What Are the Best Things to Do in Glendale, CA?

The Americana at Brand

Address: 889 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210 · Phone: (818) 637-8982

Hours (official Visit page): Mon–Thu 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; Fri–Sat 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.; Sun 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. Individual shops and restaurants may differ.

Why go: Open-air shopping, dining, AMC, dancing fountain, and a free trolley loop — Glendale’s main “spend the afternoon” destination next to Brand Blvd.

VGC: The Americana page · Shopping in Glendale · Bhindi at the Americana. Sources: americanaatbrand.com/visit

Glendale Galleria

Address: 100 W. Broadway, Glendale, CA 91210 · Phone: (818) 459-4184

Hours: Hours vary; check current hours on Glendale Galleria.

Why go: Large indoor mall connected by walkways to the Americana area — weatherproof shopping when Brand Blvd is crowded.

VGC: Glendale Galleria page. Sources: glendalegalleria.com/en/visit

Brand Library & Art Center

Address: 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale, CA 91201 · Phone: (818) 548-2051

Hours (official Brand Library / Glendale LAC, effective Jul. 6, 2026): Tue–Thu 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; Sat 12:00–5:00 p.m.; closed Fri, Sun, Mon, and holidays.

Why go: Historic Brand mansion library with art and music collections, galleries, and free parking in Brand Park — pair with a park walk or Doctor’s House tour day.

Sources: brandlibrary.org/visit · eglendalelac.org hours

Brand Park

Address: 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale, CA 91201 (same campus as Brand Library)

Hours: Hours vary; check current hours on the City of Glendale Brand Park page.

Doctor’s House Museum tours are a separate schedule — see the Glendale Historical Society tour page.

Why go: Lawns, picnic space, historic buildings, and a Verdugo foothill trailhead next to Brand Library — one of Glendale’s easiest “park + culture” combos. See also our Parks in Glendale guide.

Sources: City of Glendale Brand Park facility listing · Glendale Historical Society — museum tours

Alex Theatre

Address: 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203 · Box office: (818) 254-8458

Box office (official): Open on ticketed event days only — begins 2 hours before the ticketed start and stays open until 30 minutes after the start.

Why go: 1925 landmark for concerts, film, dance, and touring shows on Brand Blvd. Check the current calendar before planning a night out; parking validation details are on thealex.com.

Sources: thealex.com/boxoffice · Getting Here

Museum of Neon Art (MONA)

Address: 216 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91204 · Phone: (818) 696-2149

Hours (official): Thu–Sat 12:00–7:00 p.m.; Sun 12:00–5:00 p.m.; closed Mon–Wed and most major holidays.

Admission (official): General $10; seniors 65+ $8; Glendale residents with ID $5; EBT $3; children 12 and under (with adult) and veterans with ID free; members free.

Why go: Compact museum of historic neon and kinetic art steps from Brand Blvd shopping — short visit that pairs well with Americana / Galleria.

Sources: neonmona.org/visit-contact

Forest Lawn Museum (Glendale)

Address: 1712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale, CA 91205 (follow signs from the main entrance) · Museum phone: (323) 340-4782

Hours (official): Tue–Sun 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; free admission and free parking. Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection presentations run on the hour (see museum page for language-subtitle slots and closure dates).

Why go: Art museum and historic grounds inside Forest Lawn Glendale — a quieter culture stop south of downtown shopping.

Sources: Forest Lawn Museum — Plan Your Visit

Deukmejian Wilderness Park

Address / access: North Glendale open-space park (City of Glendale Community Services & Parks). Stone Barn Nature Center has its own shorter staffed hours.

Hours: Hours vary; check current hours on the City of Glendale Deukmejian page.

Stone Barn Nature Center has its own shorter staffed hours — confirm on the city Stone Barn page before you go.

Why go: Verdugo foothill trails (Dunsmore Canyon / Le Mesnager Loop / Rim of the Valley segments per trail guides) without leaving Glendale city limits. Pair with our Parks guide.

Sources: City of Glendale Deukmejian Wilderness Park facility listing · Stone Barn Nature Center city page · LA Mountains / MRCA trail notes (secondary for trail names)

Verdugo Mountains hikes (from Glendale)

Where to start inside / next to Glendale: Brand Park trailhead (1601 W. Mountain St.) and Deukmejian Wilderness Park are the city’s primary Verdugo foothill access points. La Tuna Canyon Park (MRCA) is a nearby canyon trailhead outside the Brand Park campus — check MRCA / LA County Trails for that lot.

City trails note: Glendale lists local trails as open and asks hikers to yield to cyclists where shared. Carry water; foothill heat and fire restrictions change by season.

Sources: City of Glendale — Trails · Brand Park / Deukmejian facility pages · MRCA — La Tuna Canyon Park

Glendale Central Library

Address: 222 E. Harvard St., Glendale, CA 91205 · Phone: (818) 548-2021

Hours (official Glendale LAC, effective Jul. 6, 2026): Mon–Thu 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; Fri–Sat 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed Sundays and listed holidays.

Why go: Main downtown library for quiet work, kids’ programs, and city arts/culture programming — a free indoor stop near Brand Blvd.

Sources: eglendalelac.org hours

Holiday season, markets, and the calendar

For Christmas trees, light installers, and holiday decor, use our dedicated guide: Christmas Tree Lots & Decorations in Glendale.

For concerts, festivals, and one-off dates, start with Events and Major Events Near Glendale. Americana and Brand Park also post seasonal programming on their own calendars — confirm dates the week you go.

New openings and construction updates live on Coming Soon to Glendale.