Other Attractions

You'll need to make a lot of tough decisions if you're touring L.A. for the first time: surfing lessons or a jogging tour? Join the live studio audience at the Tonight Show or Jeopardy? Go to Disneyland or Universal Studio Hollywood? You get the point; it would take you months to do all the things in the LA area.

To find out what's going on while you're in town, pick up a copy of the free L.A. Weekly, the monthly magazine Los Angeles, or the Sunday Los Angeles Times "Calendar" section; each has detailed listings covering events and entertainment around town, often accompanied by helpful commentary on which activities might be worth your while. Better yet, plan ahead via the Web and buy those hard-to-get tickets in advance.
Also, note that you usually have to drive everywhere in L.A. Be sure you have a map handy and try to plan your itinerary with as little time on the freeways as possible, especially during rush hour.

CityPass Money Saver--If you're the type who loves to cram in as many tourist attractions as possible in one trip, then you need a CityPass (tel. 888/330-5008; www.citypass.com). This money-saving booklet includes tickets to five popular attractions. The main draw, and the primary reason to purchase CityPass, is Universal Studios Hollywood; the rest are the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, the Kodak Theatre Guided Tour, Starline Tours of Hollywood, and The Hollywood Museum. Purchase the pass at any of the above attractions, or visit the CityPass website to buy advance passes online. The pass costs $72 for adults ($49 for kids 39) and will expire 30 days from the first use. Is it a good deal? If you use all the tickets, you end up saving about 45% over individual, full-price admissions.

L.A.'s Top Tourist Traps
Some things are better left unspoken and, in some circumstances, unseen as well. Such is the case with the following schlock-shock attractions, the kind of money-sucking businesses that do a very, very poor job at attracting repeat clientele. Not surprisingly, they're all located in the heart of Hollywood on cheese-laden Hollywood Boulevard.

Hollywood Guinness World Records Museum -- Scale models, photographs, and push-button displays of the world's fattest man, biggest plant, smallest woman, fastest animal, and other superlatives don't make for a superlative experience. 6764 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. tel. 323/463-6433. Admission $11 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6.95 children ages 6?11. Sun-Thurs 10am-midnight; Fri-Sat 10am-1am.

The Hollywood Wax Museum -- Cast in the Madame Tussaud mold, the Hollywood Wax Museum features dozens of lifelike figures of famous movie stars and events. This "museum" is pretty cheesy, but it can be good for a corny laugh or two. A Chamber of Horrors exhibit includes the coffin used in The Raven, as well as a diorama from the Vincent Price classic The House of Wax. The Movie Awards Theatre exhibit is a short film highlighting Academy Award presentations from the past 4 decades. 6767 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. tel. 323/462-8860. www.hollywoodwax.com. Admission $11 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6.95 children ages 6-12, free for kids age 5 and under. Sun-Thurs 10am-midnight; Fri-Sat 10am-1am.

Ripley's "Believe It Or Not!" Odditorium -- Believe it or not, this tired dog of a "museum" is still open. Its bizarre collection of 300 wax figures, photos, and models depicts unnatural oddities from Robert Leroy Ripley's infamous arsenal. My favorite oddities include the skeleton of a two-headed baby, a statue of Marilyn Monroe sculpted with shredded money, and a portrait of John Wayne made from laundry lint. Right. 6780 Hollywood Blvd. tel. 323/466-6335. www.ripleys.com. Admission $12 adults, $7.95 children ages 5?12, free to children age 4 and under. Sun-Thurs 9am-11pm; Fri-Sat 9am-midnight.