ExperienceLA Alternative Black Friday Ideas: 2013 Edition

While we think every day is an excellent day to experience Los Angeles, Black Friday may be one of the best times for our non-shoppers out there!  You probably have the day off.  You may be visiting from out of town or have visitors to entertain.  You may have been meaning to check out something, but just haven't had the time! Whether you're filling time, seeking a new adventure or need a little nudge to get out the door, check out some of these ideas we've gathered to help you spend your day out of the stores.

Museums & Exhibitions

The Power of Photography: National Geographic 125 Years
Ongoing until April 27, 2014 - Museum Hours
Annenberg Space for Photography - West Los Angeles
This exhibition features 500 images from over 130 photographers, an original documentary film, and behind-the-scenes videos.

The Colorado Street Bridge Centennial Exhibition*
Updated: This museum will actually not be open on Black Friday.  Please consider the event for a future outing.

Ignite!  The Art of Sustainability
Ongoing through January 6, 2014 - Museum Hours
Pasadena Museum of California Art - Pasadena
This exhibition features works by thirteen California artists in varied media who have long focused on issues of the environment and sustainability. Born out of community dialogues hosted by the Green Museum's Initiative Committee of the California Association of Museums, the resulting works by Kim Abeles, Robert Dawson, and Ann Savageau among others, incorporate both historical and contemporary perspectives on the natural and human forces that have shaped the current landscape of California.

Film Screenings

Double Feature: The Shining & Room 237
November 29, 2013 - 7:30PM
Egyptian Theatre - Hollywood
Double Feature of the classic Stanley Kubrick film The Shining (1980) featuring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall and Room 237 (2012), a documentary on the wild theories that have sprung up around The Shining.

Singin' in the Rain
November 29, 2013 - 7:30PM
Aero Theatre - Santa Monica
In this 1952 classic musical, Gene Kelly shines as a silent-movie idol whose career is imperiled by the coming of sound - until he hooks up with lovely ingenue Debbie Reynolds.

Flight of the Butterflies 3D
Ongoing through April 3, 2014 - Check Showtime Hours
California Science Center - Downtown LA
Based on true events, Flight of the Butterflies 3D follows the extraordinary migration of the iconic monarch butterfly and the determined scientist, Dr. Fred Urquhart of Toronto, who spent 40 years to unearth where they went each fall. Audiences will discover a truly spectacular sight: hundreds of millions of butterflies in the hidden butterfly sanctuaries set 10,000 feet high in the mountains of the States of Michoacan and Mexico.   Check out our Featured Promotions page for a Ticket Discount!

Theatre

The Velveteen Rabbit (L.A. Children's Theater Festival)
Select Dates November - December 2013 including November 29, 2013 at 7:00PM-8:00PM
The Little Theater - Santa Monica
As part of its first annual Children’s Theater Festival, Los Angeles Children’s Theater presents a musical and magical stage adaptation of the beloved children’s story, "The Velveteen Rabbit (or How Toys Become Real)".

Every Christmas Story Ever Told -- (and then some!!)
Select Dates through December 14 including November 29, 2013 - 8:00PM-10:00PM
Little Fish Theatre - San Pedro
Part vaudeville, part Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) this play by Michael Carleton, Jim FitzGerald, and John K. Alvarez is a fast, furious, and slightly irreverent look at the holiday classics and traditions we all remember. From Frosty to Rudolph and the Grinch to It's A Wonderful Life, no pop culture holiday icon is spared in this whirlwind of holiday merriment.

The Nisei Widows Club: How Tomi Got Her Groove Back
Select Dates through December 8th including November 29, 2013 - 8:00PM-10:00PM
East West Players - Downtown LA
The third installment of a comic trilogy following the lives of a group of widowed Nisei women who only have each other in the face of loss and the search for love in their golden years. Tomi loses her only son to a heart attack at the early age of 45, and the other widows gather around her during this time of grief. Hilarity ensues when they embark on an unforgettable trip to Hawaii, which unleashes the cougar in all of them at a hula retreat.

Outdoor Adventures - Ice Skating

Just because we're in LA doesn't mean we can't go ice skating!  Check out The Rink in Downtown Burbank or head out to Downtown on Ice Holiday Skating Rink at Pershing Square.

Any other great ideas?  Share them in comments below!

-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA.com Editor