™You Don't Always Have to Pay for Parking in Los Angeles (Dodger Stadium, The Getty, and More)
Parking prices in LA are out of control. Here's how to get cheaper parking at Dodger Stadium and other overpriced spots.
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Los Angeles is the City of Cars. The city is nigh impossible to manage without a vehicle: too spread out to walk, and public transit is (kinda) weak.
On top of LA’s world-famous traffic, parking is an expensive nightmare. Here are a few of the biggest parking rip-offs in the city and how to skirt them.
1. Dodger Stadium ($40 minimum for stadium parking)
The defending World Series champs put on the home show 81 times a year at a reasonable price. Tickets at Dodger Stadium were as cheap as $27 during the 2026 regular season, but parking for that same game started at $40. And that’s if you paid in advance.
The (ridiculous) prices are:
$40 advance
$45 at the game
$65 preferred
The Trick?
Take the Dodger Stadium Express. It's free with a game ticket.
Park at Union Station ($8) or any of these stations: Slauson, Manchester, Harbor Freeway, Rosecrans, or Harbor Gateway Transit Center (Bay 9).
The Real Trick?
Lots 13 and 14 are $5 when available. They’re a 15-minute uphill walk away with a free shuttle for disabled fans. These fill up VERY early.
2. Getty Center (Free Entry, $25 Parking)
The Getty is a cultural juggernaut, with its gardens, museum, and spectacular views. And it’s FREE. Well… entry is free. Parking is $25. And unlike Dodger Stadium, there aren’t any cheap lots nearby.
The Trick?
Parking is $15 after 3 PM, $10 after 6 PM, and on Saturdays it's free after 6 PM. But that’s not a trick; those are just the standard rules.
The Real Trick?
There really isn’t one. The Getty doesn’t have cheap parking nearby unless you take a bus, and even then, you’re dealing with a private garage or random street parking rules. Lime is geofenced out as well.
At least bike parking is free.
3. Hollywood Bowl ($45 minimum, usually more)
LA is the center of the universe of show and spectacle, and the Hollywood Bowl may be the crown jewel among the city’s renowned theaters. The Bowl hosts the Phil, ballet, and the best in music and comedy.
The parking at the Bowl is essentially a scam, running from $45 at a minimum (sometimes $55 if the show is “special”) up to $90 for valet.
The Trick?
Use their Shuttle or Park and Ride. Over 200,000 people used it last year. You just park at the LA Zoo or the Metro for the Shuttle, or one of about a dozen locations for the Park and Ride service. The prices vary depending on whether you buy in advance and the specific event, but the total cost for parking and the round-trip caps at around $15.
The Real Trick?
Luck. There are cheaper private lots and free residential street parking if you’re down to wander around the hills hunting for them. No guarantees, though.
Can I Just Park on the Street?
This is the big one, and it has an unsatisfying answer: It depends, and don’t count on it.
Street parking rules are different for every block. Some have meters, some have time restrictions. Some will cite; others will tow.
Overnight street parking is usually fine (check the signs), as long as you’re not in an Overnight Parking District, where parking from 2-6 a.m. is banned without a permit.
And the risk?
Theft from vehicles, either by looking for unlocked doors or by bipping (a new term for breaking windows and stealing things inside a car), is common in LA. If you leave your car on the street, the biggest risk is someone stealing your valuables, not stealing the car itself. That said, motor vehicle theft in LA is still more than double the national average, so grand theft auto is not out of the question (Data from 2024).
Best practice for street parking in LA?
The obvious: check the signs, park in a well-lit area, and take your valuables with you.
LA is the City of Cars, no way around it. You buy the car. You pay the insurance and registration. You buy the gas. You pay the mechanic. And, sadly, you pay to park. But to pay more to park than to watch Ohtani pitch? That’s over the line.
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