If you’re wondering if you can travel to Los Angeles County now, the answer is a resounding yes. Visiting L.A. is not only safe and enjoyable, it’s also beneficial: You’ll help to support local businesses and the people who work there.
Since the Los Angeles wildfires began on Jan. 7, hotels and restaurants have experienced a steep decline in visitor numbers.
Rod Gruendyke, general manager of West Hollywood’s Sunset Marquis, says guests have cancelled reservations at his and other local hotels “because people think Los Angeles is closed for business.”
In fact, the opposite is true: L.A. is ready to welcome visitors.
While some neighborhoods suffered heartbreaking losses, 98 percent of Los Angeles County was untouched by the fires, including the city’s best-known landmarks and tourism sites such as the Hollywood Sign, Universal Studios Hollywood, the Santa Monica Pier, Griffith Observatory, and many more. Los Angeles is a massive city that covers about 500 square miles and has 88 distinct suburbs. And California itself is vast—ranking as the third-largest state in the U.S.
In the wake of the fires, it might seem insensitive to savor L.A.’s sunshine at a hotel pool, but every dollar a visitor spends helps businesses and their employees and generates taxes that fund roads, public safety, and emergency services. Also: More than 224,000—or one out of five California tourism-related jobs—are in Los Angeles County.
“We have been through other challenging times, and we will survive this and come back even stronger,” Gruendyke says.
L.A.'s Iconic Tourist Attractions are Open for Business
Certainly, the iconic attractions of Los Angeles and the surrounding area are back in operation—and many never closed at all or only needed to close for a few days. The list of open-for-business attractions includes theme parks Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Disneyland (in nearby Anaheim), luxury shopping mecca Rodeo Drive, and L.A.’s Griffith Park, which contains Griffith Observatory, and the L.A. Zoo.
Museums and cultural sites that are open include The Broad, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits. "We are proud to be public resources, and we are fortunate to have space for respite at both the Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits,” says Laurel Robinson, the VP of Learning and Engagement at the Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits. The museums are partnering with Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation to support local youth with field trips, camps, and Mobile Museums. Beyond its regular exhibits, these days the Museum of Natural History is showing a fun film, too—T. Rex 3D.
In the Pasadena area, the Norton Simon Museum and The Huntington Library, Art Museum & Botanical Gardens are open too. The 120-acre Huntington lost 19 trees to the fires, “but thanks to ongoing efforts to preserve and maintain our botanical collection, the overall impact was mitigated,” says a Huntington press representative. The museum and gardens reopened on Jan. 15, launching the Neighbors in Need initiative, which included free admission for impacted locals. “Reopening was our way of supporting the community and providing them with a peaceful place to reconnect and heal.”
Nearby, the Gamble House, a masterpiece of the American Arts and Crafts movement, reopened on Jan. 18. The 1908 structure was less than five miles from the Eaton fire. “The response has been positive, and visitors are eager to return,” says spokesperson Sheryl Scott. “For many, the Gamble House represents home, community, history, and family. Visiting the house offers a sense of solace to many.”
Scott adds that despite Pasadena’s proximity to the now-controlled Eaton fire, “people are returning to restaurants and supporting local businesses. Many businesses in Pasadena are family-owned and rely on visitors to survive. Visitors also help restore a sense of normalcy that’s so important right now.”
Neighboring Towns Ready to Welcome Visitors
The Palisades fire greatly impacted Pacific Palisades but didn’t touch nearby Santa Monica or its famous pier. Even so, the coastal city has felt the pinch of lower visitor numbers.
Jackie Hinton, owner of Good Body Pilates Studio, says, “We've seen fewer people dining out, and the usual buzz of tourists and locals gathering in restaurants has quieted down a bit. It's been a tough time for many businesses that rely on the flow of visitors.”
Hinton says that out-of-town guests often joined the regulars in her Pilates classes. “We offer a warm, welcoming environment and try to make them feel like part of the community,” she says. “Visitors bring much needed energy and contribute to the vibrancy of the area.”
Csilla Martin-Arujo, marketing director for The Pierside hotel and The Surfing Fox restaurant, says people shouldn’t hesitate to visit Santa Monica this winter.
“Santa Monica needs the support of locals and travelers, and there isn’t a more opportune moment to explore the city while also giving back to its businesses,” she says. “Our destination is a special place, and we want all travelers to have the opportunity to experience it.”
In West Hollywood, walking tour operator Jon D’Amico canceled two weeks’ worth of his Rock ’N Walk Tours during the fires, only in part because travelers were having to cancel plans. “It wouldn't have been right with that and the surrounding area going through such a tragedy,” he says. But now, “we are open for business and in my case, I want to show visitors a great time and how incredible the Sunset Strip and L.A. is ...We have a lot to offer and I want to assure them that L.A. is resilient.”
During the fires, many hotels opened their doors for evacuees, offering a place for them to stay and regroup. In nearby Long Beach, for instance, the Queen Mary housed displaced locals and offered free tours of the historic ocean liner. “First and foremost, we were happy to help,” says Managing Director Steve Caloca. “It was about making sure people were OK.”
These days, he says, they welcome visitors to come stay, “do a tour, or go to our observation bar. We have our mascot walking around taking photos with the kids, and the most spectacular views of Long Beach on the starboard side. You’re surrounded by water, big hearts, and big smiles.”
Los Angeles Restaurants Pull Together
Los Angeles restaurants are especially keen to attract visitors following a fire-related decline in customers. The city has long been known as a food-lover’s destination, boasting 25 Michelin-starred restaurants and an astounding diversity of cuisine. There are more than 15,000 restaurants in the City of Los Angeles, and more than 36,000 in all of L.A. County.
“The cornerstone of every neighborhood in L.A. is its local restaurant,” says Jot Condie, president of the California Restaurant Association.
Restaurants bring more to their communities than just great food. “Restaurants are the No. 1 generator of sales tax revenue in Los Angeles,” Condie says. “By eating at a restaurant, you're helping small business owners survive in a particularly difficult time, and you’re also contributing to the economy. Sales tax will help Los Angeles rebuild.”
He adds that diners’ dollars also help to keep L.A. residents employed. “The most important component of any restaurant is the people, the servers and bartenders who are engaging the customers every day. Restaurants are experiencing a pretty drastic slowdown, and if there are no customers, there’s no work.”
Zach Brooks, general manager of Smorgasburg L.A., says the food community rallied to get the open-air food market operating again after the wildfires caused a delay in its post-holiday grand reopening. Smorgasburg L.A.—the city’s largest open-air food market—has been operating since 2016 and is open every Sunday at Downtown’s ROW DTLA.
“The overwhelming majority of our vendors, partners, and organizations that we work with said, ‘There's no better way to support the city than to be open.’”
To support more restaurants, make the most of the Dine LA Restaurant Week, two full weeks of dining specials at more than 400 participating Los Angeles restaurants; as a bonus, each reservation chips in $5 to recovery efforts (now through Feb. 7).
Visit Now or Save Some Dates
Even if you can’t make it to Los Angeles right now, consider planning a trip later this year. The LA Art Show happens at the Los Angeles Convention Center in February, and the Los Angeles Marathon is in March. Pasadena’s Rose Bowl will host the FIFA World Cup in June 2025. The Anime Expo takes place in July, and L.A.’s ComicCon Festival happens in September. For far-ahead schedulers, Los Angeles will host the Super Bowl in 2027 and the Summer Olympics in 2028.
But for a lot of business owners, however, there’s no time like the present.
“While we’ve all faced some challenges recently, the heart of the city remains the same with our beautiful beaches, a vibrant arts and wellness scene, and amazing local businesses to explore,” says Hinton. By visiting now, you can “support the businesses and people working hard to recover and keep the city thriving.”