are free every Thursday:
Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Downtown Los Angeles – Free every Thursday from 5 to 8 pm
MOCA Geffen Contemporary, Downtown Los Angeles – Free every Thursday from 5 to 8 pm
Skirball Cultural Center – Free Thursdays noon – 9 pm
UCLA Hammer Museum – every Thursday
Japanese American National Museum, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles – Every Thursday 5 to 8 pm, and 3rd Thursday all day
These museums are free every Friday:
Long Beach Museum of Art – Free Friday
Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach – Free on Fridays, check website for Free Family Sundays
These venues have one free day per month:
George C. Page Museu1 at the La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles – Free the first Tuesday of the month
Natural History Museum, Exposition Park, Downtown Los Angeles – Free the first Tuesday of the month
Craft and Folk Art Museum, Mid Wilshire, Museum Row, Los Angeles – First Wednesday
Huntington Library, Collections and Botanical Gardens, Pasadena – Free first Thursday of the month. Free advance tickets required beginning Sept 6, 2007, available beginning the 1st of the preceding month (i.e. August 1 for Sept 6).
Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena – 1st Fridays from 6 to 9 pm
Bowers Museum, Santa Ana – First Sunday of the month is Target Free First Sunday.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) – Mid-Wilshire, Museum Row, Los Angeles – 2nd Tuesday, check for other sponsored free days
Autry National Center: Museum of the American West in Griffith Park, Los Angeles – the 2nd Tuesday of the month
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden – free every 3rd Tuesday of the month
Japanese American National Museum, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles – 3rd Thursday all day
Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena – 4th Friday
Chef Dawn Walker is owner of Dawn’s Dinners, SCV’s best kept dinner secret. This week at Dawn’s Dinners she is making soy-braised tofu with broccoli and brown rice and turkey meatloaf with BBQ glaze and mashed potatoes. In the freezer she has corned beef and cabbage, Moroccan chicken with prunes and quinoa, eggplant and turkey over bulgur wheat, maple Dijon turkey breast with roasted sweet potatoes and zucchini, split pea soup, black bean sweet potato soup, turkey chili, Italian beef and macaroni casserole, tamale pie, bbq turkey pot pie, arroz con pollo and braised honey lemon pork. Many meals are low fat, gluten free, dairy free, low glycemic index or vegetarian. Each meal costs $25 and feed four and are kid tested. Monthly meal plans are all the craze costing as low as $100 per month for four full meals! Go to her website to sign up for her weekly menu newsletter and see whats cooking at Dawn’s Dinners.
