California’s “City of Angels” is one of America’s top 10 vacation destinations year after year, and with good reason. As one of the country’s largest cities, Los Angeles has plenty to offer for school trips. With countless museums, cultural centers and ample touring options, not to mention Hollywood and a wide assortment of amusement parks, LA is a dream student travel destination.
Student Group Tours
Two popular tour companies in Los Angeles, RedLine Tours and Starline Tours offer student insightful views of this Los Angeles. Students get the chance to see movie scene locations from such films as Transformers Dreamgirls, and Mission Impossible, on Redline’s specialized walking tour. Both Redline Tours and Starline Tours offer student-specific tours and are included in the Hollywood CityPass. With four main attractions included in one special student rate, including the historic Kodak Theater and Madame Toussad’s Hollywood (a wax museum), and a “behind-the-scenes” look at film studios, the Hollywood CityPass provides an affordable opportunity for student groups to see all of the best that Los Angeles has to offer.
If student groups are more interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood or wish to stand in the same space as legendary game show hosts Alex Trebek or Vanna White, Sony Pictures Studios offers exclusive group tours that will give student groups the inside scoop on sets, actors, studio history and movie trivia, including the sound stage where The Wizard of Oz was filmed.
Main Student Attractions
Universal Studios Hollywood
An action-packed haven for youth groups, Universal Studios Hollywood sets up educational programs that feature technical tours, student outings and lesson plans. Universal Studios also offers plenty of theme park rides for student travel groups to enjoy, including The Simpsons Ride, Revenge of the Mummy, and Jurassic Park – The Ride.
The Grammy Museum opened in 2008 and is a tribute to musical genres from jazz to heavy metal. Students can explore musical timelines and experience the museum’s interactive exhibits. Students can even learn how to mix a song with the “In the Studio” exhibit.
Santa Monica Pier
Pacific Park is located on the Santa Monica Pier and is the perfect place for student travel groups to wind down after a long day of touring Los Angeles’ endless attractions. Its iconic Pacific Wheel is the only solar-powered Ferris wheel in the world and is one of the main reasons why Pacific park is one of the most photographed locations in Los Angeles. Other amusements for student groups include high-tech bumper cars as well as classic carnival games like Skeeball and Wack-a-Mole.
Educational Attractions for Students
The University of California offers a special experience for student travel groups through its Conference Services. The service facilitates programs for youth groups to explore the UCLA campus or Westwood Village. Both the Fowler Museum and Hammer Museum, two educational art destinations for student groups, are part of UCLA. The campus is also home to the Franklin D. Sculpture Gardens, which features works from masters like Rodin and Noguchi.
California Science Center
The California Science Center offers fun and informative exhibits for student groups. Through hands-on experiences in the galleries, you’ll learn about human inventions and innovations, the life processes of living things and more. Also featured is a seven-story IMAX theater.
For a dose of California culture, student groups can purchase theater tickets from the Nederlander Company, which offers discounted group tickets at a variety of venues, including the ornate and historic Pantages Theatre, one of LA’s best examples of Art Deco architecture.
Student Performance Venues
As the home to Hollywood, it’s no wonder that Los Angeles offers student travel groups ample performance venues, perfectly suited for the traveling student band, choir or theater group.
Heritage Square Museum
Heritage Square Museum offers student performance groups a breathtaking backdrop of gardens and architecture. On the Blues Brothers Stage at Universal Studios Hollywood students can thrill their audience with renditions of classic blues,, or any other genre. Pershing Square is an outdoor concert and event center funded by the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department, located in the heart of LA.
Hollywood & Highland Center gives student performance groups a chance to shine in the center’s Courtyard.
Sony Pictures Studio offers students the chance to perform at the Sony Plaza, where legendary actors and musicians have before. For an open-air venue in the heart of Los Angeles, visit the LA Farmers Market, which offers year-round performance opportunities.
Student Dining Options
The options for student dining in Los Angeles are nearly endless, thanks to the city’s enormous epicurean culture. A few suggestions geared towards student groups include the Saddle Ranch Chop House, the Western ranch-style restaurant at Universal CityWalk, and the classic Hollywood Musso & Frank Grill, where F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway used to eat.
If students are feeling a little more au currant, try one of the new restaurants at L.A. LIVE, Downtown Los Angeles’ multi-billion-dollar entertainment complex. The Farm, an LA institution, is a go-to spot for many a celebrity craving the “farm-fresh” Raisin Hazelnut French Toast, Banana Macademia Nut Pancakes and Eggs Benedict.
Student Group Accommodations
Los Angeles offers student travelers a variety of unique lodging options. Stay, a novel hotel-hostel hybrid, offers student groups the opportunity to stay in the heart of Los Angeles within easy reach of popular tourist attractions, for an affordable nightly rate. Stay offers both group and private rooms with distinctly kitschy, hip décor.
The Cecil hotel has become the chic go-to choice for savvy international visitors spending time in Los Angeles. With its distinctive European styling, the Cecil hotel provides stylish accommodations at a reasonable price and is located near downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District.
A visit to Los Angeles gives student travel groups the opportunity to witness some of the best cultural and educational offerings in the country while wow-ing them with a good dose of Hollywood glamor.
