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Los Angeles Attractions
Boat Tours
Boat tours of the Los Angeles harbor depart Ports O' Call Village. Ships also leave San Pedro for Santa Catalina Island.
Metro Rail Tours
The first Saturday and first Sunday of the month at 10 a.m., free narrated tours to some of the artworks that grace the Metro Rail system are offered. Docents provide insights into the works, their creators and the communities in which they are installed. The round-trip tours last about 2 hours and meet Saturday at the street level entrance to the Hollywood/Highland Metro Rail Station, Sunday at the information booth inside the entrance to Union Station. For more information phone (213) 922-2738.
Plane or Helicopter Tours
Offers 45-minute scenic air tours over Los Angeles County's inland and coastal areas in Cessnas; reservations are recommended. All pilots are FAA certified. Phone (310) 676-4673.
Spectator Sports
There's a sport for all seasons in Los Angeles. Seven professional teams delight fans in venues throughout the city. Collegiate athletics also are popular; with a large number of schools scattered throughout the metro area, there is always something to watch.
Recreation
Sloping south from the San Gabriel Mountains over the Hollywood Hills to the Pacific Ocean, the Los Angeles Basin and surrounding valleys are blessed with a climate permitting outdoor activities throughout the year. It is possible to hit the ski slopes in the morning and have dinner at the beach on the same day.
Performing Arts
Los Angeles culture benefits from the resident film industry, which draws arts luminaries to the city. Internationally known artists often appear with local companies, and major touring ensembles visit the area year-round. As stellar as L.A.'s professional companies are, its storefronts and makeshift playhouses often are home to remarkably innovative and interesting artists; most notable are the arts districts of Hollywood, North Hollywood and Santa Monica.
Dance
Los Angeles has no resident dance company as such. Instead, tours and smaller groups perform at different venues throughout the year. Among the celebrated troupes from across the globe gracing L.A. stages is the American Ballet Theater.
Auto Racing
NHRA drag racing takes place at Pomona Raceway at the Los Angeles County Fairplex; phone (800) 884-6472. NASCAR races are run at California Speedway in nearby Fontana; phone (800) 944-7223. Stock cars, sprint cars, midgets, supermodifieds, legends and trucks take to the track at Irwindale Speedway in nearby Irwindale; phone (626) 358-1100.
Baseball
Professional baseball is played in Dodger Stadium, (866) 363-4377, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, home field of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; phone (714) 634-2000. The Dodgers arrived from Brooklyn in 1958, and Angelenos instantly became diehard fans. The Dodgers have garnered numerous National League pennants and have won six World Series championships (1955, '59, '63, '65, '81 and '88). The Angels moved to Anaheim from Los Angeles in 1966 and since have won the American League's 1979, 1982 and 1986 Western Division championships, and the 2002 World Series championship.
Basketball
The Los Angeles Lakers, originally from Minnesota, hold the distinction of being the winningest team of the 1980s, capturing five championships 1980-88. Continuing the tradition in the new millennium, the Lakers won the NBA title in 2000 and 2001 and threepeated in '02. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Wilt Chamberlain are just a few of this franchise's notable players. The Los Angeles Clippers arrived from San Diego in 1984.
The Los Angeles Sparks are the city's contribution to the female WNBA league. The Lakers, the Clippers and the Sparks play at Staples Center, near the Los Angeles Convention Center at 11th and Figueroa streets. Phone (213) 742-7300 for ticket information.
The UCLA Bruins play ball at . The school earned 10 NCAA championships 1964-75 under legendary coach John Wooden and with such superstars as Lew Alcindor, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; for tickets phone (310) 825-2946. Harold Miner was with the USC Trojans, who play at ; phone (213) 740-4672 for ticket information.
Hockey
Staples Center hosts the NHL's Los Angeles Kings; phone (213) 742-7100 for ticket information. Disney's professional hockey team--the Anaheim Ducks, who joined the league in 1993--plays at the Honda Center; phone (714) 704-2000 for ticket information.
Horse Racing
Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Dr. in Arcadia, is among the country's most famous Thoroughbred horse racing tracks; more than a score of $100,000 racing stakes are run here. Thoroughbreds run from Wednesdays through Sundays at 12:30 or 1, depending on the season, from early October to early November and again from late December to late April; phone (626) 574-7223.
Hollywood Park, 1050 S. Prairie Ave. in Inglewood, known as the "track of lakes and flowers," also plays host to Thoroughbred racing. Post time is at 1:20, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from late April to late July and early November to late December. Friday-night races also are held at 7 p.m.; phone (310) 419-1500. Los Alamitos Race Course has quarter horse racing at its facility at 4961 E. Katella Ave. in Los Alamitos; phone (714) 995-1234.
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