Top 10 Most Popular Los Angeles Sports Locations on Instagram

Dodger Stadium is the home field of the Los Angeles Dodgers and one of the true cathedrals of major league baseball. Since opening its gates in 1962, the storied ballpark has hosted eight World Series and the Dodgers have won four World Championships. Through the decades, Dodger Stadium  has seen Hall of Famers, World Champions, no-hitters, MVPs and Cy Young Award winners. Dodger Stadium has been the site of some of baseball’s most historic moments, such as Sandy Koufax's perfect game in 1965, the rise of Fernandomania in 1981, and Kirk Gibson's legendary home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. The stadium is also one of the greatest entertainment venues in the country, hosting special events that range from the Beatles to the Pope, the NHL Stadium Series, and the Harlem Globetrotters. 

Dodger Stadium’s location on the Chavez Ravine hillside is one of the most picturesque settings in all of sports. You can’t go wrong with Instagrams from nearly any location in the ballpark. A panoramic Instagram from above home plate - with the sun setting, palm trees silhouetted against the sky, and the mountains in the distance - is pure Los Angeles magic.

Located at the spectacular L.A. LIVE entertainment complex in Downtown LA, STAPLES Center is home to the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. Opened in 1999, the world-class venue hosts over 250 events each year, including concerts by internationally renowned performers, the GRAMMY Awards, family shows, WWE SummerSlam, boxing and other sporting events. During a four-day stretch in May 2012, STAPLES Center hosted six playoff games, featuring the Lakers, Clippers, and Kings, who went on to win the Stanley Cup. Instagrams from inside STAPLES Center during an event are to be expected, but outside there are plenty of opportunities at Star Plaza, where visitors love to photograph monumental bronze statues of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Wayne Gretzky, Oscar De La Hoya, and legendary Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn. 

Opened in 1923, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is located in historic Exposition Park, across the street from the University of Southern California (USC). The Coliseum is the largest football stadium in the Pac-12 conference and is the home of the USC Trojans. The stadium has hosted decades of historic sports and special events, including the 1959 World Series (the Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox 4-2), Super Bowl I (1967), Super Bowl VII (the 1973 Miami Dolphins perfect season), the Wattstax music festival, Evel Knievel’s 50-car jump, and numerous concerts by some of the biggest names in music. On March 29, 2008, an exhibition game at the Coliseum between the Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox drew 115,300 fans and set a Guinness Book World Record for attendance at a baseball game that is unlikely to be broken. The Coliseum was the first stadium in history to host the Olympic Games twice, in 1932 and 1984. The Coliseum was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1984.

Whether you’re on the field for a special event, or in the stands for a football game, your Instagram options are wide open. The Coliseum’s Olympic legacy can be captured with Instagrams of the cauldron and Olympic rings on the peristyle, as well as the Olympic Gateway, a sculpture created by Robert Graham for the ‘84 games, which features a pair of life-size bronze nude statues of male and female athletes atop a 20,000-pound platform.

The City of Angels has a legitimate claim to the title of “Hoops Heaven,” and one of its basketball meccas is Pauley Pavilion, located on the UCLA campus in Westwood. First opened in 1965, Pauley Pavilion is the primary facility for the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams, men's and women's volleyball, and women's gymnastics. Under legendary coach John Wooden, the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team won 10 national championships in 12 years, including seven in a row from 1967 to 1973. Jim Harrick coached the team to an 11th title in 1995. The venue has also hosted the annual Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and concerts that range from Bob Marley and Frank Sinatra to Guns N’ Roses and Jay-Z.

After a $136-million renovation, Pauley Pavilion reopened in November 2012. One of Pauley Pavilion’s most popular Instagrams is Blair Buswell’s eight-foot-high bronze statue of Coach Wooden, dedicated at the newly renovated arena in October 2012 and located on the north side of the “House That Wooden Built.” 

Located in Pasadena, Rose Bowl Stadium has been the home of the UCLA Bruins football team since 1982, and is the home of the Rose Bowl game, aka “The Granddaddy of Them All," held every New Year’s Day. Rose Bowl Stadium is one of six stadiums that are hosting semi-final games in the NCAA College Football Playoff. Besides college football, Rose Bowl Stadium has hosted five Super Bowls, Olympic events in 1932 and 1984, and numerous landmark concerts. The Rose Bowl is one of two stadiums in the world to host the FIFA World Cup Finals for both men and women, in 1994 and 1999, respectively. In 1987, Rose Bowl Stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark.

Besides attending a football game or concert, you can enjoy Instagramming the annual “Americafest” July 4th celebration, or explore the monthly Rose Bowl Flea Market, held the second Sunday of every month and featuring more than 2,500 vendors and 15,000 to 20,000 buyers. For unique captures, book a Rose Bowl Stadium Tour for exclusive access to to the press boxes, Court of Champions, UCLA locker room, playing field and more.

From surfing to sunbathing, shopping, fine dining, and its world-famous boardwalk, Venice has it all. The Venice Beach Recreation Center features a number of facilities located between Ocean Front Walk and the bike path, Horizon Avenue to the north, and N.Venice Boulevard to the south. The center includes several children’s play areas with a gymnastics apparatus, as well as handball courts, tennis courts and volleyball courts. The outdoor basketball courts are renowned for games that feature some of the best streetballers in the country, as depicted in the 1992 film White Men Can’t Jump. Numerous NBA players developed their games or were recruited from these courts - who knows, that might be a future All-Star in your next Instagram.

Incorporated in 1912, Manhattan Beach is an upscale coastal community that’s home to a number of high profile sports and entertainment personalities, who enjoy the oceanfront location, small town vibe, top-rated school district, acclaimed dining scene and the relatively easy commute to LA. Surfing, biking and beach volleyball are just a few of the activities enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. For over five decades, the Manhattan Beach Open has brought together the most talented men and women in beach volleyball to compete for a share of the $200,000 prize purse and to have their names enshrined on the historic Manhattan Beach Pier. An official stop of the AVP tour, the Manhattan Beach Open is the longest running, continuous tournament in the sport. The free event offers a full weekend of world-class beach volleyball with plenty of So Cal fun-in-the-sun for your Instagram feed. 

Formally known as Malibu Lagoon State Beach, Surfrider Beach is renowned as one of the premier surf spots in Los Angeles County. Located near the Malibu Pier, Surfrider Beach has had a major impact on Southern California surfing culture since the 1960s, and was dedicated as the first World Surfing Reserve site in 2010. The tapering, smooth-breaking waves are recognized by surfers around the world as the gold standard for summertime "point" surf. Surfrider Beach has three primary surfing areas: First Point is popular with longboarders and shortboarders during bigger swells; Second Point for high performance surfing; and Third Point has a left and right side. In late August and September, surfers often ride south swells all the way to the pier. From the beach, you can Instagram everything from surfers waxing their boards to paddling out, taking off and carving the waves. And if you’re really good, you can even Instagram from your board.

Since opening its doors as the Home Depot Center in 2003, the StubHub Center has served as the home of the four-time MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy. With a set capacity of 27,000, the StubHub Center is the largest soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer. The 125-acre complex features state-of-the art stadiums and facilities for soccer, tennis, track & field, cycling, lacrosse, rugby, volleyball, baseball, softball, basketball and other sports. Designated as an Official U.S. Olympic Training Site, the facility is also home to Chivas USA and the National Training Center for the United States Soccer Federation’s (USSF) Men’s and Women’s National Teams. Soccer fans are among the most passionate and vocal of any sport, and your Instagrams are sure to convey that energy.

Designed by Gensler, Banc of California Stadium celebrated its ribbon cutting in April. The 22,000-seat development is the first open-air stadium built in Los Angeles in over 30 years. With over 100,000 square feet of event space conveniently located in Exposition Park just three miles from the heart of downtown, the new stadium is a game-changer.  It offers premium amenities and hospitality spaces throughout the venue, including event rooftops, specialty bars and a chef-driven international food hall, The Fields LA. Perfect for any sized event including conferences, socials, and festivals, the stadium is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and the best sightlines of its type, framed by views of the Downtown Los Angeles skyline.