Free art, museums and city tours? Yes, here and abroad

The best place to spend time touring museums without spending money -- nix that, the best place to spend time doing anything without spending tons of money on sights -- is Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian is actually a compilation of 17 free museums around the D.C. metro area, including the National Portrait Gallery (George and Laura Bush are checking out their portraits in this 2008 photo above) and the American History Museum, which houses the original star-spangled banner and the African American History and Culture rotating exhibit.   (Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

While you’re in D.C., put on your walking shoes and take a tour of our nation’s finest monuments. The Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, reflecting pool and Lincoln Memorial are all in a row and make for an especially impressive nighttime stroll. The nearby iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall provides some pensive personal time. Also within walking distance (depending on the quality of your shoes): the MLK memorial, FDR memorial and a really cool statue of Albert Einstein. It only costs however much you spend on bottled water and frozen yogurt along the way.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

The best way to get to know a city, especially one you know nothing about, is to take a free walking tour. I had one of the best experiences in Prague, Czech Republic, during the 2 1/2-hour Royal Walk Free Tour. I’m not the only one, it seems - more than 1,300 reviews on TripAdvisor give it a five-star rating. I had so much fun that I even shelled out cash for a beer tour later that day (which in Prague is worth it). Just don’t forget to tip your tour guide.  (Jan Cerny / Associated Press)

Speaking of beer, a local brewery tour can make for a lighthearted yet educational afternoon. At DC Brau, in a deceptively sober-looking warehouse in Washington, they walk Saturday tour-goers through the beer-making process and give tastings. In Los Angeles, Eagle Rock Brewery gives free tours every Sunday. Art exhibit openings often have complimentary alcohol too.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

In my admittedly biased opinion (I hail from the Midwest), Chicago has the best free, outdoor, live-music venue in the country. The pavilion at Millennium Park hosts classical music concerts three nights a week, new music/electronica concerts, jazz concerts, and more - and a free jazz festival. And it brings in an eclectic range of rock bands and indie singer-songwriters (I saw Iron & Wine there a few summers ago). The best part? Sitting on the lawn with a picnic and listening to world-class music without spending a dime.  (Richard Derk / Los Angeles Times)

Don’t worry, L.A. has some music game too. LACMA has free concerts on weekends - jazz outside on Fridays, Latin music in Hancock Park on Saturdays and chamber music in the theater on Sundays. To discover some up-and-coming bands in the indie music scene, head over to Silver Lake, where Club Los Globos has complimentary shows several nights a month.   (Lawrnce K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

My favorite way to see a new city is from above, the bird’s-eye view. Sometimes this means hiking up to the top of a large hill - the top of Mt. Royal in Montreal, for example - that give panoramic views of the skyline. The vantage point on the trail at Temescal Canyon Gateway Park in Pacific Palisades shows off the coast and (on a clear day) the skyscrapers of L.A. And for better views of downtown, the little-known top floor of City Hall has a 360-degree observation deck, free and open to the public.   (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)