Museum Free-For-All in Los Angeles January 31, 2015

Museum Free-For-All in Los Angeles January 31, 2015
Open House at 20 Los Angeles Museums

Twenty Los Angeles area museums open their doors to the public on Saturday January 31, 2015 for the tenth annual Museum Free-for-All.

The list of participating venues includes diverse art, cultural heritage, natural history, and science museums.

There are a number of top attractions participating — such as the Los Angeles Museum of Art and the California Science Center, but if I had my druthers I would head over the the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits.

Kids love dinosaurs and what could be better than an active excavation site for dinosaur fossils?   We spent half a day at the Tar Pits when we last visited LA with our then school-aged daughter.  Regular admission is $15 per adult and $8 per child, so free admission is a really great deal for families!

 Los Angeles Museums Participating in 2015 Free-for-All

Here are links to the museums that are participating in this year’s open houses.  The Jan. 31 offer is good for general  admission only and does not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 
Annenberg Space for Photography 
Armory Center for the Arts 
California African American Museum 
California Science Center
Chinese American Museum 
Craft Folk & Art Museum 
Fowler Museum at UCLA 
The Getty Center 
The Getty Villa (Timed tickets required)
Hammer Museum 
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) 
Museum of Latin American Art 
Museum of Tolerance (Feb. 1)
The Paley Center for Media 
The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits 
Pasadena Museum of California Art
Santa Monica Museum of Art 
Skirball Cultural Center
The Torrance Art Museum 
USC Pacific Asia Museum 
William S. Hart Museum 
Zimmer Children’s Museum (Feb. 1)

Weekly/Monthly Free Admission Days in Los Angeles and Other Major Cities

If you can’t make it this coming weekend, plan to take advantage of the regularly scheduled free admission days at Los Angeles area museums.

FreeMuseumDay.org publishes a calendar of free museums and free museum days for LA and for these major cities:

Check it out!

2014 Fodor’s Travel Guides: Now Free on iTunes

Fodor's Rio City Guide App
Fodor’s Rio City Guide App

Fodor’s has updated its series of 22 free travel guides for iPhone and iPad and the 2014 editions are now available on iTunes.

Just in time for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, city guides for Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo have been added!

Each App features:

Expert info:  Read about things to do and get expert tips
– Interactive Local Maps:  Discover what’s nearby
Booking Tools:  Book hotels, tours, and more
– Planner:  Save favorites and create lists

Fodor’s local travel experts vet every recommendation.  You’ll find information on neighborhoods, cheap things to do, kid-friendly attractions, shopping, nightlife, performing arts, and more.  These are not your parent’s stuffy travel books!

Fodor's Apps Feature Interactive Maps
Fodor’s Apps Feature Interactive Maps

The interactive maps make it easy to find nearby hotels, sights, restaurants, bars, and clubs and to access reviews from the map.

Listings are searchable by destination, price range, or category of interest.  Look for properties designated “Fodor’s Choice,” representing the best of the best.

The Fodor’s apps were recognized as the “2013 Travel App of the Year” by the Society of American Travel Writers, and were featured in Wired Magazine’s 2012 App Guide as a Best Travel Reference App.

How can Fodor’s afford to give away its guidebooks for free?  The apps include the ability to book hotel rooms via Expedia, buy event tickets via Tickets Now, and make restaurant reservations via Open Table.  Fodor’s is likely earning a commission if you make purchases via the app.

Fodor's 2014 Travel Guides Free on iTunes
Fodor’s 2014 Travel Guides Free on iTunes

Here are links to the city travel guides:

Fodor’s U.S. City Guide Apps

Fodor’s International City Guide Apps

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Consumer Survey: Priceline Consistently Offers Lowest Rates

A multi-city survey by Washington Consumers’ Checkbook finds that hotel rates on Priceline are 40 percent lower than on other online booking services.

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The nonprofit organization compared prices for a specific 4 or 5 star hotel in seven cities, and the Priceline rate was consistently the lowest.

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