Three Easy Day Trips from Universal Studios

If you need a break from the rides, take the family on a day trip around Universal Studios! Read on to find out where you can spend the entire day - for free.

Universal Studio VIP Experience

Walk away from the hustle and bustle of the theme park and instead explore the relative peace and quiet of actual studio facilities and working soundstages. Included in this walking tour are the back lots of Universal Studio, some of the most recognizable sets, the prop warehouse, movie history collections, and the potential of running into a celebrity or two.

This is recommended for the well heeled movie buff who has $199 to spend on a ticket and who does not mind walking the vast lots of Universal Studios Hollywood for about six hours. Since it is located on the Universal grounds, it is a stone's throw away from the theme park and does not require extensive travel.

Los Angeles Autry Museum of Western Heritage

Named after singing cowboy legend Gene Autry, the Museum of Western Heritage is located at 4700 Western Heritage Way in Los Angeles. Getting there from Universal Studios takes about 11 minutes (see MapQuest Map) by car.

The museum does not open its doors on Mondays, but it is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. During the summer the hours of operation are extended on Thursdays until 8:00 PM. The Autry is closed on New Year's Day, 4^th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Black Friday, Christmas Day and the day after.

Tickets cost between $3 and $9 per person, depending on your age; so treat yourself to a collection of cowboy memorabilia, artwork, and also Gene Autry memorabilia.

A stone throw away is the Los Angeles Zoo an when you had enough of cowboys, why not go across the way and visit with the animals? This is a favorite of kids on any day of the week.

Los Angeles Getty Museum

If it is culture that you're after, the Los Angeles Getty Center with J. Paul Getty's art collection is a must-visit. The Getty is located at 1200 Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles. It takes about 16 minutes to get to the Getty's parking lot from Universal Studios (MapQuest Map) and it will cost $8 to park there.