The best cheap things to do in Los Angeles

The summer home of the LA Phil (and boozy picnics) fetches upwards of $100 for box seats. But the most coveted spot at the Bowl only costs a buck: A limited number of bench seats are available for select LA Phil performances for only $1. If you can’t score those tickets before they sell out, you might be able to catch the orchestra for free during a summertime morning rehearsal (call 323-850-2000 for the latest info).

The Getty name is attached to two excellent L.A. museums: The Getty Center, a hilltop complex of pavilions that houses ornate French furniture and recognizable Impressionist pieces; and the Getty Villa, a coastal mansion filled with antiquities. Both are free to visit except for the $20 parking fee. But if you don’t mind driving between both of them in the same day (except for Monday and Tuesday, when one of them is closed), you can pay once and park twice (just ask for a coupon at the information desk of the first museum you visit).

Driving to the hilltop astronomical landmark often means parking nearly back at the bottom of the hill or paying $10 per hour. And due to the spotty reception, good luck grabbing an Uber. Thankfully, a DASH bus route travels up the hill every day—even when the observatory’s interior is closed—from the Vermont-Sunset Metro station. One-way fares cost only 50 cents with cash, or 35 cents with a TAP card.

Owned and programmed by Quentin Tarantino, this single-screen Central L.A. revival house is one of our favorites for so many reasons. Toward the very top: Friday night screenings of a Tarantino movie, projected on 35mm and often pulled from his personal collection, for only $10.

Angels Flight is literally the little funicular that could: The block-long railway has weathered mechanical problems, extended closures and relocation to keep pulling passengers up Bunker Hill over a century after its initial opening. You can board its tiered cars either from Hill Street or Olive Street for only a dollar, but you’ll pay half that with a valid TAP card.

This 1921, Mayan-inflected Frank Lloyd Wright house was originally built as a “progressive theatrical community” space by activist and oil heiress Aline Barnsdall—today it’s the centerpiece of Barnsdall Park and is open for tours (Thu–Sat, 11am–4pm; $7).

One of L.A.’s most wonderfully odd destinations, this historic West Adams theater is known for its outside-the-box programming and old-timey 360-degree panorama paintings. Behind it, you’ll find an absolutely enchanting garden, with an ornate gazebo, carniverous plants and Eastern-inspired pavilions. Altogether, it’s well worth the $7 admission fee.

As the prices tick up at second-run theaters and single-screen movie palaces, we have to admit that one of the best deals going can be found at the multiplex. All day on Tuesdays, you can watch a movie for $5 at any AMC theater, as long as you’ve signed up for the free tier of their rewards program. The comfy LOOK Dine-in Cinema in Glendale offers a similar deal on Tuesdays for $6.50 (sans the loyalty program requirement), while Pasadena’s second-run Regency Academy Cinemas offers matinees any day for $5.50.

You can navigate large parts of Los Angeles without ever stepping foot in a car or having to foot the bill for parking thanks to Metro. Consider it a smart option for destinations in Downtown L.A., Hollywood, Koreatown, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Long Beach. A single ride, regardless of the destination, costs $1.75 and includes free transfers for up to two hours. Don’t pass up the transit system’s Metro Micro app either; the Uber-like on-demand van service offers rides within eight zones across L.A. for only a dollar.