University of Southern California

Los Angeles

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George Lucas, John Wayne and Neil Armstrong are among the famous alumni of this well-respected private university, founded in 1880, just north of Exposition Park. Free 50-minute, student-led tours depart from the admissions center Monday to Friday, and touch on campus history, architecture and student life. Reservations are strongly recommended. You can also pick up a self-guided tour at the admissions center or online.

To see changing art exhibits of noted artists and student shows, visit the USC Fisher Museum of Art.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Griffith in Blue

    Griffith Observatory

    6.93 MILES

    With eyes on both the galaxy above and palm-flanked boulevards below, the Griffith Observatory hovers above LA like a hulking spacecraft. This is one of…

  • People entering Knott's Scary Farm at Knott's Berry Farm, celebrating a Southern California Halloween tradition, on October 14, 2013.

    Knott’s Berry Farm

    20.3 MILES

    What started as a simple berry farm is now a sprawling 160-acre operation with rides, live shows and lovable Peanuts characters roaming the grounds. Knott…

  • VENICE BEACH, USA - SEPTEMBER 29, 2016: The crowded Venice Beach Boardwalk. Lots of people are strolling down the boardwalk. On the sides there are several shops and palm trees.

    Venice Boardwalk

    11.21 MILES

    Prepare for a sensory overload on Venice's Boardwalk, a one-of-a-kind experience. Buff bodybuilders brush elbows with street performers and sellers of…

  • Santa Monica Pier

    Santa Monica Pier

    12.45 MILES

    Once the very end of the legendary Route 66 and still the object of a tourist love affair, this much-photographed pier dates back to 1908 and is the city…

  • The Broad Museum of Los Angeles.

    Broad

    3.08 MILES

    From the instant it opened in September 2015, the Broad (rhymes with 'road') became a must-visit for contemporary-art fans. It houses the world-class…

  • Getty Center, exterior.

    Getty Center

    11.76 MILES

    In its billion-dollar, in-the-clouds perch, high above the city grit and grime, the Getty Center presents triple delights: a stellar art collection …

  • Universal Studios Hollywood

    Universal Studios Hollywood

    9.16 MILES

    Dodge dinosaurs, hang with Homer Simpson and morph into a Minion on the sometimes hair-raising, always entertaining attractions at Universal Studios…

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Nearby Los Angeles attractions

1. California African American Museum

0.19 MILES

CAAM does an excellent job of showcasing African-American artists and the African-American experience, with a special focus on California and LA. Exhibits…

2. Rose Garden

0.22 MILES

This stately garden in front of the California Science Center opened to the public in 1928 and today displays 145 varieties of plants.

3. California Science Center

0.25 MILES

Top billing at the Science Center goes to the Space Shuttle Endeavour, one of only four space shuttles nationwide, but there's plenty else to see at this…

4. USC Fisher Museum of Art

0.28 MILES

The university's art museum presents changing selections from its ever-expanding collection of American landscapes, British portraits, French Barbizon…

5. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

0.36 MILES

Dinos to diamonds, bears to beetles, hissing roaches to African elephants – this museum will take you around the world and back, through millions of years…

6. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

0.42 MILES

Built in 1923, this grand stadium hosted the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games, the 1959 baseball World Series and two Super Bowls, is the temporary home…

7. One Archives

0.85 MILES

One Archives houses the world's largest LGBT library. Its roots are in One, the first homophile magazine published in the US (1953–67), and the 30,000…

8. Dunbar Hotel

1.72 MILES

The Dunbar was a luxury hotel built in 1928 in this predominantly African-American neighborhood, at a time when segregation barred African-Americans from…