Off beat attractions near Los Angeles

The natural attractions of Southern California, its beaches, bays and native foods, have been a hit with rental bus visitors since the first European arrivals on the original tourist boat in 1542. Over the subsequent centuries, as California has undergone ever-accelerating development, the list of its attractions has grown to include eye- and ear-catching museums worth making the trip. California has a reputation for the off beat and alternative, and some of its attractions reflect that vibe. A great way of moving in and around Los Angeles is with a bus, charter bus, coach bus, party bus, mini bus, passenger coach or school bus rented from Bus Company Los Angeles.

Rental bus visitors to Los Angeles will notice that neon is everywhere in Southern California, from the sign at the Santa Monica Pier to the downtown lights, but the nowhere is the art of neon more appreciated than at the Museum of Neon Art in downtown Los Angeles. After starting its collection in the 1970s, storage yards and warehouses gradually filled with donated and purchased samples before the museum opened in 1981. Neon aficionados not content just to see signs in a museum setting can tour working neon in the LA area every Saturday night from June through November. A red double-decker bus allows rental bus visitors to enjoy the air up top or find shelter from the night chill on the lower level. Advance reservations are suggested for rental bus groups. Tickets for the museum and tour may be purchased at the door.

Once thought to be a popular form of ephemera suitable only for capturing birthday parties and children's school pictures, photography is now a legitimate art form. Two southern California museums give more than a nod to the pioneers of the field. The University of California, Riverside, located an hour by rental bus from downtown Los Angeles, hosts a photography museum on its campus. The facility is one of the Western states' largest permanent collections of photographs and cameras. Parking can be limited on campus, so using the services of a rental bus would be ideal. The San Diego Museum of Photographic Arts, two to three hours by rental bus south of Los Angeles, depending on traffic, offers a diverse collection of images from nearly 900 notable photographers. Including examples of classic and cutting-edge modern photography, the museum is located in the Casa de Balboa, a historic structure in the Balboa Park complex. Both museums offer revolving and specialized exhibits, in addition to permanent gallery displays.

Leo Fender, the father of the solid-body electric guitar, opened his first guitar shop at 107 S. Spadra in Fullerton in the 1950s. Today, two Southern California museums pay tribute to his invention and his musical legacy: a small gallery in the city of Fullerton Museum Center as well as an entire museum at the Fender factory, approximately an hour's drive by rental bus from Fullerton in an industrial location in Corona. The corporate museum features vintage and custom models, and has a gift shop with branded Fender memorabilia, from key fobs to coffee mugs to more T-shirts than one person could wear in a lifetime.

For a rental bus tour of some of Los Angeles more off beat attractions, give Bus Company Los Angeles a call to find out how they can help you with their friendly, personalized service.