Research Guides: University Studies Library Guide: Fun Stuff

Fun Stuff To Do

UCLA is located in Westwood, Los Angeles and has many different opportunities for you to go out and explore! Here is a list of all of the fun things you can do in the Los Angeles area, with some of them being exclusive for UCLA students. We will be constantly updating the list, both to add to the fun and to make sure no opportunity is lost :)

Westwood

Westwood Village Farmers Market
Nestled in the heart of Westwood Village, this market serves residents, local businesses, UCLA students and visitors. The Market takes place each Thursday, rain or shine, from 12-5pm. Our Farmers bring a selection of organic fruits, seasonal vegetables, nuts, and flowers.
Market shoppers will also find specialty food items like baked breads, gourmet olive oil, nut-butter, and hot food stands with avocado toast, Mexican guisados and Salvadoran pupusas. The Market host live music as well as special concert series and workshops including a Chef to Farmer program through which local chefs provide shoppers with a seasonally inspired recipe and cooking Q&A.
Westwood Village
Neighborhood charm, city style. The Westwood Village is a neighborhood that welcomes everyone, right in the middle of everything. Westwood Village is a vibrant, unique community centrally located in Los Angeles & serving neighborhoods of Westwood, Holmby Hills, Wilshire Corridor, Bel Air, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, & Santa Monica. Westwood Village is easily accessible & provides a retreat for Angelenos from their busy, big-city lives. Westwood Village is a historical landmark, built in 1928 by the Janss family as a retail village. The architecture represents the historical relevance of this community & allows for a charming environment for visitors, residents, UCLA students, & people who work in the area.
Food in Westwood
A guide to all of the food offered in Westwood, from ice cream and burgers to vegan options and sushi.

Nature

UCLA Herbarium
The UCLA Herbarium (LA) was founded in ca. 1930, and contains approximately 200,000 specimens, almost entirely vascular plants, including the collections of Carl Epling, Harlan Lewis, Peter Raven, Henry J. Thompson, Jonathan Sauer, Elizabeth McClintock, and Lawrence Kiefer. Geographically, the herbarium collections include North American and European specimens, as well as plants of California, including a comprehensive collection from the Santa Monica Mountains.

Visitors seeking to use these collections for research purposes are welcome. Please contact us before visiting the herbarium to arrange space and resources. Loans of specimens are available through registered herbaria on request.
The herbarium is open from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. The entrance to the herbarium is located on the first floor of the Botany Building, room 124. The Botany Building is located on the north side of the Mildred. E. Mathias Botanical Garden. Short-term parking is available in nearby campus lots 2 and 5.

Art

Fowler Museum
The Fowler Museum at UCLA, or more commonly, The Fowler, is a museum on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles which explores art and material culture primarily from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and the Americas, past and present.
Hammer Museum
Gallery with a permanent collection of historical works & special exhibits of edgy contemporary art.
LACMA
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits. LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States. It attracts nearly a million visitors annually.
Griffith Observatory
Southern California’s gateway to the cosmos! Visitors can look through telescopes, explore exhibits, see live shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, and enjoy spectacular views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign.

Campus Fun

True Bruin Welcome
Whether you’re living on campus or studying from home, UCLA is here to help you enter your next stage of personal growth and academic success. True Bruin Welcome has hundreds of events that will help you discover new communities, make lifelong friends, ignite your passions, uphold our traditions, and enjoy a taste of everything UCLA has to offer.
Spring Sing
Since its debut in 1945, Spring Sing has showcased UCLA’s most talented students performing song, dance and sketch comedy. The show attracts celebrities, scouts and Bruins of all ages, who watch amazing performances by up-and-coming stars or hidden gems like Sara Bareilles ’03 and Maroon 5. Hosted by the UCLA Alumni Association and Student Alumni Association, Spring Sing is an exciting, one-of-a-kind experience.
Campus Events Commission
Since 1965, Campus Events Commission (CEC) has been one of the largest purveyors of campus entertainment. Since its inception, it has acquired a reputation for its edgy style of advertising and controversial events. Still pushing the envelope today, CEC has remained a student-run, student-funded organization, dedicated to introducing the freshest fare in film, music and speakers into the UCLA community. Be it media seen or heard, Campus Events Commission is constantly in search of that which is as evocative and diverse as its audience.
UCLA First Thursdays
Join us for UCLA’s award-winning First Thursdays series that brings campus and local communities together throughout the year. Featuring a mix of food, fun, and entertainment, the themed experiences are always fresh and free!
UCLA First Thursdays has two parts:
1. Daytime activities at the Westwood Village Farmers’ Market
2. Evening thematic block parties