Like a lot of America cities entertainment in Los Angeles is based on consumer culture, but there are plenty of shopping free things to do if you look hard enough. For instance, Los Angeles has several great museums from the MOCA (www.moca-la.org) downtown to The Getty Museum on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu (www.getty.edu). Movie studio tours are also an interesting look into the past and present of Hollywood, although sadly the best tour at Paramount closed due to security reasons shortly after Sept 11th 2001. The best tour now is at Sony; Sony Pictures Studios Tour, 10202 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232. Tel: 323 520 8687. Once home to Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer, this is where screen legends like Judy Garland and Clark Gable clocked in to work. More commercial and theme park based studio experience is available at Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com) which can be easily reached by Metro from Central Hollywood.

Disneyland is about 25 miles from Hollywood in Santa Ana, and worth the trip if you are travelling with children, or just to satisfy the in yourself (www.disneyland.com). Six Flags Magic Mountain, another short drive away is strictly for adrenaline junkies with its nail biting, stomach-turning rollercoaster rides (www.sixflags.com). If theme parks aren't your thing, you can get your fill of Hollywood nostalgia by simply walking along the breadth of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Since its opening in 1960 over 2,200 stars have been awarded to some of the biggest (and notsot-big) names in the business. But don't forget to look up: otherwise, you'll walk right past Mann's Chinese Theatre, the Capitol Records building and, of course, that infamous underwear store – Frederick's of Hollywood.