Los Angeles museums, film history and Griffith tours

The short answer

Start from what you want to see. For the film industry there are three different products: a museum about cinema, a guided tour of the theatre where the Academy Awards are held, and a wax museum.[5][3][1] For art there is a guided tour of the Getty Center, for natural history a museum ticket, and for astronomy and views a guided tour of Griffith Observatory or a guided hike that ends there.[13][11][8][10] The Medieval Torture Museum is the outlier, aimed by its operator at adults and older teens.[7]

Film history: Academy Museum, Dolby Theatre or Madame Tussauds

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Ticket is an admission to the museum on Wilshire Boulevard.[2] Its one option includes the three-level Stories of Cinema exhibition, temporary exhibitions, special galleries and education programmes. SkyGate's page says film screenings, special programmes and The Oscars Experience need separate tickets, and that the timeslot you choose is an estimated entry window. The option sells adult and senior tickets only; visitors under 18 are free but must get a ticket from the museum itself.[2][1] The museum's own page says it is closed on Tuesdays.[2]

The Dolby Theatre Guided Tour, Home of the Academy Awards is a guided tour, not a show ticket. Its option is a 30-minute tour with an English-speaking guide, and the itinerary includes the auditorium, a close look at an Oscar statuette and the Dolby Lounge VIP room.[3] The operator calls the theatre the home of the Academy Awards.[4] SkyGate's page says tickets are collected at the Dolby Theatre box office, tours begin at the Level 2 entrance, the walk includes several flights of stairs, and some areas depend on the performance schedule.[3]

The Madame Tussauds Hollywood Admission Ticket has one option, Standard Admission + Jumanji 4D, which lists more than 130 wax figures, the Jumanji Safari Tours 4D Expedition and a souvenir digital photo. SkyGate gives the redemption address as 6933 Hollywood Blvd. Children under 2 are free and children under 16 must be with an adult aged 18 or over, according to the listing.[5]

XTOUR's reading: the Academy Museum is the choice for exhibits about how films are made, the Dolby tour for the Oscars venue itself, and Madame Tussauds for photographs with figures of stars.

Medieval Torture Museum, Hollywood

The Medieval Torture Museum Los Angeles Ticket with Ghost Hunting is an admission with a multilingual audio guide and a ghost-hunting experience.[6] The operator says the museum is in Los Angeles, convenient to Hollywood, covers more than 6,000 square feet with over 100 devices, and is designed primarily for adults and older teens.[7] SkyGate's option sells adult tickets from 18 and child tickets for 11 to 17, and says each paying adult may bring one child under 11 free.[6] XTOUR has not verified the museum's street number, and the listing does not give opening hours.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Ticket has two options: General Admission, with adult, child (3 to 12) and senior (62 and over) tickets, and Student Admission for visitors aged 13 to 17 with a valid student ID. SkyGate's page names the Dinosaur Hall, the Gem and Mineral Hall and the Nature Gardens.[8] The museum's own page gives its address as 900 Exposition Blvd. and says it closes on the first Tuesday of every month and on select holidays.[9] SkyGate also warns of heavier foot traffic in Exposition Park on USC football game days.[8]

Getty Center guided tour

The Getty Center Guided Tour, Los Angeles is a guided tour of the Getty Center's art, architecture and gardens, with time to keep exploring on your own afterwards. SkyGate's listing includes admission and a tour guide, names works by Van Gogh and Rembrandt, and describes the tour as about two hours covering just over a mile. It sells adult tickets from 13 and child tickets for 4 to 12.[10] The option does not give a meeting point inside the Getty Center, and XTOUR has not verified one; the Getty's own website could not be read when XTOUR checked it.

Griffith Observatory: guided tour or a hike that ends there

Griffith Observatory describes itself as a free-admission facility at 2800 East Observatory Road, closed on Mondays.[12] Both products here therefore sell something other than entry to the building.

The Griffith Observatory Guided Tour and Planetarium Show is a small-group tour led by someone who works at the observatory, ending with a 40-minute live-narrated show in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. SkyGate's page says the planetarium show is only for guests aged 5 and over, and the option sells adult tickets from 13 and child tickets for 5 to 12. The option does not state a meeting point; SkyGate's page gives the Astronomers Monument on East Observatory Road as its address, and XTOUR has not verified where the group gathers.[11]

The Griffith Park Hiking Tour with Hollywood Hills Views is a guided hike that ends at the observatory. Its itinerary starts at the Greek Theatre box office on North Vermont Avenue, climbs to the highest point in Griffith Park, stops at an overlook for photos of the Hollywood sign, and finishes by exploring the observatory. The option text mentions skip-the-line admission to the observatory, but since the operator says entry is free, XTOUR treats the observatory as a stop on the hike.[12] SkyGate rates the hike easy to moderate, does not allow children under 5, and says it is not suitable for pregnant women, wheelchair users or people with walking disabilities.[13]

How to choose

• Exhibits about filmmaking: the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Ticket.[1]
• The Oscars stage and an Oscar statuette with a guide: the Dolby Theatre Guided Tour, Home of the Academy Awards.[3]
• Wax figures of film and music stars: the Madame Tussauds Hollywood Admission Ticket.[5]
• Dark history for adults and older teens: the Medieval Torture Museum Los Angeles Ticket with Ghost Hunting.[7]
• Dinosaurs and gems, with a student option for 13 to 17: the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Ticket.[8]
• Art and gardens with a guide: the Getty Center Guided Tour, Los Angeles.[10]
• Science exhibits and a planetarium show with a guide: the Griffith Observatory Guided Tour and Planetarium Show.[11]
• A morning walk with views that ends at the observatory: the Griffith Park Hiking Tour with Hollywood Hills Views.[13]

Before you book

• Academy Museum tickets for under-18s come from the museum, not from SkyGate.[1]
• The Natural History Museum closes on the first Tuesday of each month, according to its own page.[9]
• The Dolby tour includes stairs and does not admit latecomers to the booked tour, according to SkyGate's page.[3]
• Griffith Observatory's own page says it is closed on Mondays; check the observatory's hours before booking either Griffith product.[12]