No offense to conservancies or tour companies, but how much better would it be to experience Los Angeles' architectural treasures as a guest rather than a voyeur? That's what Los Angeles Nomadic Division, aka LAND, makes possible. A transient arts nonprofit founded in 2009 by New York transplants, LAND began hosting its "Nomadic Nights" events in fall 2010. Each one takes place at a rarely seen landmark and features an artist-devised twist. At John Lautner's Garcia House, for example, artist Karl Haendel staged a Julia Child–inspired Beef Bourguignon cooking demo. At Rudolf Schindler's Buck House, Jonah Freeman gave a lecture on the (fictional) history of psychedelic drugs. On the roof of the Petite Ermitage, that picturesque members-only West Hollywood hotel, guests sat for Warhol-style screen tests shot by Michele O'Marah and sampled homemade sangria. Whether you want it to or not, LAND turns you into a highbrow, high-class insider for a night. (646) 620-8289, nomadicdivision.org.

—Catherine Wagley