The best Valentine’s Day ideas for couples in L.A.

The Huntington Library’s rose garden (and its romantic tea room) is a picture-perfect Valentine’s locale, with rows and rows of vibrant petals to stop and sniff. You probably won’t be the only person there with the same idea, but luckily there’s tons of space elsewhere—and other beautiful gardens around the region, too, like Descanso, South Coast and the Arboretum.

Outdoor movie season is back for a brief Valentine’s reprise. Rooftop Cinema Club is decking out its DTLA venue with love seats and wood-burning patio heaters to accompany screenings of The Notebook, La La Land and a whole bunch of other films. The Montalbán, meanwhile, will also screen some movies from its rooftop, including 10 Things I Hate About You,
When Harry Met Sally… and Dirty Dancing.

Unlike Cinespia’s outdoor cemetery screenings, this Valentine’s one is headed inside—which means, fortunately or unfortunately, there’s no chance of a rain-soaked kiss à la Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. Yes, The Notebook is turning 20 and Cinespia has selected it for its annual Valentine’s Day screening and party at the Los Angeles Theatre. In addition to the film, you’ll find live performances and DJ sets, plus a full bar and Cinespia’s always-elaborate photo booth.

Now under the stewardship of only one of its cofounders, Liz Fairbairn, the former Lucha VaVoom’s racy, raucous spectacle of wrestling, burlesque and various amazing sideshow acts may not seem like a logical choice for a romantic night out. But if you’re looking for a high-voltage, lusty, entertainment-filled evening, this show has it all. This Valentine’s Day, the theme is “La Venganza del Amor.”

This adults-only, nudity-driven scavenger hunt at the Getty (held the weekend of V-Day) is a comical two-hour quest that has guests searching for answers to riddle-like questions in the museum’s bare-it-all paintings and sculptures. Whoever answers the most questions correctly will pick up some sweet swag (gift cards, backpacks, street cred). No previous art knowledge is required.

Personally, we think cooking a meal in together can be a dreamy team building activity for a couple. But if you’re the kind of couple that would just make a burnt mess, forget about all of the fuss and treat yourself instead: Some of our favorite twinkly patios and dimly-lit dining rooms are prepping prix-fixe menus for the holiday.

What can be more pleasant than a meal in the park? (Aside from off-leash pups attempting to pilfer your food and screaming children in bouncy castles.) But seriously, taking your Valentine’s meal alfresco—weather permitting—is the perfect way to mix up your dining plans. If you’re picking up the goods from a restaurant, consider making it a lunchtime affair to avoid the dinner rush.

Love takes center stage at LoveStruck Cinema, a pair of Valentine’s Day screenings and performances from Street Food Cinema at the Million Dollar Theater. Catch The Rocky Horror Picture Show with a shadow cast by Sins O’ the Flesh, plus Romeo + Juliet with Cabaret Versatile. You’re welcome to grab a bite from Grand Central Market next door and bring it into the theater, otherwise you can grab concessions and cocktails inside the theater. If you want to profess your love in front of everyone, you can purchase a love letter to be shown on the big screen before the movie.

A holdover from the not-Christmassy light displays that blanketed botanical gardens at the end of last year, Astra Lumina’s nine stellar installations are cosmically mesmerizing. The hour-long Palos Verdes trail’s star-inspired installations feels truly experiential and make for a romantic after-dark destination in the outdoors. (It’s also worth mentioning how lovely it is to experience a celebration of the night sky from one of the few locations in L.A. where it’s actually dark enough to see plenty of stars.)

Couples who hike together stay together—or something like that. With Valentine’s falling on a Wednesday this year, you may want to opt for a Saturday or Sunday trek depending on your schedules, but that gives you a whole weekend’s worth of opportunities to get your hearts pumping—for real.

Forget everything we just said. Getting all sweaty and letting your date see you at your worst as you huff and puff your way up Runyon? Yuck. Keep things real laidback instead with a cruise along the beach, into the mountains or through a canyon. Put on some good tunes, bring along some snacks and spend the afternoon admiring the view—and we don’t just mean the person in the passenger seat. Consider a longer trek into the San Gabriel Mountains to see some snow, but if spending hours together in a cramped aluminum cabin seems like it’ll be a one-way road to passive-aggressive conflict, maybe stick to Malibu or Palos Verdes.