Introduction
Glendale is a historically diverse city with a long history in Southern California. It’s also home to some of the best attractions in the Los Angeles area, including Griffith Park and its iconic Hollywood sign. You can also explore Glendale’s historic downtown or watch an LA Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium. The city is also known for its wildflower festival held every March—which draws over 250,000 people each year! If you’re looking to take in some culture while on vacation or visiting friends/family then check out these top things to do when visiting Glendale:
Griffith Park
The largest municipal park in the United States and one of the most visited parks in California, Griffith Park has over 4,000 acres of land that offer something for everyone. You can hike or bike through the many miles of trails, visit the Los Angeles Zoo, view wildlife at the Natural History Museum or Observatory and so much more!
Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens is a beautiful place to visit. It has many different types of gardens, including Japanese and English gardens. If you’re looking for flowers and plants, this place is definitely for you. The gardens are open year-round and provide visitors with a great place to walk around in any season!
Americana at Brand
In the heart of Glendale, Americana at Brand is a shopping center with over 100 stores, restaurants, and entertainment options. It’s located on the corner of Brand and Central Avenue. The mall is open daily from 10 am to 9 pm. Here’s how you can best enjoy this one-of-a-kind shopping experience:
- Shop local! The Americana at Brand is home to several popular boutiques including Forever 21, H&M, and Gap Outlet. If you prefer browsing through antique shops or furniture stores, there are plenty of those as well!
- Try out some new cuisine at one of many food courts where you can pick up everything from pizza slices from Pizza Hut (no need to order online!) to hot dogs from Portillo’s Hot Dogs & More (yum).
- Visit an arcade for some hands-on fun; there’s even an ice skating rink if ice skating happens to be what’s on your mind today.
Museum of Neon Art
The Museum of Neon Art is a great place to visit for anyone interested in the history of neon signs. A museum dedicated to neon signs you say? Yes, it’s true! Located in downtown Glendale, the museum has an impressive collection of over 1,000 signs on display at any given time. The rotating exhibits are always interesting and unique as well.
This is one museum where you’ll want to stay awhile if you love art and design—and if you don’t care much about these things then this will be a good way for you to learn more about them!
Alex Theatre
The Alex Theatre was built in 1927, and since then has hosted a variety of famous performers, including Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra. It’s also a popular venue for events like the Glendale International Film Festival, which takes place every February. In addition to its entertainment offerings, it also features a restaurant and bar on-site as well as an attached cafe that serves breakfast pastries (we recommend the croissant) daily from 7 am to 1 pm.
Glendale Rose Float Association
The Glendale Rose Float Association has been around since 1907, and it’s one of the oldest float associations in California. The volunteer-built floats are a big part of Glendale’s culture, and they’re a great way to learn more about this city’s history.
The association has an annual parade where you’ll see the floats for yourself! It happens on Mother’s Day weekend (the second Sunday in May). The parade starts at 1 pm on Brand Boulevard from Harvard Street to Central Avenue. If you miss it, don’t worry—you can still see all the beautiful roses at their museum that year round!
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
There are many things to do in Glendale, but one of the most interesting is visiting the Forest Lawn, Memorial Park. This cemetery is home to many famous people, including Lucille Ball, Liberace, and others. The park has a beautiful collection of statues and mausoleums. It’s located in Burbank, California and it’s open to the public every day from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm. In addition to being an important landmark for locals and tourists alike, there are also several events held at Forest Lawn each year such as concerts by big bands like Glenn Miller or Nat King Cole during their heyday back when they were alive during World War II.’
Dodger Stadium Tour
Dodger Stadium is home to the Los Angeles Dodgers and a great place to learn more about their history. The Dodger Stadium Tour is available to the public, which makes it a great option for visitors looking for ways to explore the stadium. Take a tour of this popular Los Angeles venue, see where your favorite players live, and walk down memory lane with some of baseball’s greatest moments on display!
The Autry Museum of the American West
The Autry Museum of the American West is a museum in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has three locations: the main campus on Griffith Park Boulevard in Los Angeles (which includes a museum with exhibitions), the Southwest Museum of the American Indian and Rancho El Conejo; and the Museum of the American West at the Autry’s ranch in Griffith Park.
The Autry began as an exhibit called “The Horse In America” at what was then called Hollywood Park Racetrack (now Hollywood Park Casino) when it opened its doors to the public on March 21, 1988. Within two years attendance outgrew its space on Santa Monica Boulevard and required expansion into new facilities built at Griffith park where they reopened on November 6th 1991 under its current name as The Autry National Center for American Western Heritage & Museum Of The American Indian Company headquartered near their original location called Rancho El Conejo which means Rabbit Ranch but now serves as an educational facility open to school groups visiting from around Southern California each year during Spring Break vacation week or any other time during summer break months between June 15th through September 30th each year after school lets out for summer break until about August 15th before resuming regular hours again starting September 1st up until October 31st – School Groups can also schedule field trips throughout weekdays throughout spring break week from March 13th through April 13th every year if desired by contacting The Autry’s Education Department by calling 323-938-4040 ext 118
Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located in Griffith Park, which is also home to the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign. The zoo has a variety of animals including giraffes, elephants, sea lions, and monkeys. The zoo is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. There are two areas that you can visit: The LAIR (Lion Animal Interactive Reserve) where you can see lions eating meat; and the underwater viewing area where you can watch dolphins swim around in their habitat at feeding time.
The LAIR also features an aquarium with penguins, stingrays, sharks, and other fish species from around the world as well as a bird habitat with birds from Southern California such as woodpeckers or owls that nest inside trees as blue jays do back home in Massachusetts! This place has something for everyone!
Griffith Observatory and Planetarium
Griffith Observatory and Planetarium is a popular tourist attraction and landmark located in the heart of Los Angeles. It’s known for its architecture that mimics the hillside homes in Glendale, as well as its many exhibits and educational programs. Visitors to Griffith Observatory can also experience a planetarium show, or visit their gift shop for souvenirs like clothing, toys, books, jewelry, and more!
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Storer House
The Storer House is one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s earliest buildings in Southern California and is considered to be one of his masterpieces.
The house was built at the request of Dr. David C. Storer and his wife, Lilian. They were originally from Ohio but moved to Glendale in 1924 because Lilian had asthma problems caused by the dust storms common in Ohio at that time. The Storers wanted a house with a flat roof that would provide better ventilation than most houses at the time; they asked Wright to build them such a house and Wright designed this iconic structure for them as a wedding present for their daughter Ruth’s marriage that same year (she married Walter Jahncke).
Glendale Galleria
Glendale Galleria is the largest shopping mall in the San Fernando Valley. Located right in the heart of Glendale, it has over 200 stores and restaurants including Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Foot Locker, and many more. The mall also offers a movie theater with stadium seating and an indoor amusement park. It has a large parking lot so you don’t have to worry about finding street parking or using public transportation to get there! Glendale Galleria is open every day of the year except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve so you can shop at your favorite stores whenever you want!
Deukmejian Wilderness Park Trailhead
This is the largest trailhead in Glendale, and it offers hiking, biking, and equestrian trails. Dogs are allowed in this park as long as they are on a leash. In addition to these activities, Deukmejian Wilderness Park has two baseball fields and several picnic areas for you to enjoy with your family or friends.
Glendale is a diverse city with many things to do.
Glendale is a diverse city. We have a diverse population, economy, culture, and landscape. For example:
- Our population is more than half Hispanic or Latino; in fact, over half of our citizens speak a language other than English at home (source).
- Our economy includes manufacturing jobs in aerospace, furniture making, and textiles. In addition to these industries, we also have several smaller manufacturing plants such as those for medical supplies and electronics (source).
- Our culture includes traditional Mexican celebrations like Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) which takes place on November 1st each year when families visit cemeteries to pay homage to their ancestors by decorating their graves with flowers and candles (source).
- Glendale’s landscape includes mountains that provide hiking trails as well as urban parks where residents can relax on tree-lined paths or enjoy picnics with family members (source).
Conclusion
Glendale is a great place to visit, but also a great place to live. There’s no shortage of things to do in this city as there are so many different types of activities available. Whether you want to see art or enjoy nature, there’s something for everyone in Glendale.
