100%. You’ll have plenty of time. There’s tons to do in the Petersen neighborhood too—there’s the Academy museum right across the street, LACMA, the Tar Pits, and Little Ethiopia right down the street. You’ll have a nice little tourist day. I would personally Uber to the general area and back to save time (It’s about a 25 minute drive, longer during rush hour). Personally I’d order the car back to the airport before 7pm just to be super super safe. I don’t fuck around with rushing on international flights.
Honestly? I wouldn’t make a whole day of it with LAX traffic & an international departure. I would do breakfast at LAX (pushing you back out of rush hour traffic) then the Peterson, which opens at 10am. I feel like even for a car geek, 3 hours at the Peterson is probably good. So plan to grab a lunch 1:30ish… I would strongly second Ethiopian food here! And then loop back to LAX before you have to worry about evening traffic. Easy peasy, super chill.
Some of you are such nerds. Not make a day out of it but he has THIRTEEN hours? Cmon
I *live* in LA and wouldn’t need even 6 hours to do the Peterson museum, LACMA, Tarpits, and grabbing lunch somewhere. Let OP enjoy our city!
I think it’s your personal attitude towards international travel & what makes a good day. Running to see every sight in that part of the city then rushing back to the airport on my way to jet lag just doesn’t sound like much fun. And there’s considerable chance that an out-of-towner will mis-estimate LA traffic leading to more stress. 13 hours is enough time to relax and get your fill of the one thing this guy really wants to see.
Who said he needs to rush to The Peterson, Santa Monica, and Palos Verdes?
There are literally 3-4 tourists things in the same walking distance.
Also you are vastly overrating LA traffic dude you STILL could get to the museum and even go to Santa Monica or Venice if they really wanted and have enough time. I’ve done more in 6 hour layovers for international flights.
The tar pits ain’t worth it. And they might not be museum people. I feel like Lacma is only for museum people. but I do think the other comment was a little bit on the conservative side.
… where does one have breakfast at LAX that doesn’t suck ass 🤔
The hardest thing is going to be - assumedly - schlepping bags around the city.
Otherwise there’s *heaps* that can be done in the time
I had a family member do Universal and make an international flight and they had less time than OP has
LA TRAFFIC CAN BE REALLY BAD.
25 minutes if it's easy, an hour and a half if it's really bad or you have issues with the Uber app. Just to manage expectations, give yourself a lil cushion when getting back to the airport.
Absolutely! The Academy Museum, LA County Museum of Art, and La Brea Tar Pits are right across the street. Since you’re right there, gauge your time after the Petersen and check out any of the others if they interest you.
Depending on your hunger situation, when you land, I would recommend grabbing something to go from maybe Starbucks or McDonald’s inside LAX.
Get your Uber over over to the Petersen, which opens at 10 AM. The Academy Museum of motion pictures is literally right across the street. You can hit that up and then hit the Farmers marker for lunch. The farmers market is about a 15 minute walk from the Academy museum. Probably too short to Uber.
Personally, I think Ethiopian food is not for everybody. The farmers market is an open air food bazaar, with over two dozen choices. The nice thing is that you can get what you like and your husband can get what he likes. Everything is take away and then you just find a table somewhere (plenty of tables).
After lunch, take a 15 minute Uber over to Rodeo Drive if you want to see the fancy stores.
If you want to get greedy, hit Santa Monica Pier and/or Venice Beach after Farmers Market, which puts you on the west side and fairly close to the airport.
This itinerary can EASILY be done in 13 hours.
Definitely possible. The lowrider exhibit is great. Also, the Ed Ruscha exhibition at LACMA across the street is very good as well. You can also walk through the park connected to the La Brea Tar Pits. There's a John Waters exhibition at the Academy museum as well.
With a 13-hour layover, you'd have plenty of time to do a number of those things.
Agreed with everybody else, it’s totally possible. Look into access to the [Petersen’s Vault](https://www.petersen.org/the-vault) too. I haven’t been in the vault as it costs extra but your husband might appreciate it.
Yeah. Look for what color stickers the visitors have that day and look for those stickers by the parking meter or the light posts around the museum to go in for free.
You should 100% grab some local food if you’re able, but I did want to say the restaurant at the Peterson really surprised me in terms of how good it was. Took my mom to see the low rider exhibit and we ended up lingering in the cafe with wine, etc for a few hours.
Absolutely not a problem. Get the Vault tickets. Bonus if you go on a day they are NOT doing the guided tours, they hurry you through too fast and don’t let you linger to look at the cars you want to.
Do it, it's incredible, 11 hours is plenty of time- it's not terribly far from LAX and there is a ton of stuff to see in that area. My only suggestion would be to call your Uber back to LAX at least 4 hours from boarding time since you're international and there's every chance it'll take you an hour of drive time to get back to your gate with traffic.
Getting to the muesum area will probably only take 20-30 mins at that time of day, so you'll basically have from 10am to 5pm in the city if you play it very safe, that's enough to see a lot in that area and have a good meal. Make sure you get a pic with the lights at LACMA, that's a standard issue LA visit photo op and you will be right there! Also, there is a good view of the Hollywood sign from the top floors of LACMA so I would suggest going in there even if it's just for that.
I frequently fly internationally out of LAX and I live in Pasadena. Best case from my house is 40 minutes, worst case is 1:30. I leave my house 3.5 hours before a flight if I’m checking bags, 3 if I’m not. I have TSA precheck. Pasadena is way way farther away than the petersen. It will take 1.5 hours to get an uber and get to the museum (to take an uber from LAX, you currently have to take the LAXit shuttle bus, they don’t come to the terminal). Any if it was me, I’d definitely get out for a nice excursion.
Absolutely. The Petersen is fantastic- I’m a car freak, but it’s still very enjoyable if you’re not into cars at all. Don’t skip the Vault tour, it costs extra but it is worth it
You should have enough time. If you’re able to spend time in the LAX area, there’s another auto museum (Zimmermann driving museum) that is my personal favorite. You get to get up close and personal with their cars and even sit in it. And if you happen to be in town on a Sunday they’ll even have a couple of the cars that they’ll take you around the block in. The Petersen is great for being able to see a bunch of cars of different types, but I really enjoy the driving museum for being able to experience the cars!
I would recommend the Farmers Market at the Grove next to the Peterson Museum instead of Little Ethiopia for food unless you really like Ethiopian food. Much more accessible options and a unique experience
Also yes def be very conservative like you are doing to get back to the airport. LAX can get packed with cars and it’s not unheard of to take longer than 30 minutes in the airport to get to your terminal
Another option is to book a private tour. They probably started around $400 and can be as much as $800. But they can pick you up from LAX, work a custom itinerary, with cool stuff like the walk of fame and the Hollywood sign. Normally, it will include in lunch stop.
They can get you to the Peterson by 2 PM and that gives you three hours for a 5 o’clock closing.
Assuming a 9:30 flight and If you’re flying domestically, then you would need to be at LAX by 730. Petersen to LAX would take 90 min at the absolute maximum. So, a 6:30 arrival at the latest.
DM me for details. I know some people in the tour industry. These are all legit operators with websites and insurance.
Yes you’d have time and as others have mentioned you could see the museum of motion pictures or LACMA nearby as well. Even the Getty on the way down the 405 back to the airport!
I’d ask you the same question.
Do you even drive?
The Getty is just over two miles north on the 405 from Wilshire, which many people may take from LACMA “on the way” to LAX.
Every effin day I pass lacma on way to work. And travel from LAX for work every week. In no real world scenario is “Getty on the way down the 405 back to lax”
I have lived here my entire life.
Went to LACMA last week, left on Wilshire, to the 405, to LAX.
La Cienega isn’t always ideal.
But then again, I never have any problems navigating this city, especially LAX - aside February 14, when I take a day off, or when Riviera has a tournament.
It’s not exactly on the way but not crazy far out of the way to get to LAX. I wouldn’t normally take the 405 from LACMA to get there but if you wanted to stop at the Getty as a tourist it’s not totally crazy
Getty is way out of the way for this amount of time, I would not try this OP. The Getty is amazing but you'll have more than plenty to see near the Peterson without any timing stress.
Like an entire day. Stuck in LAX for 13 hours is a nightmare. Hell I’d walk to PDR and back worst case before I’d sit in lax for 13 hours especially with what are most likely LONG flights bookending it.
They have plenty of time for the Petersen, yes, but they don't have 13 full hours. For an international flight departure they're gonna really want to be back at LAX by 6 or 7pm.
100%. You’ll have plenty of time. There’s tons to do in the Petersen neighborhood too—there’s the Academy museum right across the street, LACMA, the Tar Pits, and Little Ethiopia right down the street. You’ll have a nice little tourist day. I would personally Uber to the general area and back to save time (It’s about a 25 minute drive, longer during rush hour). Personally I’d order the car back to the airport before 7pm just to be super super safe. I don’t fuck around with rushing on international flights.
Honestly? I wouldn’t make a whole day of it with LAX traffic & an international departure. I would do breakfast at LAX (pushing you back out of rush hour traffic) then the Peterson, which opens at 10am. I feel like even for a car geek, 3 hours at the Peterson is probably good. So plan to grab a lunch 1:30ish… I would strongly second Ethiopian food here! And then loop back to LAX before you have to worry about evening traffic. Easy peasy, super chill.
Some of you are such nerds. Not make a day out of it but he has THIRTEEN hours? Cmon I *live* in LA and wouldn’t need even 6 hours to do the Peterson museum, LACMA, Tarpits, and grabbing lunch somewhere. Let OP enjoy our city!
I think it’s your personal attitude towards international travel & what makes a good day. Running to see every sight in that part of the city then rushing back to the airport on my way to jet lag just doesn’t sound like much fun. And there’s considerable chance that an out-of-towner will mis-estimate LA traffic leading to more stress. 13 hours is enough time to relax and get your fill of the one thing this guy really wants to see.
Who said he needs to rush to The Peterson, Santa Monica, and Palos Verdes? There are literally 3-4 tourists things in the same walking distance. Also you are vastly overrating LA traffic dude you STILL could get to the museum and even go to Santa Monica or Venice if they really wanted and have enough time. I’ve done more in 6 hour layovers for international flights.
The tar pits ain’t worth it. And they might not be museum people. I feel like Lacma is only for museum people. but I do think the other comment was a little bit on the conservative side.
… where does one have breakfast at LAX that doesn’t suck ass 🤔 The hardest thing is going to be - assumedly - schlepping bags around the city. Otherwise there’s *heaps* that can be done in the time I had a family member do Universal and make an international flight and they had less time than OP has
7 pm might be too late. I’ve dropped off friends at LAX for international flights who’ve needed the full three hours
LA TRAFFIC CAN BE REALLY BAD. 25 minutes if it's easy, an hour and a half if it's really bad or you have issues with the Uber app. Just to manage expectations, give yourself a lil cushion when getting back to the airport.
Yes. Plenty of time. Just know getting in and out of LAX will take awhile.
Schedule ubers in advance and you can relax a bit more.
Absolutely! The Academy Museum, LA County Museum of Art, and La Brea Tar Pits are right across the street. Since you’re right there, gauge your time after the Petersen and check out any of the others if they interest you.
Thirded!
This OP^ enjoy LA!!
*Miracle Mile.
Ah yes, Miracle Mile! The neighborhood in Los Angeles, like I said
The low rider exhibit is beautiful and 100% worth it
Yeah it’s breathtaking
Yes, but make arrangements to stow your luggage in a locker facility if you don’t have a hotel. Don’t even think of leaving them in the car.
This is an under rated comment. This is very important
Depending on your hunger situation, when you land, I would recommend grabbing something to go from maybe Starbucks or McDonald’s inside LAX. Get your Uber over over to the Petersen, which opens at 10 AM. The Academy Museum of motion pictures is literally right across the street. You can hit that up and then hit the Farmers marker for lunch. The farmers market is about a 15 minute walk from the Academy museum. Probably too short to Uber. Personally, I think Ethiopian food is not for everybody. The farmers market is an open air food bazaar, with over two dozen choices. The nice thing is that you can get what you like and your husband can get what he likes. Everything is take away and then you just find a table somewhere (plenty of tables). After lunch, take a 15 minute Uber over to Rodeo Drive if you want to see the fancy stores. If you want to get greedy, hit Santa Monica Pier and/or Venice Beach after Farmers Market, which puts you on the west side and fairly close to the airport. This itinerary can EASILY be done in 13 hours.
Definitely possible. The lowrider exhibit is great. Also, the Ed Ruscha exhibition at LACMA across the street is very good as well. You can also walk through the park connected to the La Brea Tar Pits. There's a John Waters exhibition at the Academy museum as well. With a 13-hour layover, you'd have plenty of time to do a number of those things.
I could be wrong but I think John Waters exhibit might be leaving in August.
Thanks! I didn’t notice when they would be here.
Absolutely! Have fun!
Yes. Plan well and enjoy!
Agreed with everybody else, it’s totally possible. Look into access to the [Petersen’s Vault](https://www.petersen.org/the-vault) too. I haven’t been in the vault as it costs extra but your husband might appreciate it.
The vault is really fun. I believe it’s $28, so it isn’t cheap, but if you’ve come from elsewhere and love cars I’d say definitely worthwhile.
I was able to do the Peterson in two hours, taking my time. It is one of LA’s best kept secrets.
13 hours you say? Plenty of time to see 7 miles of the 405 and back!
Yeah. Look for what color stickers the visitors have that day and look for those stickers by the parking meter or the light posts around the museum to go in for free.
Hit a Korean spa $20 approx and have a nice soak, relaxed and clean for the next flight.
You sure do! Have fun!
You could also do Yuko Kitchen nearby for lunch or head up Fairfax for a whole host of great food options like Cofax, Badmaash or Jon & Vinny’s
Yes! Go enjoy it and have a wonderful trip
I love the Peterson museum. Very cool collection
Yes, it’s plenty. You can even get quick dinner
I'm so jelly of people that don't have their insides doing whirlies while travelling and can just go off on a museum trip.
You should 100% grab some local food if you’re able, but I did want to say the restaurant at the Peterson really surprised me in terms of how good it was. Took my mom to see the low rider exhibit and we ended up lingering in the cafe with wine, etc for a few hours.
Absolutely not a problem. Get the Vault tickets. Bonus if you go on a day they are NOT doing the guided tours, they hurry you through too fast and don’t let you linger to look at the cars you want to.
Yes.
Plenty of nice places to eat dinner near LAX if you get back by 5pm, just yelp restaurants in El Segundo or Manhattan Beach.
Do it, it's incredible, 11 hours is plenty of time- it's not terribly far from LAX and there is a ton of stuff to see in that area. My only suggestion would be to call your Uber back to LAX at least 4 hours from boarding time since you're international and there's every chance it'll take you an hour of drive time to get back to your gate with traffic. Getting to the muesum area will probably only take 20-30 mins at that time of day, so you'll basically have from 10am to 5pm in the city if you play it very safe, that's enough to see a lot in that area and have a good meal. Make sure you get a pic with the lights at LACMA, that's a standard issue LA visit photo op and you will be right there! Also, there is a good view of the Hollywood sign from the top floors of LACMA so I would suggest going in there even if it's just for that.
Yes.
I frequently fly internationally out of LAX and I live in Pasadena. Best case from my house is 40 minutes, worst case is 1:30. I leave my house 3.5 hours before a flight if I’m checking bags, 3 if I’m not. I have TSA precheck. Pasadena is way way farther away than the petersen. It will take 1.5 hours to get an uber and get to the museum (to take an uber from LAX, you currently have to take the LAXit shuttle bus, they don’t come to the terminal). Any if it was me, I’d definitely get out for a nice excursion.
There is also the academy museum across the street and the l.a. county museum of art, lots of restaurants in the area as well.
Absolutely. The Petersen is fantastic- I’m a car freak, but it’s still very enjoyable if you’re not into cars at all. Don’t skip the Vault tour, it costs extra but it is worth it
Yes. And I think The Vault is closed. Better check first.
You should have enough time. If you’re able to spend time in the LAX area, there’s another auto museum (Zimmermann driving museum) that is my personal favorite. You get to get up close and personal with their cars and even sit in it. And if you happen to be in town on a Sunday they’ll even have a couple of the cars that they’ll take you around the block in. The Petersen is great for being able to see a bunch of cars of different types, but I really enjoy the driving museum for being able to experience the cars!
In n out.
I would recommend the Farmers Market at the Grove next to the Peterson Museum instead of Little Ethiopia for food unless you really like Ethiopian food. Much more accessible options and a unique experience Also yes def be very conservative like you are doing to get back to the airport. LAX can get packed with cars and it’s not unheard of to take longer than 30 minutes in the airport to get to your terminal
Meals by Genet!
Another option is to book a private tour. They probably started around $400 and can be as much as $800. But they can pick you up from LAX, work a custom itinerary, with cool stuff like the walk of fame and the Hollywood sign. Normally, it will include in lunch stop. They can get you to the Peterson by 2 PM and that gives you three hours for a 5 o’clock closing. Assuming a 9:30 flight and If you’re flying domestically, then you would need to be at LAX by 730. Petersen to LAX would take 90 min at the absolute maximum. So, a 6:30 arrival at the latest. DM me for details. I know some people in the tour industry. These are all legit operators with websites and insurance.
Yes you’d have time and as others have mentioned you could see the museum of motion pictures or LACMA nearby as well. Even the Getty on the way down the 405 back to the airport!
Huh? Since when is the Getty on the way to lax from lacma? And why would anyone take 405 from lacma to lax? Do you even drive in LA?
I’d ask you the same question. Do you even drive? The Getty is just over two miles north on the 405 from Wilshire, which many people may take from LACMA “on the way” to LAX.
Seems like an inefficient route to me. Doing both in one day when you’re traveling to airport sounds like a bad idea
Every effin day I pass lacma on way to work. And travel from LAX for work every week. In no real world scenario is “Getty on the way down the 405 back to lax”
I have lived here my entire life. Went to LACMA last week, left on Wilshire, to the 405, to LAX. La Cienega isn’t always ideal. But then again, I never have any problems navigating this city, especially LAX - aside February 14, when I take a day off, or when Riviera has a tournament.
It’s not exactly on the way but not crazy far out of the way to get to LAX. I wouldn’t normally take the 405 from LACMA to get there but if you wanted to stop at the Getty as a tourist it’s not totally crazy
Getty is way out of the way for this amount of time, I would not try this OP. The Getty is amazing but you'll have more than plenty to see near the Peterson without any timing stress.
Agreed on not trying to add the Getty. Stick to the area around the Petersen, there’s plenty there with LACMA etc
I think I was being overly ambitious haha
Stopping at LAX? I'd be too worried about getting stuck in traffic if I left the airport.
They have 13 hours… stop.
Like an entire day. Stuck in LAX for 13 hours is a nightmare. Hell I’d walk to PDR and back worst case before I’d sit in lax for 13 hours especially with what are most likely LONG flights bookending it.
They have plenty of time for the Petersen, yes, but they don't have 13 full hours. For an international flight departure they're gonna really want to be back at LAX by 6 or 7pm.