This famed outdoor venue is one of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world. Take that Universal- Gibson-whatever-your-name-is.

The Hollywood Bowl has hosted legendary performances from Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Monty Python, Ella Fitzgerald, Fred Astaire, Abbott and Costello and enough others to fill a Hollywood history book. Its storied past also includes several renovations; the latest includes a new shell with much improved acoustics. The venue (which clocks in at more than 80 years old), seats around 18,000; the surrounding hills are a perfect backdrop for pre-concert picnics. There are several grassy areas on the grounds that make ideal picnic spots, and for those who aren't fans of grass stains there are also picnic tables. The Bowl is possibly the only outdoor venue around where visitors can bring along their own food and alcohol, so don't forget the cheese or the corkscrew. For those that get to the show early, the Hollywood Bowl Museum, with no admission charge, is a pleasant walk down memory lane. The Bowl's only drawback is its stacked parking, which is a huge hassle, so try the Bowlbus Shuttle or park-and-ride options instead. From June through September, the Bowl's lineup ranges from Tchaikovsky-playing orchestras to bands ranging from Coldplay and Radiohead to Aerosmith and Motley Crue. The bowl also offers season standards like the Playboy Jazz Festival, the Mariachi Festival, Video Games Live and the Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular. Also of note is the annual summertime KCRW World Music Festival, which brings acts like The Arcade Fire, Willie Nelson, The Flaming Lips, David Byrne, Zero 7 and Basement Jaxx to the Bowl.