Fun & Unique Things To Do in LA

Los Angeles and its surrounding area are full of fun activities and entertainment. As a Southern California native and resident myself, I grew up doing the usual SoCal activities such as going to Disneyland, Universal Studios and Knott’s Berry Farm. I would go to Angels baseball games and Kings hockey games. I also spent a lot of time at the beach, hiking in the mountains and exploring the deserts. All of these activities I would still recommend, especially to people visiting the state for the first time, however, I have found so many more unique and exciting experiences ranging from pop-up events and promotional events to special movie screenings in iconic theaters and spooky cemeteries to even fun themed parties that cater toward nerds and movie fans.

Pop-Up and Promotional Events I first discovered when I attended an art/photo op exhibit called I Like Scary Movies, which had scenes from horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Lost Boys, Beetlegeuse, It, The Shining, and more. They were miniature sets where people could come and take cool photos of themselves immersed in the scenes. Not all of the sets were screen accurate. Some were interpretations of films or over-exaggerations of scenes which made for unique and artistic photo ops. They sold a limited number of tickets and had time slots, so you weren’t in a room with 100 people trying to take photos. There was plenty of open space and you could take your time. I also liked that they held this exhibit in an old building in the Wilshire area of LA. You could smell the history when you walked in.

Another pop-up I went to was a Haunted Speakeasy. I couldn’t tell you where this was exactly because they don’t typically release the location details until practically the day before. It was in an industrial area in the valley. The building looked like an old prop house. As you entered, you had to walk through a haunted maze which consisted of walking through a closet with monsters popping out at you and racks of clothes everywhere. My literal nightmare since Poltergeist frightened me as a kid. I’ve never been a fan of closets let alone walking through one in pitch blackness. They had a full bar there, a DJ with live music, an arcade, photo ops, table games and were screening horror films both inside and outside. It was really just a place to hang out with friends and socialize with an added touch of spookiness.

There was another Halloween pop-up event my friends and I went to called House of Spirits: A Haunted Cocktail Soiree. That one was by far my favorite. They host these parties every year in different locations throughout Los Angeles. This one happened to take place inside of an old church. Guests come dressed in formal or cocktail attire. Costumes are welcomed too. There were six stations throughout the property that served six different cocktails. There were live performances on the small stage inside the church, but the main draw of this event was the scavenger hunt. You entered different rooms inside this church that were spookified and had monsters jumping out at you while you tried to solve a murder mystery. After six cocktails, it was funny to see people forget how to use logic which made solving these puzzles increasingly difficult. It was super interactive so even if drinking isn’t your thing, you could still enjoy the scavenger hunt and live entertainment.

The last pop-up event I want to talk about are the parties. I am not a party girl. I’m very much an introvert who likes nerdy things and hanging out with like minded people. That said, Bernie Bregman puts on some of the most amazing pop-up parties I’ve ever been to. They usually take over night clubs or old theaters to host these parties inside of and they are catered toward movie fans, comic fans, really anyone who enjoys nerdy things. They are parties created by fans for fans. Bernie and the company he works for XLE Productions really do a great job at putting these on. I already wrote about one of them that took place in San Diego during Comic Con, so this time I will mention a party he did in LA where he rented out an old theater and had cover bands come and play rock music from the 80’s and 90’s. It took place around Halloween time, so you had people come dressed up in all sorts of costumes and cosplays. There were photo ops, bars, and live music. It was a more low-key party than the one I went to in San Diego. He also hosted one in Riverside that I went to as well. The production quality is always a 10/10. You know you’re going to have a great time at a Bernie party.

Finally, Promotional Pop-Up Events. I have only been to one which was the Stranger Things Takeover at the Santa Monica Pier to promote season 3 of the show. These are more difficult to attend because while they are free, you’re not guaranteed entrance and you end up standing in long lines to get in, which is what happened to my sister and I. We drove two hours away to Santa Monica and I’m fairly certain it took us 3.5 hours in traffic that day. If you’re an LA local it’s more do-able. Once we were inside we could stay as long as we wanted. They had a Scoops Ahoy truck giving out free ice cream, there were carnival games, photo ops, live concerts by 80’s cover artists. They would occasionally hand out free Stranger Things swag that you couldn’t get anywhere else like sunglasses and sweat wristbands. They had a Coke machine that dispensed New Coke. Despite being sunburnt, it was worth the wait. Who doesn’t love free stuff? If I lived closer I would attend more of these promotional events. They will also do things like this but on a smaller scale at The Grove in West Hollywood which is an outdoor shopping mall. They always have things going on to promote new shows there.

Evil Dead Exhibit at Mystic Museum

If you’re not interested in researching pop-up events and don’t like anticipating when the next one will be, there are a few staples I’ve come to love and enjoy. One of which is the Mystic Museum in Burbank. It houses props from horror films and tv shows. The first half of the building is a gift shop/museum and the second half is a photo op experience. Every couple of months they change out the theme. When I went, everything was Evil Dead themed. Another time, they had everything Scream and early 2000’s horror themed. It’s an Instagram photo op paradise for hardcore fans of these movies. The Downtown Burbank area is a quiet little area nestled away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. There’s a fun screen used costume shop across the street where you can buy set worn wardrobe from various TV shows and movies. The Mystic Museum fits in perfectly there and is a must-see if you happen to be in that area.

If you want to do something fun but also want to relax, have a picnic and watch movies, go check out Cinespia. They do movie screenings in parks, in historic theaters around LA and my personal favorite, in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. I went and saw The Wizard of Oz at Hollywood Forever Cemetery where Judy Garland was laid to rest. It felt surreal that we were watching her movie with her in spirit. There’s a large grassy area in the cemetery where people can bring their lawn chairs, roll out their blankets, eat snacks and watch movies under the stars. They will sometimes have guest speakers come to these events to talk to the crowd who had some sort of involvement in the film. There’s also photo ops. LA loves their photo ops. The backdrops for these photo ops are always done so well. It’s also fun to see people come dressed up as characters from the film.

Bruce Campbell Q&A

Another fun way to screen movies is by attending screenings at the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. They will sometimes do screenings of older films with Q&A’s at the end by some of the actors, directors or producers. I went to see a back to back screening of Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness. At the end of the film, Bruce Campbell came out and stood in front of the theater to answer the audience's questions they had about the films.

Paranorman Q&A

Similarly, at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) they will hold movie screenings in their theater located in the Academy of Motion Pictures building. The movie I went and saw was put on by the production company Laika where they showed the animated  film Paranoman for the first time enhanced in 4K. After the screening, the producers, director and other crew members took audience questions. I have to say, the sound and overall acoustics in that theater were so clean and rich sounding. I wish every movie theater was like that. I guess if you’re going to have a theater in a Motion Pictures Museum, it better be a top notch theater.

You’re probably wondering, how did you find out about all of these events? I would say 40% of these I learned of through social media postings advertising them and 60% through stalking apps like Eventbrite, Groupon, and other event apps setting my location to “nearby”. If I am attending something that isn’t free, I like to buy my tickets ahead of time. Some of these events have a will call option and walk-ins, but I don’t like to chance it. Especially if I’m commuting over an hour away. If you’re looking for some excitement and have an affinity for movies, tv shows and pop culture like I do, then definitely check the local events in your area so you can take advantage of similar events like these. These are all budget friendly as well, so you’re saving money doing these activities as opposed to going to a sporting event or to a theme park.