What to Do in Beverly Hills For Free
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I’ll admit, Beverly Hills always held a certain allure for me.
Growing up in New Jersey, I think it would be fair to call myself a bit obsessed with celebrity culture, and Beverly Hills always felt like the pinnacle of that.
Nowadays, that obsession has luckily calmed down, but it’s still impossible for me to even think about Beverly Hills without the Weezer song or “90210,” that teen drama from the 2010s, immediately coming to mind.
But apart from a quick visit when I was 13ish that I hardly remember, I never visited until recently, despite living in the LA area for several years now.
The reason? The price. I was convinced it would be impossible to escape a day in Beverly Hills without spending at least $100.
Was that fair of me?
Not really.
Of course, Beverly Hills is extremely expensive, but if you’re wondering what to do in Beverly Hills for free, the good news is that there’s plenty!
I recently spent the day here checking out as many budget-friendly things as possible, and I’m excited to report that I made it out with my wallet pretty much unscathed.
Beverly Gardens Park (left) and Rodeo Drive
Free things to do in Beverly Hills
Greystone Mansion
This is sooo underrated, and one of the best hidden gems in Los Angeles, if you ask me. This is a historic mansion that you may recognize from tons of movies and TV shows…. “Gilmore Girls,” “Star Trek,” “X-Men,” the list truly goes on and on. Apart from that, it also has a really mysterious, Hollywood-esque story of its own.
In short, it belonged to a wealthy oil family, the Dohenys. During its heyday, the Doheny couple had lots of parties here, and all was well… until one day in 1929, when Ned Doheny, as well as a close friend, Hugh Plunkett, were both found dead.
While the record says that it was a murder-suicide, there were a few suspicious elements to the story. For one, the cops weren’t called until several hours after their deaths.
One theory says that Ned and Hugh were involved in a relationship, and Lucy, the wife, actually killed them. Another theory says that Ned’s father, the patriarch of the oil empire, had them both killed.
There’s no way of knowing what actually happened, but either way, it’s more than worth a visit.
It’s free to explore the grounds, which are gorgeous, and have an equally amazing view of Los Angeles. To go inside the mansion, it’s $8, and is only available during the first weekend of each month and must be booked in advance. (905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills)
City parks
The two most popular parks in Beverly Hills are Will Rogers Memorial Park and Beverly Gardens Park.
The Will Rogers Memorial Park is right in front of the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel.
It’s not a particularly big park, but it is beautiful, thanks to its fountain with koi fish and turtles.
It shouldn’t be hard to find free street parking, either here. (800-876 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills)
The Beverly Gardens Park has a cactus Garden and rose garden, but most importantly, it’s home to the famous Beverly Hills sign, so as you can imagine, it’s a popular photo spot.
To be honest, it looked really small when I visited so I didn’t walk around at all, but apparently it stretches for just around 2 miles. (9439 Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills)
Another option is Coldwater Canyon Reservoir Park, it’s around five acres and has some walking tails, picnic tables, a fountain, and a playground. (1100 N Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills)
This last one isn’t free, (and I haven’t visited yet) but is still worth mentioning since it’s often referred to as a “hidden gem.”
The Virginia Robinson Gardens, the former estate of a department store heiress, includes an impressive botanical garden and mansion.
You can only visit through a docent-led tour that has to be reserved ahead of time. The garden and the mansion tour are both $15. (1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills)
Art galleries
Beverly Hills is home to a number of interesting galleries that are free to visit.
One in particular is the UTA Artist Space, which typically features up-and-coming artists (UTA stands for United Talent Agency, by the way.)
It’s open Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. (403 Foothill Rd, Beverly Hills)
Another is the Gagosian — this contemporary art space has a bunch of NYC locations plus a handful in Europe along with a Hong Kong gallery.
It’s open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (456 North Camden Drive)
Rodeo Drive
This iconic area is full of high-end, designer stores.
So while yes, you could very obviously spend a ton of money here, walking around is very much free, and it’s more than worth it!
If you’re a sucker for beautiful buildings like I am, or you like taking pictures, you’ll love the architecture and unique buildings here.
Quick tip: There are a few parking lots around Rodeo Drive that are free for the first two hours. You can park there and walk to the majority of these places from there.
Beverly Hills Library
This library is beautiful! Like a lot of Beverly Hills, it utilizes a gorgeous blend of art deco and Spanish revival architecture.
If you’re a California resident, you can get a library card anywhere throughout the state, so I even got myself one.
There’s also a small used bookstore inside called Friends Bookstore — while that’s obviously not free, the books were very affordable — like all $1 to $10ish affordable.
Walking around Rodeo Drive really gave me a shopping itch, so I got two relatively popular books for just $10 total, which is a total steal in my book.
The bookstore is open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. (444 North Rexford Drive. Beverly Hills)
The Spadena House
As you can imagine, Beverly Hills is home to some really amazing houses.
One that’s definitely worth checking out is the Spadena House, a.k.a. The Witch’s House, which really does look straight out of a fairy tale.
In fact, it was originally built for a movie studio, before being relocated to Beverly Hills and becoming a private residence.
With that said, you can sadly only take a look from outside, but it’s a Beverly Hills landmark and I definitely think it’s worth a quick stop! (516 Walden Dr, Beverly Hills)
Can you visit the Beverly Hills Hotel if you’re not a guest?
There are few places that seem as glamorous, historic, and iconic as the Beverly Hills Hotel.
While I desperately wanted to explore, I’m sorry to report this isn’t an affordable or accessible activity, even if you’re not a guest at the hotel.
If you’re not actually staying there, the only option is to eat or get a drink at one of the hotel’s restaurants or bars.
Unsurprisingly, these are not budget-friendly — I popped in and took a quick walk around the hotel lobby, but that’s as far as I went — so this one remains on my bucket list for now. (9641 Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills)
Where to eat in Beverly Hills (on a budget)
Okay, this also obviously isn’t free, but if you’re spending the day here, you probably will have to eat!
When I was looking up places to eat for my own recent day trip, I was honestly surprised by how many highly-rated, budget-friendly spots there were, so let me share my findings with you:
- The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills – This is where I ate recently and it was in fact delicious. The menu has all kinds of sandwiches and salads, and there’s also beer and wine. (9705 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills)
- Brighton Coffee Shop – This is a cozy breakfast and brunch spot. (9600 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills)
- Mickey Fine Grill – This restaurant has been around for over 50 years, and oddly enough, it’s attached to a pharmacy. (433 N. Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills)
- Mulberry Street Pizzeria – You can get everything from salads, to sandwiches, to pastas, and of course pizza here (either whole or by the slice). (240 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills)
- La Provence – You can get soups, salads, sandwiches, plus cakes and pastries here. (8950 West Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills)
- Guisado’s – This spot has a number of locations around LA and serves tacos, quesadillas and aguas frescas. (120 S. Linden Drive, Beverly Hills)
- The Hideaway – This is a really popular place on Rodeo Drive that has a three-course lunch deal for $32. So not super cheap, but a good bargain nonetheless! (421 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills)
Is Beverly Hills worth visiting?
I’d say so!
Like I mentioned earlier, I always avoided visiting because I figured it would be outrageously expensive, but this is one time where I was really happy to prove myself wrong.
Of course, I would never advise a budget traveler try to stay in this area, and it definitely isn’t most authentic or cultural experience that you can have in LA (unless you’re counting celebrity culture, that is).
So if you’re short on time, I maybe wouldn’t prioritize a trip here unless you’re particularly interested in it.
Personally, I’d much rather spend the day in one of my favorite L.A. spots like Pasadena, Little Tokyo, or Downtown LA instead.
But with that said, it is really beautiful, and it is an iconic part of Los Angeles.
So, if you have at least a few days in Los Angeles or you’ve visited LA before and already visited the main spots, I think it’s a great day trip.
And best of all, it’s surprisingly doable on a budget.
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