Summary

• Surfridge, a ghost town visible at the start, was once an isolated neighborhood for the wealthy.
• Therapy dogs in the PUP program calm anxious travelers at LAX airport and offer petting and relaxation in every terminal.
• LAX Airport features art exhibits, a retro gaming bar, an ambient music program, and a 2-mile walking tour of all terminals.

When you’re waiting for a flight, it often feels like time is passing at a snail’s pace. Every traveler knows the frustration and boredom that comes with delayed flights, especially when there seems to be nothing to see or do in the airport. Although it may seem boring, Los Angeles’ LAX airport is one of the busiest in the world and is home to numerous celebrity sightings.

From art installations and therapy dogs to zombie restaurants and an abandoned ghost town, there are more weird things to discover at LAX than you might expect. Next time you’re bored at the airport, pass the time by exploring these quirky places.

7 Ghost Town Surfridge

An abandoned beach town next to the LAX runways

Many U.S. airports have a darker history than one might expect. As flights depart from LAX, travelers may notice the mysterious remains of a ghost town called Surfridge just west of the runways. Broken roads and a butterfly sanctuary are all that remain of the once bustling beach district.

Built in the 1920s as a “secluded playground for the rich,” Surfridge featured beautiful, custom-built homes. However, after the airport was built next to Surfridge, the neighborhood suffered from noise pollution. As the airport grew in the 1960s, Surfridge was purchased by the City of Los Angeles to facilitate the airport’s expansion. Homeowners were forced to sell their homes to the city, and these were eventually demolished, leaving the ghost town behind.

6 PUP program

Therapy dogs calm passengers before the flight

Stressed or anxious travelers at LAX airport can find comfort by being relaxed by therapy dogs that roam the gate areas of each terminal. The PUP program, or Pets Unstressing Passengers, is a unique program launched in 2013 to provide comfort and cuddles to guests waiting to board their flight.

Animal lovers can even apply to be volunteer dog handlers for PUP. Handlers care for participating dogs and inform passengers about projects and traffic disruptions at LAX. Customers undoubtedly receive news of delays better when cute pups are nearby.

5 DubLab

An ambient music program between the terminals

As if therapy dogs weren’t enough, DubLab launched an ambient music program at LAX this year to soothe travelers walking through the Orchestrina, a 1,000-foot-long hallway that connects the Tom Bradley Terminal’s Great Hall to its West Gates.

Alejandro Cohen, DubLab’s executive director, said, “For decades, DubLab has been offering its programs in unconventional locations.” The airport exhibit, which gives travelers a taste of LA’s experimental music scene, is a clear example of this. In the Orchestrina, 30 compositions by renowned local artists, all in the key of C major, flow into one another under dim mood lighting.

4 Retro-Playable

Play arcade games to pass the time before a flight

Gameway is a retro gaming bar stocked with classic arcade consoles, PlayStations, X-Boxes and PCs. Located in Terminal 3 near Gate 30B, this hidden gem is a quirky and unique place for travelers to pass the time. Gameway has a striking futuristic aesthetic and serves a range of snacks and drinks.

3 LAX Art Program

Art exhibitions showcase the work of local artists

Art exhibitions have been held in the airport’s terminals since the 1990s. The airport now offers a formal art program to entertain travelers and showcase the work of local artists. “We like to think of ourselves as somewhat experimental, which means we welcome all kinds of ideas from artists,” says Cifarelli, the airport’s art program director.

From Lia Halloran’s “Your Body is a Space That Sees,” a tribute to female astronomers, to Trinh Mai’s “Arise. Shine. Thy Light is Come,” a depiction of native songbirds, there is a diverse selection of artwork throughout the LAX airport terminals.

2 Two-mile walk

Walk through all nine terminals and explore shops, restaurants and artwork

Thanks to the recent renovation of the airside connections, travelers at LAX can now walk through all nine airport terminals without having to go through TSA multiple times. This allows bored travelers to take a 2-mile route through the horseshoe-shaped layout of LAX terminals, passing art installations, 85 shops and 90 restaurants along the way. You might even find something really worth buying at LAX.

The walkway is full of art, from the bright murals in the walkway between Terminals 1 and 2 to the cool, colorfully tiled tunnel of Terminal 3. Travelers can pass the time until their flight by comparing the old, run-down hallways of Terminal 4 to the sleek, modern Tom Bradley International Terminal.

1 Zombie Restaurants

These closed restaurants at LAX airport continue to exist

After recent renovations, the food court in Terminal 5 is undoubtedly the best place for a diverse selection of restaurants at LAX airport. However, a strange theme in the LAX dining scene is the number of zombie restaurants, restaurants that have gone bankrupt in the real world but live on in the airport.

Loteria Grill, Ford’s Filling Station, Campanile, The Border Grill, ink.sack and Native, as well as all the former restaurants that are now only available in the airport. LAX is full of zombie restaurants, offering travelers an echo of LA’s former dining scene.