If you want to earn your Mickey Mouse ears as a die-hard fan, then this place needs to be on your…read morelist of must-see Disney locations. Because this barn, or as Walt called it, "my happy place" is where all those magical ideas first got their start. When you go inside, you'll see many ideas built on happiness and some neat-o Disney history, too. A mini train ride around the property is also filled with little surprises to put a smile on your face. THE BACK STORY: Carolwood Barn served as Walt Disney's workshop where he spent many hours building miniatures and 1/8th scale model trains. It's been said that the barn itself is where Walt's original "imagineering" ideation sparked the inspo to create Disneyland Park. Originally, the barn was located in Holmby Hills and named after the street where he lived, which was Carolwood Drive. Later in 1999 after his passing, his daughter bequeathed Walt's hand-laid tracks to the Los Angeles Live Steamers (LALS), who maintained a rail museum in LA's Griffith Park. Fun fact: Walt was one of the founding & charter members of this locomotive enthusiast group (LALS) that formed back in 1956. So I guess the train story comes full circle. Carolwood Barn is open on the third Sunday of each month (11am-3am). Note: subject to change without notice. Admission is FREE, parking is FREE, and LALS members serve as volunteer hosts, and take you on train rides. So be nice to them, they're out there donating their time for free. Now if you're a train enthusiast, you can be a member too. Membership Perks: Help lay track, maintain signals, transport passengers, and operate live steam, diesel, or electric train engines from 1″ scale (1:32) to 1.5″ scale. It's a $100 annual fee and even kiddos can get a $20 Junior Membership. See, you can easily join the OG Walt Disney Club (Mickey ears are optional).

If the history of Walt Disney is what you seek, Griffith Park offers a couple of spots, but this…read moreparticular spot takes some planning ahead, because there's only a handful of times a year that you can get in, but it will be worth your time and effort; and because it does take planning to get here, that makes it all that much better. As a sidenote, while you're in the area, you may as well check out the LA live steamers just next-door. And don't forget the merry-go-round in Griffith Park because that's where Walt developed the idea for Disneyland, and where Disneyland original blueprints were designed for!

i LOVE this place so so much…read more this is like the perfect place for oddities and gifts. it's also just a cool vibe to walk around. i wish so desperately they would do movie nights of old horror flicks. even if it's just folding chairs and a little projector. that would be a dream.

I love stopping at this place every time I'm in Burbank. It's a museum and a shop all in one, they…read moresell lots of different little oddities and horror movie memorabilia. It's fits in well with the little horror theme that Burbank has going on. Even if you don't decide to pay admission and view the museum yourself the shop is fun to walk around and check out. There's lots of photo ops in there as well There's lots of street parking and it's usually free. It's also located near a neighborhood and there is some parking as well.

Tim was so funny and helpful definitely made the experience much better had so much funread more

Needed a last minute outing to keep the kids busy so naturally, I googled my options. This…read morelocation was pretty convenient so off we went. Tickets were pretty easy to purchase online. I thought it was a timed entry but it is not...or it wasn't when we went. I followed the parking sign on the wall which led me to a lot just a little north of the museum. It was $20 to park there. Had I had more time to plan, I may have parked somewhere else as I felt that was a bit steep. I'm assuming metered parking would be hard to find in that location as it is in the heart of Hollywood. I thought it would be similar to the Museum of Illusions in New York, but rather than a museum feel, this was purely just photo ops. You can rent tripods at the front for $10. They also provide free lockers for your bags and stuff- which I would highly recommend. I didn't take up the offer in the beginning but soon realized that was a better option. I would also like to highly recommend and thank Tim! He showed us the ropes of how to take photos and he took some photos for us. He was friendly, professional and patient with my two young kids. He definitely knows his way around an iPhone camera and showed me some tricks I didn't even know. Tim's photos came out a lot better than mine as you need to find the perfect angle for the pictures to have that illusion effect. The tickets I purchased online also allowed us to go to the giant house next door and the upside down house. Tim came to the rescue again and took some amazing photos for us in the upside down house. It was a fun experience for all of us and I would definitely recommend visiting this location. If you see Tim, ask him for some pointers! Thank you, Tim!

The new fire truck is amazing 10/10 would go again. I also loved the train, this place is amazingread more

A nice revelation to find out such a cool museum complex in the heart of Burbank!…read more I found out about Burbank Historical Society pre-pandemic and never got around to visit it. But I checked their site and noticed that they re-opened, so we went to check it out as a Valentine's Day activity in a Sunday. The museum is oopen only Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm. I would call to make sure it's open before you go, this was the first weekend the place was opened in 2022! Plenty of parking on the street and private lot. The museum is near George Izay park, so there are many options for that. There are a couple of docents working, they came to you from time to time to give you more information and guide you around since the buidling is bigger than you'd think! Very nice people at the front desk, you can visit the museum for free, can leave a donation if you can. The museum has a bit of everything: history of Burbank and the city developped, with many photos, maps, information. A bit about industries that made Burbank a home, like Lockheed Aviation, Disney Studios and NBC. So you have plane models, stories about Amelia Earhart, lots of memorabilia and fun props from Disney, NBC and Debbie Reynolds who used to be Miss Burbank. Cool trivia! And lots of private collections on display, automobiles (they rent them for movies or parades), pottery, train sets, old wineries and Burbank's agriculture and farming on display, old restaurant signs from the area, a bit of everything. The place is keeps going on, so you need 1-2 hours at least to tour it. It is fun, educational and entertaning! There are many restrooms and you'll barely see any other visitors! Great place for locals to learn more about the area, could be fun to being visitors, as a off the beaten path attraction. Cool for all ages! Wonderful museum complex, check it out, we had a very nice visit and we'll return!

I had an amazing time here, it was so many different parts to the tour! I learned so much and just…read morehad a great time taking everything in. I definitely will be back to visit again and bring more people with me!

Thank you to the owner (JD?). We met him at the frolic room after we saw social distortion at…read moreamoeba music and he was amazing and so was was the bartender highly recommend the frolic room by the way. The owner was so kind he gave us free tickets to the museum of death. What an experience, the Charles Manson exhibit was fascinating and tragic. We saw pictures of Sharon Tate's mangled flesh. And heavens gate oh my what a crazy world we live in. highly recommend this museum if you're just hanging around on Hollywood Boulevard check it out. And if you're at Trejos tacos go across the street to the Museum of Death. Don't be scared. The docent will take good care of you.

It's not the biggest museum, but it's worth seeing! They even host classes to build your own!…read more Unrelated: one of there community questions asks what's your favorite neon you've encountered. If you're looking for the best Korean food in LA, check out Dan Sung Sa.

I found the Museum of Neon Art from the list of museums participating in Museums for All! It is a…read moresmall museum compared to LACMA and other art museums, but there were three rooms to go in, not including the entrance area. There was a variety of neon art and informational posters. My favorite was the rocket art in the large back room. Bathrooms were available. Street metered parking and parking garages available nearby. They have a pretty rainbow angel wing neon art facing the street. I would've loved if it was inside a dark room to get a super cool photo with it, but maybe at nighttime people can take a picture with it from the sidewalk!

The Autry is such a great museum. I hadn't been here in years and decided to come with a friend…read more Our favorite exhibits were Imagined Wests and Future Imaginaries. We came on the first Wednesday of the month which was free. Parking is free as well.

Came here this past Saturday when they hosted a pie festival on their lawn. I had been here once…read morebefore a couple of years ago and was excited to discover that the museum was free that day. The staff handed us some stickers to put on and we proceeded to guide ourselves through the museum. The museum was very informative and I liked seeing all of the artwork and pieces by native Americans. My favorite part of the museum was actually the temporary exhibit they hosted which was a fashion exhibit. As a fashion lover, it was so informative to see a variety of fashion pieces and seeing the Native American culture being incorporated. There was a great variety of artwork, clothing and videos to really help bring everything to life. Another lovely part of the museum is their gorgeous garden. It's really small yet is intimate and well maintained. It was a great place to relax on a warm evening before the museum was going to close. I highly recommend coming to this museum. They have a free lot or if full, you can park across the street at the zoo lot. The museum is well maintained and an educational place to really learn about the history of California.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience here at Rubel Castle. Our host, guide,…read moreand local "Rubelligent" volunteer, Ms. Kathleen had all the intel about this historical property. She was so knowledgeable and helped set the stage for us to slip into a forgotten era and get a glimpse of how imagination met inventiveness with a DIY charm. ~ A LITTLE BACKSTORY FOR YOU ~ It's not pronounced Rubel as Barney from Flintstones. Rather, it's like Target is to Targét when we are trying to be fancy. So that's Rubel as in "Roo-bell." Unlike modern-day construction, Rubel Castle wasn't built overnight. It was made of collected recyclables and construction rubble that spanned many decades and took several friends and volunteers to build it. For Michael, however, the lifetime inspiration was first sparked at the age of 9. His love for canons was where it started and the rest is history you can hear about on the tour. But don't just show up like we did randomly one day. To book, visit RubelTours.org and make a reservation. ~ OUR TOUR EXPERIENCE ~ It's as if Michael Rubel, the creator and mastermind of this enchanted dominion had intended it to be--magical. Built in the castle period of wood and tin, every corner captured our interests, from antique cars to the 1890's Seth Thomas Tower Clock with a unique backstory (and only six in existence today). There were old vending machines, tools, trinkets, and machinery that time had long forgotten. Did I mention there was a drawbridge? Yes, and a dungeon too. I was just waiting for a dragon to come swoop down on us next. Walk in the footsteps of famous visitors like Alfred Hitchcock, Dwight Eisenhower, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope. It's a feast for the eyes no matter where you glance. I particularly enjoyed the bottle house that Michael built in 1968 as his "home" as a kid. That independent spirit was quite charming to see. ~ WATERCOLOR NATURESCAPE ~ We were fortunate to have our gracious host lead us on a tour and organize a special art crafting experience outdoors. It was absolutely lovely beneath the trees and between rusted vintage cars from the turn of the century. We each got a small canvas to paint our flowers in watercolor. (This particular experience takes place in the Spring and Fall, weather permitting.) We heard the squirrels rattling in the leaves and birds chirped and sang in the trees above. We discovered that peacocks apparently originated from this property, compliments of Michael Rubel. And did I mention that on the far side of the property, a custom garden was in full bloom? BOOK A TOUR Help support the Glendora Historical Society and keep this magnificently unique city-castle maintained. It's worth it.

A castle in Glendora? Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you--Rubel Castle is real, it's magnificent,…read moreand it's gloriously eccentric. Thanks to the sheer persistence (and probably delightful stubbornness) of Michael Rubel, we now have this quirky, towering State Treasure sitting right in the middle of Glendora like a fairy tale that accidentally took a detour through a hardware store. This place is beautifully done, and part of its charm is that it's a full-on hodgepodge of relics, antiques, crystal trinkets, and "wait... what is that doing here?" moments tucked into every nook and cranny. You'll marvel, you'll laugh, you'll squint in confusion--honestly, it's everything you'd want in a castle built with love, imagination, and a dash of madness. And let's talk about the makeshift cemetery. Quirky? YES. Fun? Absolutely. Slightly spooky? Only if your imagination is over-caffeinated. But it fits the vibe perfectly--like the castle whispered, "You know what I'm missing? A tiny cemetery." The tours are fantastic, the guides are passionate, and the whole experience feels like you're stepping into a living scrapbook of California history and charming chaos. Overall: Amazing, amazing place. Book your tour. They only do tours every first Sunday of the month, so set your alarms, mark your calendars, tie a string around your finger--just don't miss it. Rubel Castle is truly a California State Treasure, and an absolute must-see for anyone who appreciates creativity, history, and a little eccentric sparkle.

cool museum smack dab in the middle of hollywood. my best friend wanted to go here while visiting…read moreLA and I had actually never been so we took the metro all the way here, because there was no way in heck I was going to attempt to park my car in hollywood. it was $15 for admission. the museum has so many vintage and interesting items worn and used by the hollywood greats, from clothes to makeup, and autographs too. there's multiple floors including a creepy basement area where you get to see where they filmed part of silence of the lambs! we also really loved the vintage preserved bathrooms lol. this is a neat place to go to learn more about hollywood (-:

The Hollywood Museum is a three floor fun museum filled with thousands of film artifacts such as…read moreset props, actor photos, masks, set production etc. Admission ticket cost $15 bucks. This museum is great! We get to see all of our favorite old and classic movies. Staff were nice. Parking in the area is atrocious; it's best to take the subway. Overall, it's a nice Hollywood museum. I recommend it.

I loved this place. No pressure. Just walk around and have fun and learn things. Families having a…read morepicnic and enjoying life. Awesome old trains that you can look at. A great museum of trains. A nice store to buy memorabilia. And finally, a super fun, tiny train that takes you around the entire park..... and just when you think it's done.... it takes you around again!!! YES. It makes you feel like a child again!!!! These are the types of places that are so important to keep around. Wonderful!

The idea is great and the place was very nice, totally kids/family friendly. However, we had an…read moreunpleasant situation, with signing contract and explanation on the time PAID, with 3 different people coming inside while we were trying to set up a birthday tables, presents, balloons, etc. They do not give any extra time for prep and you have to do everything so quickly in order to meet your guest on time. Interrupting was for total if 15 min.. We were 5 minutes late with the cleaning after the party and it cost us $50!!! It's totally wrong - if they give time and we prepaid it - do not come in with different papers, requesting signatures, and do not send different people who come in to tell you the rules. It all had to be done BEFORE paid time.