This article appeared on Travelers Today in June 2013. (A direct link is available under Links to Articles.)

Los Angeles isn’t as hot a city as you might think in the summer, though it can still get extremely warm.  If you find the temperature too hot for you during the day, there are some activities to do indoors, where you can escape the heat and enjoy the air-conditioning.

Getty Center

This museum was established in 1997 and is named after J. Paul Getty, a wealthy oilman.  It’s an art museum that “seeks to inspire curiosity about, and enjoyment of, the visual arts by collecting, conserving, exhibiting and interpreting works of art of outstanding quality and historical importance,” according to the museum website.  The museum displays European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts and European and American photographs.

The grounds of the museum are built on a bluff, and offer an amazing view of the city that expands from downtown Los Angeles to the ocean, depending on the weather and smog.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) & Page Museum

The LACMA was established in 1961 as an art focused institution.  It displays modern and contemporary art, including works by Picasso, American and Latin American art, including pre-Colombian, Spanish Colonial, and modern and contemporary works, Asian art, including Chinese and Korean works, Greek, Roman and Etruscan art, the majority of which was donated by William Randolph Hearst and decorative arts and design.

Next door to the LACMA is the La Brea Tar Pits & Page Museum.  The tar pits are an interesting visit, but are outdoors in the heat, so be prepared to face the sun before you go.  The Page Museum is part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and opened in 1977.  It tells the background story of the tar pits and includes specimens that have been found in them over the years.  There is also a pit that still undergoes excavation, which visitors can observe.

See a Movie!

In Los Angeles, there’s a plethora of movie theaters to choose from.  You can pick an older theater, such as the Grauman’s Chinese Theater, which has hosted many premieres, or a higher-tech, more luxurious theater, like the Arc Light, which allows you to choose your seat when you buy your ticket and also serves alcoholic beverages during the films.