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1. St. Elmo Village
- Urban folk art
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- Museums
- Miracle Mile/Fairfax District
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2. The Velaslavasay Panorama
- The best of 19th century era entertainment
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- Attractions
- Downtown/Mid-Wilshire/Koreatown
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3. Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles
- Tour L.A.'s multi-ethnic murals
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- Tours
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4. Cabazon Dinosaurs and Wheel Inn Restaurant
- Dinosaurs in Cabazon, as seen in "Pee-wee's Big Adventure"
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- Attractions
- Outside the City
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5. Citadel Outlets
- Complex of outlet stores built around the old Samson's Tire Works factory
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- Shopping
- East Los Angeles
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6. Marine Mammal Care Center
- Seals and sea lions rehabilitating
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- Zoos/Aquariums
- Long Beach/South Bay
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7. Hollywood and Los Angeles Private Helicopter Tour
- Private Tours
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- Air Tours
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8. Hollyhock House
- Art house
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- Landmarks
- Los Feliz/Silver Lake/Echo Park
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9. Farmer John Mural
- Folksy farm art decorating a large slaughterhouse
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- Attractions
- South Central/Compton
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10. Lake Shrine
- Home of Gandhi's ashes
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- Religious Sights
- Santa Monica/Beach Cities
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The Best of NileGuide
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With its movie stars and palm trees, Southern California has always been something an exotic locale, perhaps even home to a looser and more carefree mode of life. Adding to the offbeat feel of the Los Angeles are the scattered semi-abandoned highlights of the short and fabulous history of this city.
This list here begins with CLUI, the Center for Land Use Interpretation. This educational group is dedicated to understanding and exploring use of the nation's geographically spaces. They maintain an exhibit space that is open 12 to 5 PM on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays; check their website to see what kind of stuff they put together. Located nearby is the cabinet of curiosities style Museum of Jurassic Technology (also open only several days a week).
Skipping down number 5, we have the Cabazon Dinosaurs which are a great example of vernacular architecture, located outside of Los Angeles on the way to Palm Springs. The two large dinosaurs (featured in a Pee-Wee Herman movie) are now owned by religious folks who mix in some Creationism with the tour. You can also just eat at the cafe there and gawk at the 150 foot long Dinny. Number 6 Citadel outlets are also in this vein: outlet stores built around an old tire factory in the shape of an Assyrian palace. . .
Los Angeles really has a ton of these odd remnants from the last century. Added to this is the weird potpourri of oddly creative work and perspectives that have continually landed in the sub-tropical Southland, an area which has now taken over from New York as the mixing pot of America. Check out this Offbeat Guide for even more odd destinations.
