(Kaitlin Brito / For The Times)
19 best experiences to gift L.A. people who don’t want more stuff
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The right experience, paired with the right recipient, makes for more than a resonant gift. It makes a memory that’s likely to outlast the recipient’s appreciation for that book or article of clothing or household tool or piece of jewelry. (Well, within reason.)
Maybe gift experiences stand out so boldly because so many of us already have too much stuff. Or maybe it’s because we remember experiences differently than we remember objects. Especially shared experiences, whether it’s a mindful archery session or a sound bath on a mattress.
With that in mind, we’ve gathered a batch of gift experience ideas here. Some are classes (including perfumery and stained glass). Some are performances (including magic and bluegrass). Some are explorations (including a climbing wall session and the Dodgers clubhouse). All are likely to last longer in memory than, say, a pair of socks with a snarky message written on the soles. Ditch those snarky socks and step this way.
Editor’s note: If you make a purchase using some of our links, the L.A. Times may be compensated. Prices and availability are subject to change. In some cases, listed websites may use location-based pricing.
Showing Gift Gifts
Water-marble a silk scarf with an L.A. artist
Art Class $115 at ClassBento.com
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(Emily Tarinelli / Los Angeles Times)
This water-marbling class with L.A.-based artist Linda Capetillo-Cunliffe makes for an artsy, low-stakes and meditative gift — plus, your giftee will walk away with their own, self-designed silk scarf and handkerchief. If you haven’t heard of water-marbling, you’ve probably seen a satisfying video of the practice online. An artist carefully drips acrylic paint into a tray of water, which has been thickened with seaweed carrageenan powder. Once the tray is peppered with paint dots, the artist slowly rakes and swirls through the colors, creating designs that look like feathers, zigzags, wisps and more. The artist then submerges a white scarf in the mix, which soaks up the pattern. Capetillo-Cunliffe runs this workshop out of her home studio in Mid-City.
Go rock climbing at Sender City
Climbing Gym $39 at Sender City
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(Robyn Breen Shinn / For The Times)
For those people in your life craving an active, family-friendly, indoor adventure, check out Sender City, a colorful, interactive climbing center within the larger climbing gym Sender One. After suiting up in a harness and helmet and watching an instructional safety video, your daredevil will explore over 20 unique walls designed after fire trucks, dinosaur bones, circuit boards and more. Ascend a vertical, glow-in-the-dark tunnel, climb up a tower and swing on a trapeze or race a friend up a speed climbing wall. (A 9-year-old child challenged me to a race, and I’m humbled to say I lost by three seconds.) Each wall varies in difficulty, which — as a rookie climber myself — kept the experience exciting and fresh.
Stomp and holler on Bluegrass Night at Bigfoot Lodge
Live Bluegrass Music $25 and up at Giftly.com
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(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
On Tuesday nights, a gaggle of folky musicians gather around 8 in a woodsy Atwater Village bar to play tunes like “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” on guitar, banjo, bass, fiddle and mandolin and holler in harmony. Often the L.A. River Rats play. This Bluegrass Night has no cover charge, so your gift card will probably go to beers (about $9) and cocktails (about $17) or a slice from the pizza pop-up that’s usually outside.
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Take an L.A. Explained Walking Tour
Adventure $30 at L.A. Explained
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(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
L.A. Explained, a web hub devoted to L.A. culture, started offering walking tours early in 2026. By August, 12 neighborhoods were covered. Guide Charlie Ryan usually leads tours (typically 90 to 180 minutes, covering two to four and a half miles), mixing sociology, architecture, old and new businesses and celebrity connections — a treat for any curious Angeleno. Gift cards are available for $25 and up.
Take an Abstract Stained Glass Workshop
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(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
There’s just something enchanting about stained glass. Perhaps it is the unexpected pops of color. Perhaps it’s how, when you look at any large colorfully designed window full of various sized shards of glass, you can only imagine just how much work went into it. It was with this level of reverence I attended the abstract stained glass workshop offered at Element Art Center in Chinatown. I was quickly greeted by teacher Becca Choi, who patiently answered all my questions. Choi also helped me draw my design — a flaming chalice, an important symbol of my Unitarian Universalist faith — and then Choi encouraged me to think about what colors of glass I’d like to use. Choi taught our class of five not only how to cut the glass but also how to grind it into the shapes we needed and solder our pieces together to complete our designs. I left with a greater respect for the art form — and a glass chalice that’s hanging in my kitchen window.
Startle somebody’s senses at Dataland
Museum $25 and up at Giftly.com
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Picture a series of five tall rooms with surrounding jungle-inspired imagery, sound and subtle scents, all conjured with the help of AI. That’s Dataland, a for-profit interactive museum at the Grand L.A. downtown since June. The theme through Jan. 31 is “Machine Dreams: Rainforest.” Refik Anadol and Efsun Erkılıç, the artists behind Dataland, say displays are drawn from ethically sourced material. Most visitors spend one to two hours (and wear black booties, keeping floors clean and reflective). Images include startling detail. Audio mimics living jungle. The exhibit is kid-friendly, but sensory input might bother some neurodivergent people. Tickets are $49-$79 per person.
Be a vinyl DJ for the day
Class $100 at Airbnb
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(Kailyn Brown / Los Angeles Times)
Want to try DJing, but don’t know where to start? Check out DJ Amani “Burt Blackarach” Smith’s Be a DJ for a Day class. He’s an engineer, music supervisor and longtime DJ who knows what he’s talking about. During the one-hour crash course at his decked-out studio tucked inside Sony Studios (yes, the TV and film complex in Culver City), you’ll learn basic DJ skills like how to properly handle vinyl records and how to scratch. The class is intimate (no more than eight students) and super fun for people of all levels.
Have some science fun at Drunken Laboratory
Adventure $63.59-$169.59 at Drunken Laboratory
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(Christopher Buchanan / Los Angeles Times)
If your gift recipient ever finds themselves missing those old, foamy science kits they did as a kid, Drunken Laboratory in L.A. is just for them. Upon entering the nighttime show, you’ll be greeted with a complimentary cocktail that resembles a chemical mixture before being seated at a desk with goggles, a lab coat, flasks, beakers and other lab materials. The head scientists (a.k.a. the hosts) will lead your giftee through explosive science experiments and group karaoke during the two-hour show in the downtown L.A. area. Seats are limited, so get your ticket at least a few weeks in advance to make it to the lab on time.
Feel like a Dodger for the day at the Dodgers Clubhouse Tour
Adventure $87.25 at Dodgers 365
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(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)
You can buy a variety of behind-the-scenes Dodger Stadium tours for the fan in your life, but walking down the blue-tiled tunnel inspired by Charles D. Kratka’s mosaic walls at Los Angeles International Airport to the clubhouse feels like a real treat. This two-hour tour takes you to the press box overlooking the field, the Dodgers dugout and bullpen, the weight room, batting tunnel and interview room. The excellent tour guides offer plenty of history and trivia — they’ll even take your picture — but the highlight is entering the clubhouse where you can see your favorite players’ lockers. It’s a gift they’ll remember forever.
Pet some animals at Farm Sanctuary tour
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(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
Founded 40 years ago, Farm Sanctuary has two locations: a 275-acre property in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and locally, a 39-acre site in Acton. During public tours, offered on Saturdays and Sundays, guests are guided around the farm to meet any animals willing to say “Howdy!” On a visit earlier this year, our tour started with a herd of goats, including Gary, who’d recently taken over as head goat after the matriarch, Alice, retired. Later, my wife and I were greeted in one pasture by a gentle donkey who wanted hugs. We left calmer, happier and eager to return for more time with the gentle souls at Farm Sanctuary.
Roll back time in a retro bowling alley
Bowling alley and bar $25 and up at Giftly.com
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(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Highland Park Bowl is billed as the oldest bowling alley in L.A. It’s a 1927 venue with eight lanes, a bar, burgers, pizza, a billiards room and old-school vibes throughout. Maybe this is the perfect family gift. Groups can reserve a two-hour block, but most bowling is first-come, first-served, $15-$25 per hour per person and $7 for shoes. Must be 21 after 8 p.m. You can separately book adjoining speakeasy Lucky Tiki for tropical cocktails and meals.
Have a 60-minute ‘Eyeball Care’ massage
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(Ariana Drehsler / For The Times)
This might be the perfect gift for the computer warriors in your life. New Vogue Spa’s 60-minute “Eyeball Care” massage aims to alleviate digital eyestrain and dry eye syndrome. The blissfully relaxing treatment includes “cooling steam therapy” as well as a light hydrating facial and an eye socket massage to increase circulation and relax muscles in the eye area. Practitioners say it also helps decrease eye puffiness and dark circles, but we’d return for the 10-minute scalp massage alone.
Have a night of magic at Black Rabbit Rose
Cocktail Bar $40-$69 at Black Rabbit Rose
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(Emily Tarinelli / Los Angeles Times)
Tucked away off Hollywood Boulevard, Black Rabbit Rose’s only signage is, aptly, a door adorned with roses beneath a mysterious rabbit sigil. Once inside, purchase small Thai-Chinese bites like steamed dumplings and shrimp fried rice, and sip on enigmatic cocktails like the Zig Zag Lady (rum, blackcurrant, lime, ginger, mango candy) and the Misdirection (vanilla vodka, curacao, coconut, lemon).
After dinner, you’ll be summoned down a secret passage into a hidden, dimly lit theater, where you’ll witness a live magic show with rotating performances. Yes, some acts need volunteers. Prepare to be mesmerized by seemingly impossible sleight-of-hand acts, mind-bending intuition tricks, gripping storytelling and even some risky maneuvers — though nothing like that ill-fated water-tank scene from “The Prestige.” My showtime involved a fire-eating magician.
After dinner, you’ll be summoned down a secret passage into a hidden, dimly lit theater, where you’ll witness a live magic show with rotating performances. Yes, some acts need volunteers. Prepare to be mesmerized by seemingly impossible sleight-of-hand acts, mind-bending intuition tricks, gripping storytelling and even some risky maneuvers — though nothing like that ill-fated water-tank scene from “The Prestige.” My showtime involved a fire-eating magician.
Shoot an arrow at a Mindful Archery Workshop
Workshop $85 at Angie Fadel Soulcare
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(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Encourage your loved ones to take a power stance and channel their inner Katniss. Longtime archer and spiritual mentor Angie Fadel leads self-empowering Mindful Archery workshops that blend meditation, breath work, nature immersion and arrows to help participants release stress and invite change. Participants draw their own targets with provided art supplies and then take aim at what they either want to let go of — or bring into — their lives. It’s athletic, healing and fun.
Enjoy a sound bath while lying on a mattress at Mattress Central
Self Care $41.32 at Moon Soul Sound Baths
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(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
At Moon Soul’s relaxing sound bath at Mattress Central in Atwater Village, Alice Moon sits in the center of the mattress store and plays her crystal singing bowls, creating what feels like a communal meditation. You and your giftee can curl up on a queen-size mattress alone or with someone else. Sheets, pillows and a sleep mask are provided. (There is also a $74.41 option for a shared mattress.) As Moon moves through the showroom playing her ocean drum, some people even fall asleep. After the 50-minute sound bath, you will get a crystal and a mantra card to take home, making it feel like more than a dream.
Mosey along on a Mulholland Trail Horseback Tour
Adventure $75-$96.60 at Sunset Ranch Hollywood
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(Christopher Buchanan / Los Angeles Times)
There are few places in Los Angeles where your gift recipient can feel the spirit of the Old West, and one of them is atop a horse on a Mulholland Trail tour, hosted by Sunset Ranch Hollywood. After getting acquainted with their steed, your giftee will follow a guide on a three-mile trek up the rustic hills of Griffith Park, with a view of the downtown L.A. skyline and Hollywood sprawl on either side. This activity would work great as a group trip, but if they want to fly solo, make sure your recipient brings some small earbuds for Johnny Cash on the way up and Tammy Wynette on the way down. I can reassure those especially skittish around large animals that the horses are calm, kind and collected.
Experience a heartfelt, live-in video game with ‘The Nest’
Immersive Entertainment $65 at Hatch Escapes
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(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
“The Nest” is a work of immersive theater that pulls most heavily from the game and theme park spaces. At its core is a puzzle, but there is no grand mystery to unravel, no trick to reveal. Instead, “The Nest” asks us to piece together a life, to think deeply about our own memories and the ones we’re striving to create. The story is told through the environment as well as cassette tapes that we will find throughout the space. Set in a storage unit, “The Nest” feels like a reverie, a work of extremely intimate and personal theater, where attendees slyly become participants on their own individual quests.
Make a custom fragrance with Yuzu Leaf
Class $100-$150 at Yuzu Leaf
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(Christopher Buchanan / Los Angeles Times)
Instead of buying your giftee a fragrance they might not like, why not get them to make their own? For two hours at a small office in West Adams or in Duarte, an instructor from the Yuzu Leaf fragrance company will guide your gift recipient through the process of crafting the perfect scent, from undertone to overtone. If they’re extra-sensitive to strong smells, they might want to sit this out, because they’ll be sniffing a ton of flowery scents and essential oils to make their perfect perfume. After all the notes are balanced and every layer finds its place, your giftee will be keeping a 10-milliliter roll-on bottle of their custom product. There’s also an option to make an alcohol-based spray.
Build a mini plant ecosystem at Jungle Box Studio
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(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)
Setting foot in downtown’s Jungle Box Studio is like walking into sci-fi-inspired greenery. Orbs and domes of tiny plant ecosystems surround us. The little worlds are beautifully — and delicately — detailed. In some, moss, greenery and little flowers extend out from a towering piece of bark. In others, globes of gravel hide minuscule natural wonders. This is the studio and shop of Ryan Vu, who refers to the space as his sanctuary. He started offering build-your-own terrarium workshops, he told a class, in part because he loved his creations too much to part with them. And over the course of a 90-minute session, attendees construct and take home their own mini jungle, complete with budding plant life and mini accoutrements. I choose a castle and a green lizard. It adds more nature to my home, but it also feels like a small work of handmade art.
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