16 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Santa Monica - Atlas Obscura
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The Atlas Obscura Guide To

Santa Monica

16 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Santa Monica, California

Unusual Attractions in Santa Monica

Atlas Obscura Trips

Dark Skies, Desert Beasts: A Night Photography Workshop in Borrego Springs, California

May 2—May 5, 2019

Journey deep into the desert of Southern California to explore and photograph the Dark Sky Sculptural Oasis of Borrego Springs.

Learn More

Explore Santa Monica, California

Upcoming Events Near Santa Monica

MotoArt.
Aug 18
Torrance, California

Aviation Creation

From desert discovery to reclaimed materials, explore MotoArt—a company that transforms decommissioned airplanes into fashionable, functional art.
Beverly Hills.
Aug 19
Beverly Hills, California

Beverly Hills Obscura

You don’t have to be rich to live in Beverly Hills, but you do have to be weird.
The Chapel of Radiance.
Aug 19
Altadena, California

Mountain View Cemetery

Wind your way though a labyrinth of crypts and niches, a corridor with ceilings depicting scenes from the Bible, and hallways illuminated by beautiful stained glass.
Drew Lobenstein's private home in Reseda.
Aug 25
Reseda, California

Homeward Bound: Pigeon Navigation

Meet a flock of homing pigeons and explore the mystery of bird navigation with the L.A. Pigeon Club.
Aug 26
Los Angeles, California

Secret Japanese Village

Take a rare opportunity to step inside the hidden world of L.A.-based fashion designer Peter Lai, with an incredible private tour lead by the artist himself.
Selected experiences curated by Chase Sapphire®
Phantasma Gloria.
Aug 26
Los Angeles, California

Phantasma Gloria

Discover a glorious glasswork homage to the Virgin of Guadalupe, hidden in Echo Park.
Follow Your Heart.
Sep 8
Chatsworth, California

Vegan Food Factory

Discover how vegan mayonnaise is made on this exclusive factory tour of Follow Your Heart Market & Restaurant.
Sculpture by Robin Cohen.
Sep 15
Los Angeles, California

Hollywood Hills Sculpture Garden

Located just below the Hollywood Sign is a garden filled with over 60 contemporary sculptures. Join us for an exclusive sunset stroll of this private art collection with founder and artist, Dr. Robby Gordon.
Selected experiences curated by Chase Sapphire®
60-inch telescope.
Sep 15
Los Angeles, California

60-Inch Telescope

Step into the darkness for an evening of planets, globular clusters, planetary nebulae, and colorful double stars at the Mount Wilson Observatory.
Palisades and Movie Colony, Santa Monica, California.
Sep 16
Santa Monica, California

Hollywood's First Hidden Getaway

Discover Santa Monica's scandalous past during a beachfront tour of the Gold Coast.
Puppet.
Sep 23
Los Angeles, California

Puppet-Making Party

Unleash the creatures of your imagination in this magical making workshop.
Team Oddities, Meagan Meli, Ryan Cohn, and Regina Cohn,
Sep 29
Los Angeles, California

Oddities Flea Market: Exclusive VIP Presale Tickets

The legendary Oddities Market by Ryan and Regina Cohn is coming to Los Angeles!

Santa Monica Leaderboard

Recent Santa Monica Activity

jennhowle has been to Pacific Park Solar Ferris Wheel
nay2201 has been to Santa Monica Camera Obscura
nay2201 has been to The Galley
nay2201 has been to Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome
nay2201 has been to Chain Reaction

Lists Featuring Santa Monica

19 Unusual Hotels in California
Look familiar?
The ivy covered hotel.
Hotel Vertigo
Mid Eastern-themed billiards room

19 Unusual Hotels in California

Remarkable places to stay—or at least visit—in the Golden State.

19

Including The Ahwahnee Hotel, Venice Beach House, and Hotel Vertigo

11 Homes Transformed Into Amazing Mosaics
(Flickr/andreakw)
La Maison Picassiette
The bathroom
Some of the decorations include broken crockery that have been priced back together

11 Homes Transformed Into Amazing Mosaics

If you own your property, why not bedazzle it?

11

Including Wyckoff Street Mosaic, La Maison Picassiette, and House of Mirrors