10 Great Things to Do in March in Los Angeles

1) The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising: Since 1991, exhibitions have been viewed in the FIDM Museum & Galleries on the ground floor of the FIDM Los Angeles campus. February 2000 saw the opening of our expanded galleries. Exhibitions are installed throughout the year, and range from traveling exhibitions to FIDM Students' work and FIDM-developed installations. Annually, the FIDM Museum & Galleries presents two major exhibitions: The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design and The Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design. These exhibitions feature costumes from the previous year's best films and television programs including samplings of Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy® Award-nominated costumes.

The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
919 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
800-624-1200

2) Music Center: Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, the Music Center is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation and welcomes more than 1.3 million people each year. From great architecture and tours to museums, food and hotels, we hope you'll make time to explore the Center and our neighborhood. Uncover the excitement of the Music Center by exploring its four venues, Plaza, gardens and restaurants.

Music Center
135 North Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-972-7211

3) The Huntington Library: For qualified scholars, the Huntington Library is one of the largest and most complete research libraries in the United States in its fields of specialization. The Library's collection of rare books, manuscripts, prints, photographs, maps, and other materials in the fields of British and American history and literature totals more than six million items. Only a tiny portion of this number is on display at any one time, divided between the Main Exhibition Hall and the smaller West Hall.

The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
626-405-2100

4) Olvera Street: Olvera Street is the birthplace of the City of Los Angeles, otherwise known as El Pueblo Historic Monument. The colorful village features 27 historic buildings with a traditional Mexican style plaza area. Wander around the marketplace and shop for souvenirs including handcrafted Mexican wares typical of old Mexico. There are also free docent tours by Las Angelitas. Stroll through this beautiful street and stop for the popular taquitos or tacos at the outdoor cafes. Olvera Street also offers a variety of traditional authentic Mexican cuisine, with delicious enchiladas, mole and other native dishes.

Olvera Street is open every day from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. However, some stores may open earlier and close later. Olvera Street is free to the public.

5) Tomato Pie Pizza Joint: Offering one of "the 25 Best Pizzas on Earth,"* Tomato Pie Pizza Joint brings authentic New York style pizza home to Los Angeles. A one-of-a-kind combination of fresh product and great service in a friendly, eclectic atmosphere, Tomato Pie serves a mouthwatering pizza-along with other East Coast-inspired Italian dishes-in the same time as those others, but with an incomparable gourmet touch. Stop by for a slice in, or place an order and have it delivered to your door. This pizza is an honest-to-goodness slice of New York heaven, but baked with love and attitude right here in Los Angeles, and probably just around the corner from you.

Tomato Pie Pizza Joint
2457 Hyperion Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-661-6474

6) Valentino Italian Restaurant: The Valentino Restaurant Group and home of Valentino, the flagship restaurant founded in 1972 by restaurateur Piero Selvaggio, is widely considered one of the modern fathers of Italian Cuisine in America. Valentino brings the spirit of Italian dining to LA with exceptional cuisine, an award-winning wine cellar and gracious hospitality. Valentino presents modern Italian fare that utilizes fresh ingredients flown in from Italy and the best, seasonal food from across the US. Three new tasting menus and numerous prix fixe choices allow the restaurant to showcase the countless pleasures of Italian cooking by highlighting themes: classic Italian dishes, regional cuisine from different provinces, an all-fish menu or the chef's tasting extravaganza of cutting-edge, modern fare.

Valentino
3115 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310-829-4313

7) 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant: Nestled in the heart of Van Nuys and adjacent to the world's busiest general aviation airport is the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant. Offering expansive views of the airport where, each day, there are more than 1,000 arrivals and departures of some of the world's oldest and newest aircraft. The dinner menu offers a selection of traditional entrées from Prime Rib and Filet Mignon to Shrimp Scampi and Salmon. The lunch menu is comprised of hot and cold sandwiches and a variety of fresh salads.

94th Aero Squadron
16320 Raymer Ave
Van Nuys, CA 91406
818 994-7437

8) The Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows: Since a multi-million dollar renovation that was completed in 1995, the Pink Palace's famous coral-pink façade, signature banana-leaf wallpaper in the hallways and Fountain Coffee Room, and twelve lush acres of tropical gardens are more alluring than ever. The Hotel, managed by the Dorchester Collection, features 204 luxurious rooms and suites that include 21 one-of-a-kind private bungalows. The four-bedroom Presidential Bungalow offers a private lap pool and Jacuzzi. Two new mega-bungalows at 3,500 square feet each with private infinity pools are scheduled to debut in December 2010. All guest rooms are enhanced with original artwork, high-speed internet access, private phone and fax numbers. Some of the suites even feature grand pianos, Jacuzzi bathtubs, kitchens and private patios. Beverly Hills continues to embrace the legendary Polo Lounge, whose menu is created by Executive Chef Alex Chen and which is one of the top LA spots for sealing the deal.

The Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows Hotel
9641 Sunset Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
800-283-8885

9) Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum Hollywood: This new branch of Madame Tussauds focuses almost exclusively on Hollywood stars, as befits its new location. Tourists looking at the cement footprints of Hugh Jackman or Brad Pitt at Grauman's forecourt can now simply stroll a few yards west to rub elbows with life-size replicas of those same stars, many of them breathtakingly lifelike.

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum Hollywood:
6933 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-798-1670

10) Autry Museum Of Western Heritage: Los Angeles has its own Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, where those cowboy movie stars of yesteryear finally get the recognition and appreciation they rightly deserve. Don't imagine for a moment that this is some small, second-rate undertaking. This is a grand museum, both in size and scope. Walt Disney Imagineering designed the museum's six permanent exhibition areas, and their professionalism shows. Prepare to be surprised by the museum's size and sophistication.

4700 Western Heritage Way
Griffith Park
Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462
323-667-2000