IRIS A Journey Through the World of Cinema stage rendering
More than 20 years ago, Cirque du Soleil made its American debut right here in Los Angeles. This July, it returns to establish a permanent home in the heart of Hollywood at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center. The new show, “IRIS,” will be based on Hollywood’s tremendous impact on the history of cinema and will involve a cast of 72 performers bringing together dance, acrobatics, live video, filmed sequences and animation to re-create the history of cinema for audiences. 
Downtown Los Angeles, already a thriving cultural center, will boast yet another architectural gem when the Broad Art Foundation opens its museum across from Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2013. The stunning renderings of the three-story museum, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, show a honeycomb-esque “veil” that promises the building becomes as much of an icon as its neighbor. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...
With the April 16 opening of the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes near Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles, Mexican Americans in California and beyond have a new place to celebrate and learn about their heritage. The brainchild of county supervisor Gloria Molina, LA (pronounced “lah”) Plaza occupies two of LA’s oldest standing structures — the rehabbed 1880s-era Vickrey-Brunswig and Plaza House buildings — and is surrounded by 30,000 square feet of urban garden. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...
One of LA's longest-running tour companies now offers a glimpse into the beautiful beaches and homes of Malibu. See the celebrity enclave's beachfront communities as you zip up beautiful Pacific Coast Highway. Starline's guide will point out the residences of Leo, Cher, Charlize, Bruce and more, as well as the filming locations for "The Hills," "Gidget," "Iron Man" and others. The tour departs from Santa Monica Pier.
The rooftop Observation Deck at LAX’s nearly 50-year-old Theme Building reopened in July 2010, offering 360-degree views of the airport, the Pacific Ocean and the City. The iconic Theme Building, whose architectural style is reminiscent of a space ship, and its glass-encased Encounter Restaurant received a $12.3 million reconstruction (and, incidentally, was just named one of Food & Wine's best airport restaurants thanks to its stellar California-style cuisine). All four arch facades have been restored to match the historic shape and texture of the original futuristic structure. The Observation Deck is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the unique views as long as they wish. New security measures have been established, including inspection of personal belongings before visitors enter the non-stop elevator that whisks them from the Theme Building Lobby to the Observation Deck. 
The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, founded in 1961, celebrated the opening of its new permanent home with a week of festivities in Oct. 2010. It is the West Coast's largest archive of documents, relics and other primary source materials from the Holocaust period (1933–1945). In addition to the new interactive exhibits, docent-led tours of the museum will be available. The new building in Pan Pacific Park was designed by acclaimed architect Hagy Belzberg. 
A new Renzo Piano-designed pavilion has opened as part of Phase II of LACMA’s ongoing Transformation, a campaign to unify the museum’s campus and expand its gallery spaces. The new pavilion is immediately north of the $56 million Broad Contemporary Art Museum, which opened in February 2008. A trio of inaugural exhibits — Eye for the Sensual: Selections from the Resnick Collection; Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915; and Olmec: Masterworks of Ancient Mexico — has been selected to highlight the diversity of the museum’s encyclopedic collection and programming. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...
A little more than two years after fire damaged the world's largest working movie studio lot, Universal Studios has re-opened its iconic sets, built with creative consultation by Steven Spielberg himself, unveiling innovative shooting locations designed to meet contemporary film production needs. The new and re-created sets are featured on the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ...
An exhibit of Leonardo Da Vinci's extraordinary contributions to engineering, science, philosophy and art has made it to LA. On display at the Hollywood & Highland Center through Dec. 31 are 64 full-sized machines designed and described by Da Vinci as well as reproductions of 20 of his most famous works of art. The Da Vinci Museum Exhibit will be open Monday-Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Admission is $18 for adults, $16 for seniors, $13 for students and $11 for children. Discounts are available to families and group. www.davincihollywood.org
King Kong 360 3D, a new attraction, based on the Oscar®-winning 2005 Peter Jackson film, is Universal Studios Hollywood’s new signature attraction. Riders on the Studio Tour tram are transported, via a darkened soundstage, back to King Kong’s home - Skull Island. The action, which takes place before King Kong ever makes his way to the modern world, culminates in a ferocious battle between the worlds’ most famous ape and a 35-foot dinosaur. Visitors are thrust in the middle of the action -- through the magic of the world’s largest Surround Digital 3D projection system -- and feel the tram jolt and reverberate as the 3D battle unfolds around them.
If you went in search of the birthplace of show business, you’d likely find yourself at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street — the neighborhood where countless classic Hollywood deals went down. Now, this iconic LA spot is getting a 21st-century makeover with the W Hotel Hollywood as its centerpiece. The glamorous hotel opened in January and is already making a splash as Hollywood’s newest starlet. To top it off, a rooftop club from legendary nightclub owner Victor Drai adds to the excitement. Drai's Hollywood features a restaurant, lounge, poolside cabanas and breathtaking views. And across the street, the Pantages Theatre continues its long history of charming audiences with its art deco opulence. CLICK HERE to view upcoming performances.
After making cameos in too many Hollywood movies to count, Santa Monica’s distinctive open-air shopping center, Santa Monica Place, has undergone a massive renovation that planners are equating to the “rebirth of a star.” It’s hard to imagine it any other way, considering the $155 million renovation price tag. Check out its rooftop ocean-view dining patio and a brand-new Bloomingdales and a Nordstrom.
With the much-anticipated “Ecosystems” exhibit now open, you’re invited to experience a flash flood in the Extreme Zone, walk through a simulated ocean-floor tunnel and discover what kinds of icky, earthy things happen in the Rot Room. A major component of the California Science Center's 25-year expansion plan, “Ecosystems” features dozens of interactive exhibits that take visitors on an ecological quest to uncover the complex relationships between living things and their habitats.
