The Best Places to Take Dad in Los Angeles

When you were younger, you probably rolled your eyes at your father's taste in music, but it's sure to have shaped your own music taste as well. Share that journey together through the many racks of CDs and vinyl at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. Spark nostalgia by digging up an old, rare album from his youth, or bring him up to date with something new.

Angel City Brewery was founded in 1997 and quickly became a leader in the L.A. craft beer scene, bringing old-world, small-batch craft brewing to the new world of the expanding L.A. Arts District. Angel City is also well-known for the street art that decorates the historic building, from Colette Miller’s Angel Wings to JR’s striking portrait from The Wrinkles of the City series.

On June 17, Angel City is hosting a Father's Day Food Truck & Music Festival from noon to 6pm. Great eats from Downtown Taco Co, music by The Vignes Rooftop Revival and Howling Faith, and The Bad Dads Club pop-up shop, offerin great merch for any dad bod.

Upstairs at Amoeba Music, your dad can browse an extensive collection of movies, TV shows, and other videos. But if he's a film buff, there's nothing like watching a movie on the big screen. Located next door to Amoeba on Sunset Boulevard, ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood is one of L.A.’s premier movie experiences. Your dad will love the first class treatment: auditoriums with luxurious seating and state-of-the-art technology, cafes and bars, and a friendly and experienced staff.

If dad is a baseball fan, there is no better place to be on Father’s Day than Dodger Stadium, one of the true cathedrals of baseball. Since opening its gates in 1962, the storied ballpark has hosted nine World Series and the Dodgers have won four World Championships. Through the decades, Dodger Stadium has seen Hall of Famers, World Champions, no-hitters, MVPs and Cy Young Award winners. On June 17, the Dodgers host the archrival San Francisco Giants, featuring a Father's Day Money Clip promo giveaway.

If dad bleeds Dodger Blue, the best seat in the house might be Kirk Gibson's Home Run Seat in the Right Field Pavilion. Tickets for the Kirk Gibson seat and a companion seat must be purchased as a pair at Dodgers.com/Gibson and are priced at $300. The purchase price includes two commemorative t-shirts and food and drink in the Coca-Cola All-Inclusive Right Field Pavilion. $200 of the $300 purchase price will be donated to the Kirk Gibson Foundation to raise money and awareness for Parkinson's Research.  

Any dad would love to spend a day exploring automotive history in the car capital of the country. Following a $125-million renovation, the Petersen Automotive Museum reopened to the public in December 2015. Exhibits feature characters from Disney/Pixar’s Cars, Xbox Forza racing simulators, BMW Art Cars, the $400,000 Ford GT, a motorsports gallery, and virtual tours for the iPhone or iPad.

On June 17, the Petersen is hosting Hoods Up On Father's Day from 10am - 6pm. Dad will get an inside look under the hoods of the museum's 1954 Plymouth Explorer by Ghia and the ‘64 Porsche 901. The Rob and Melani Walton Discovery Center will be hosting a special Father’s Day Arts and Crafts project - little racers can make a “Dad Club of America” card using images of featured museum vehicles as an homage to fathers and the car clubs of America.

Seven Grand in Downtown L.A. has a fantastic selection of scotch, bourbon and rye for your father to sip, whether he likes it neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail. This handsomely designed bar is also an intimate music venue, with live jazz and blues bands on steady rotation. You could also enroll your dad into the Seven Grand Whiskey Society, which features regular meetups with distillers from around the whiskey world, offering new and limited release tastings.

If your dad is a serious meat eater and wants to dive into an epic steak, then look no further than CUT at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. This acclaimed steakhouse is part of Wolfgang Puck's successful empire of restaurants, so your father will be treated to the highest level of hospitality as well as an amazing meal. The main cuts of meat can be paired with the finest wines. And of course, be sure to save room for dessert.

Based in Downtown L.A., Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. The Rev. Gregory J. Boyle, S.J., launched Homeboy Bakery in 1992, and since then former enemy gang members have worked side-by-side, learning both business and baking skills together. Today, Homeboy Industries employs and trains former gang members in a range of social enterprises, as well as provides critical services to 15,000 men and women who walk through its doors every year seeking a better life. Recently named Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation, Father Boyle has expanded the Homeboy brand to Homegirl Café & Catering, Homeboy Diner at Los Angeles City Hall, a grab-and-go location at LAX Terminal 4, Homeboy Food Truck, and a retail presence at farmers’ markets throughout Greater Los Angeles.

If your dad daydreams of a trip to Italy, he's going to love Mr. C Beverly Hills, founded by brothers Ignazio and Maggio Cipriani - their great-grandfather opened Harry's Bar in Venice in 1931 and the family runs eponymous restaurants all over the world. Inspired by classic Italian restaurants, The Restaurant at Mr. C invites travelers and Angelenos alike to experience truly authentic Italian cuisine by fourth generation Cipriani.

On June 17, Mr. C Beverly Hills invites you to treat dad to an indulgent, Venetian style cookout by the pool, featuring grilled specialties including ribeye, hamburger, salmon, chicken mattone, summer vegetables and salads, classic Cipriani pastas, hand-sliced charcuterie, housemade desserts and more. Enjoy the sunshine, listen to live music, and play outdoor games such as life-size Jenga and cornhole while sipping bottomless Peroni Nastro Azzuro or house wine. Pricing is $75 per adult, $38 per child ages 5-12, and free for children 4 and younger.

Located off Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles, Rancho Park Golf Course is an 18-hole, par 71 championship course, playing at 6,630 yards. Designed by William Johnson and William P. Bell, Rancho Park opened with the 1949 USGA Public Links Championship and has since hosted 18 Los Angeles Opens as well as numerous LPGA and Senior tour events between 1978 and 1994. The golf course is a challenging and undulating course requiring a great deal of skill. A variety of lies provide a challenge, especially on approach shots to smallish greens.

The Battleship IOWA is a decomissioned battleship that's now permanently docked in San Pedro. It's been involved in multiple campaigns, beginning with World War II all the way up to the Korean War and various NATO exercises, until she was ultimately retired from the naval fleet. Take a tour of the great battleship and give your father a chance to get up-close and personal with the raw military might of the IOWA’s massive gun turrets.