15 Nerdy Things to Do in Los Angeles: Unique Geek Guide

In the last month, I’ve gone to a pop-up event for Stranger Things and last night to the Peach Pit 90210 in celebration of the return of Beverly Hills 90210. The Stranger Things exhibit was temporary, but the Beverly Hills 90210 location is here till Sept 30! However, some of our local pop-ups become permanent, making them great nerdy things to do in Los Angeles.

Let’s explore a few that have come and sometimes stayed in LA—as well as other non-pop-up exhibitions.

Permanent Nerdy Things to Do in LA

1. Scum and Villainy Cantina

The Scum and Villainy Cantina, located in Hollywood, CA was originally a temporary exhibit; however, it has now become a fixture on Hollywood Blvd.

Self-proclaimed “friendly, neighborhood geek bar located in Hollywood, CA! All fandoms welcomed and cosplay is always encouraged.” Featuring several events which include themed trivia nights, game nights, special guest events, karaoke, and more.

I visited the Scum and Villainy Cantina back when it was a pop-up, and it definitely makes you feel like you’re in a galaxy far, far away.

Since I went early on, I got a challenge coin. These challenge coins can be shown to the bartender for 10% off your entire tab. You can now buy these for $50 from the bartenders.

The prices are pretty good for a themed geek bar, but the extra 10% off is an extra dose of star power. It’s definitely one of the best and most fun nerdy things to do in Los Angeles! And here are even more fun and cheap things to do in LA.

2. Beetle House LA

Just across the street from Scum and Villainy, you can find Beetle House LA. It’s a restaurant and bar that pays tribute through food and drink to all things dark, lovely, and Tim Burton. It’s like Halloween every day at Beetle House LA.

Their drinks are really amazing; try the Big Fish Bowl if you’re going with a few friends, as it’s too much for one person. Several characters come to interact with you around the bar. If you’re not in LA, they also have a New York City location.

Edit: Apparently, this awesome nerdy things to do in LA has moved! But not too far, so you can still hit up Beetle House LA and Scum and Villainy Cantina in the same night!

Looking for more Halloween inspired things to do in California? Check out this list of Halloween Attractions in California!

3. Warner Bros. Archives

I don’t talk about my “day job” much on here, and while I’m still on #saferathome orders, I thought I’d share a bit about it. I work on a TV show which is produced by Warner Brothers, which grants me the luxury of being able to visit the Warner Bros. Archives as I wish.

If you’ve done the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Hollywood, you’ve likely visited the Archives already. However, they do update them, so maybe you’ll see something you haven’t before on this list of nerdy things to do in LA.

I should mention that I have not done the official studio tour, but I’ve done pieces of it as a perk of being an employee.

As an employee who does a portion of my work just a building over from the Archives, you really can’t get closer on a Hollywood studio tour! I’ve even brought actresses and actors over to the archives upon their request. You never know who you’ll see while strolling the lot!

Warner Brothers is one of the busiest working studios in Hollywood. The numerous films and TV shows they’ve created have entertained the world for over 95 years! I’ve been lucky to work for the studio for 4 of those years.

In the Archives, you get to see the real costumes used during filming and learn about the set design of this incredible comic book film. Everything from authentic props to photo ops with her sword are part of this exhibit. You can see the costumes of Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), General Ludendorff (Danny Huston), Dr. Maru (Elena Anaya), Sir Patrick (David Thewlis) and others there as well.

My favorite part of the Archives has to be the Harry Potter tour section! In  Stage 48: Script to Screen, there are some interactive Harry Potter exhibits, but this is the Potterhead section of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.

Here, you’ll get a good taste of the Wizarding World with real costumes, props, original storyboards, and characters from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. Wondering what house you belong to? You can even get sorted into a Hogwarts House with the Sorting Hat!

While the larger and more extensive Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour is located in London, this is still a wonderful little exhibit if you want to do a movie studio tour in LA. And if you’re as much of a Potterhead as I am and happen to be crossing the pond soon, there are tons of Harry Potter filming locations to see in England!

4. The Petersen Museum

A nerd travel trip to LA would be remiss without seeing the Hollywood Dream Machines! The Petersen Automotive Museum is the best car museum in LA and one of the world’s largest automotive museums!

The special Hollywood Dream Machines exhibit, curated in collaboration with San Diego Comic-Con, is a perfect addition to your list of nerdy things to do in Los Angeles!

Update: The Hollywood Dream Machines exhibit is no longer around; it was only on temporary display in 2020. However, they have now created a Cars of Film & Television section of the museum that features picture cars.

Some of the vehicles I saw that seem to have stayed are those from the Transformers and Batman franchises.

5. Geeky Teas

A great place to grab a cup of tea and play board games with friends—or even strangers! It’s also a wonderful place to learn new games, as there are tons of people there hanging out and willing to teach.

On Discord, you can also join groups that meet up in person at Geeky Teas.

I’ve also purchased tea and gifts for nerdy friends here!

6. Guild Hall

My favorite board game bar is Guild Hall! They actually have two locations in LA County, but I primarily go to the one in Burbank, as that’s where I used to work.

I love going there and bringing along my favorite game or trying a new one from their massive wall of games. Their food and drinks are also top-notch!

They typically will have a theme going on in conjunction with the release of a film or TV show, so if there’s something coming up you’re excited about, check out their page to see if they’re putting on anything special.

7. The Last Bookstore

They aren’t really the last bookstore, but they are the largest new and used bookstore in California.

They also play host to a record store, comic book store, five art studios, a yarn shop, the famous book tunnel you’ve likely seen on Instagram, and tons of books (of course). Also, they are in a hundred-year-old bank building, so they have a vault and reportedly have ghosts.

I loved exploring the upper flowers with the art studios the most!

8. The Magic Castle

The Magic Castle is a venue, restaurant, and clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts for magicians and magic enthusiasts.

The Academy was started in 1952 by William Larsen Sr., who founded Genii magazine in 1936. In January 2, 1963, the Castle was opened by brothers Bill and Milt Larsen.

You need an invite to enter or at least a reservation at their hotel, but it is well worth the effort! I had a blast here with some friends and saw so many wonderful magicians perched around the Castle.

Temporary Nerdy Things to Do in Los Angeles

9. Peach Pit 90210

You likely heard about the opening of the Peach Pit a week or so ago. But at that time, it was only open for a short time, merely two days! Well, guess what!?! It was so popular that they brought it back with the same folks who put together the Saved By The Bell and Good Burger pop-ups.

The new and improved Peach Pit charges patrons for the privilege of entering. Please note that when we were seated on the patio outside, I heard a couple next to us who clearly didn’t see that on the site when they booked the tickets. Food and drinks are extra!

However, the Peach Pit 90210 now offers a food selection instead of the small catered bites that the 2-day run had. The menu is small, but for someone like me who’s trying to be more vegetarian, there were even some options.

Reserve Your Seat at Peach Pit 90210

If you were lucky enough to have made it during the 2-day run, you should know that they have since built out more photo ops as well. The photo ops include the Peach Pit 90210 After Dark nightclub, Wildcats Class of ’93 graduation, a jukebox, a phone booth, and a mini dining area. It’s one of the most compact but well-coordinated pop-ups I’ve been to.

As it’s only open for six weeks, make sure to book your tickets now! They include a 45-minute reservation seated inside the Peach Pit 90210 or on the patio. Only reservation holders are allowed in, so you won’t be able to access the location without one.

There was also merch for sale; my friend got one of the Peach Pit T-shirts for her friend.

I have to note that the staff there was wonderful! Everyone had a great attitude, even though I’m sure it was rough churning out a constant flow of people every 45 minutes.

Of course, as I’m sure you noticed, I was wearing my Riverdale Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe shirt in honor of Mr. Luke Perry ❤️.

10. Stranger Things Pop Up

Let me start by saying that this was the LONGEST line I’ve ever been in for any pop-up in LA! And we had an ACTUAL reservation!

I get it when there are no reservations, you just have to wait, but we had a real reservation and still had to wait an hour and a half outside in the sun.

Luckily, it was towards the end of the day, so the sun wasn’t too much of an issue, but I imagine from noon to 3 p.m., it was awful for those in line for the Stranger Things pop-up! This by itself made it one of my least favorite nerdy things to do in Los Angeles. However, there are plenty of once in a lifetime things to do in LA instead!

The Starcourt Mall Experience

The Stranger Things popup for season 3 was fashioned to look like Starcourt Mall. Since we got there late in the day, the ice cream was already gone, but we were still able to see this adorable Scoops Ahoy ice cream truck!

The inside of the Stranger Things pop-up was a blast from the 80s past! Entering in, you first land in the Flash Studio covered in neon, scrunchies, and jean jackets. We were able to dress up in these items and then shoot Polaroids as well as our own photos.

Stranger Things Happening in Hawkins

From there, you journey into the Hawkins pool and are greeted by a male and female lifeguard. Well not actually greeting, more like shouting about no running or splashing. Onward from there, you enter into Eleven’s bedroom. Moving forward you head into a dark room with a bathtub, meant to look like what’s inside Eleven’s head.

Then, I went into a room with Russians, a laboratory with men dressed up as scientists speaking what I can only assume is real Russian (since I don’t actually know any Russian). They even snatched my friend’s phone and took that lovely photo with a lot of teeth. I crossed over dead and mutated rats, through a mirrored hallway, and then onto an overlook of the town of Hawkins.

This was the best photo op the Stranger Things pop-up experience had to offer! It’s a lovely photo as they really put the money behind the set, lights, and camera. They even had someone directing where to look and stand, which really helped make it pop!

11. Ready Player One Challenge

During the premiere of Ready Player One, they set up a pop-up where fans could enter the OASIS. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to experience this in person as the tickets went fast! However, I did have some friends who were able to get in.

Fans got a chance to step into Parzival’s shoes at a pop-up exhibit called The Ready Player One Challenge. The immersive experience included video clues to three hidden keys, the ability to walk around the “stacks,” and finally, a secret entrance into the OASIS. With a DeLorean on the property, you could make all your ’80s dreams come true.

They also had actors living in the stacks, playing IOI agents, and various pop culture icons. Unfortunately, this exhibit is no longer up, but it was definitely a memorable thing to do in Los Angeles.

The photos of Ready Player One Challenge are courtesy of Kari Lane.

12. Spellman House

Some of these LA pop-ups are short-lived, such as the Spellman House exhibit promoting the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina TV series on Netflix.

Spellman House only lasted two days but was also used as the location of the premiere party before opening up to the public. Attendees could participate in an immersive experience by putting themselves into Sabrina’s world.

Choosing between the Path of Light or the Path of Night, the experience started off with a witchy makeover brought to you by Teen Vogue. Witches and warlocks could sign the Book of the Beast or visit the Altar Room in the Spellman House.

The exterior was even part of the exhibit as it had a projected image that changed with characters like Sabrina and Salem moving through the Baxter High windows.

The best part of the experience was the video they took while walking through Baxter High, which looked straight out of The Craft.

If you’re looking for even more things to do, here’s an ultimate LA travel guide to help you out!

13. Mermaid Museum

Another pop-up dedicated to bringing awareness to a TV series was the Mermaid Museum. Freeform and PopSugar teamed up to celebrate the premiere of Freeform’s series, Siren.

Featuring a live mermaid, a speakeasy-inspired fishing store, photo ops, and giveaways. I loved the fishing store the most because it really felt like you were part of the show.

Actors played along to bring you into the Bristol Cove world. The other parts of the pop-up were more general in mermaid theme, which was still cool, just not really Siren entrenched.

14. Legion

For the return of LEGION, a pop-up at the same location as the Mermaid Museum (Goya Studios in Hollywood) was opened.

A 360-video installation, “Fracture,” took guests inside David Haller’s (Dan Stevens) mind.

The photos of Legion are courtesy of Kari Lane.

15. Breakup Bar

Finally, our most current pop-up in Los Angeles is the Breakup Bar. Though not mentioned on its website, the Breakup Bar was created to support another Netflix series, The Breaker Uppers. The pop-up took over the space next to Severance Wine Bar on Melrose.

You can add to the 8-foot wall of broken relationships while watching classic breakup movies. The menu features champagne, punches, and wine-based cocktails. Cakes, fondues, macaroons, and an awesome gelato cake are available! I bet you can guess which one I had! It was delicious!

A ticket to the Breakup Bar includes a complimentary cocktail or sparkling wine flight. Space was very limited there, so I suggest getting a ticket in advance. We had tickets and still had a bit of a wait to get in.

Edit: It seems they’ve been bringing this back somewhat regularly around Valentine’s Day, so make sure to look into it in February!

Final Thoughts on Nerdy Things to do in Los Angeles

What’s been your favorite on this list of the nerdy things to do in Los Angeles? Mine was definitely the Spellman House and Scum and Villainy!

If you happen to be in LA for a bit, check out this perfect Los Angeles itinerary for 5 days!

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