10 Historic Sites to Visit in Los Angeles

In the dry desert of Southern California lies Los Angeles. The city is the second largest city in the United States and it is home to hundreds of traditions that have shaped its identity. Los Angeles is also one of the world’s most influential cities for pop culture. This is ground zero for the global film industry and the birthplace of American car culture. Below are ten historical sites that represent the city in all its glory.

Downtown Los Angeles is the perfect place to start your Los Angeles journey. Start off at the striking Art Deco City Hall building. You can take a tour of this 27-story landmark skyscraper and learn about the history of the city and its rapid growth. The building dates back to 1928, a time when Los Angeles was still a small city with a burgeoning entertainment industry. The building is a staple image of city documents and organizations.

From City Hall, head down Main Street to see iconic cultural landmarks such as the Regent Theatre and the Million Dollar Theater, two of the city’s most historical venues for live music and the performing arts. Then, visit the Bradbury Building and Grand Central Market, a sprawling market that has been an LA culinary staple since 1917.

2. Angels Flight Funicular

Few stadiums are as quintessential for American sports fans as Dodger Stadium. No matter if you’re a baseball fanatic or not, this beautiful stadium is worth a visit. The stadium was built in 1962 and has since hosted world-famous games with some of the sport’s greatest stars. It has also hosted historic World Series championships, performances, and other historic events. When you visit, you can enjoy the stadium’s exhibits featuring information and imagery from the most famous players and coaches who walked through its doors. Also, if you have time, try taking one of the stadium’s popular and informative tours.

4. El Pueblo de Los Angeles

This small monument and square across the highway from Union Station is the birthplace of Las Angeles. On the site are original adobe and colonial buildings—some of the oldest in the city.

This is where over forty farmers established a small farming village in 1781 in the middle of a vast desert. The small community named Los Angeles saw the flags of Spain, Mexico, and the United States fly over its square. When you visit, it’s hard to imagine that this humble village turned into one of the world’s most famous cities.

Some of the site’s most popular monuments include the Avila Adobe and the Pico House—the tallest building in the city during the 19th century. Most of these monuments are located on Olvera St and during the evenings there’s a street market where vendors sell traditional crafts and street food. When you’re here, make sure to visit the informative and well-curated museums including the Sepulveda House Museum and the Chinese American Museum. Each of these museums is housed in some of the city’s most historic buildings with connections to the city’s earliest days.

This sprawling park is home to over 4,000 acres of forest and historic monuments. No visit to LA would be complete without spending the afternoon or day at this historic green space.

The park is home to some of the city’s most historical monuments. One of the standout sites is the Bronson Caves. This former rock quarry became a popular film site and has been featured in classics such as The Searchers and the Batman TV series where it was featured as the entrance to the Bat Cave.

On top of all the park’s historical places is the iconic Hollywood Sign. This beautiful monument was first built in 1923 by the publisher Henry Chandler. Since then, it has been the scene of many cultural and historic moments. Once you’re in the park, don’t miss the famous Griffith Observatory. When it was built in 1935 it became one of the country’s first public observatories. Make sure you see this monument of science, its exhibits, and its popular planetarium.

6. La Brea Tar Pits

Los Angeles is home to the world’s only urban fossil dig site that’s still active. Here, scientists have discovered some of the most significant animal and plant fossils in North America.

When you visit, don’t miss the site’s popular museum. It’s an active research space, with new discoveries being made every year. You can see fossils of extinct animals such as wooly mammoths and saber-tooth tigers as well as other fossils from plants and animals that once roamed the Los Angeles basin. These plants and animals were trapped and preserved in the sticky tar 50,000 years ago.

Next to the Los Angeles River and the original Los Angeles Pueblo is Union Station. It is still the largest operating train station in the western United States and an important historical monument of Los Angeles. The station was built in 1939 and it features stunning Art Deco and Spanish Colonial Revival architecture.

During World War II, thousands of troops poured into the station before being sent to bases across the United States and California. After the war, train travel was crushed by the modern freeway, but the station’s legacy and importance to the city’s culture lived on. The station is still one of the busiest train stations in the United States and it attracts both people interested in rail travel and California history. Once you’re here, don’t miss wandering through its famous halls. You can even take a 30-minute tour.

8. See Film History on Hollywood Boulevard

Los Angeles is synonymous with film and television and no other part of the city represents this legacy more than Hollywood Boulevard. Along this world-famous street, you’ll find cultural landmarks such as the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Wax Museum. If you love film history, then no other place in Los Angeles is as fun to visit as the Hollywood Museum. This beautiful museum is located inside the Max Factor Building near the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

You can see exhibits that range from famous set props and costumes to celebrity belongings and memorabilia. There are rotating exhibits that take you through Hollywood’s film history. When you’re done at the museum, you can walk along Hollywood Boulevard to see the stars of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You’ll see over 2,770 stars dedicated to celebrities and influential figures along this world-famous street. Some of the most famous stars near the museum belong to Marilyn Monroe, Jay Leno, and Charlie Chaplin.

Near downtown LA’s skyscrapers is the Little Tokyo neighborhood. Here, you’ll find cultural landmarks, museums, and historical places that tell the stories of the Japanese American diaspora in Los Angeles. For a wonderful dive into the history of the community and Japanese culture in LA, head to the Japanese American National Museum. This museum houses impressive exhibits that tell the story of the Japanese American experience. The museum features art, literature, and historical journeys about the lives of Japanese Americans. You’ll also get to experience Japanese culture through traveling displays and interactive exhibits. The museum opened in 1992 and has since become one of downtown’s most visited institutions. Across the street, don’t miss the Japanese Village and Koyasan Buddhist Temple which features cultural events and places where you can eat traditional Japanese cuisine.

10. Santa Monica Pier

In Santa Monica you will find one of Los Angeles’ most famous landmarks—the Santa Monica Pier. It was originally built in 1909 to allow sewage to flow out to sea, but this purpose was later abandoned. Soon, the entrepreneur Charles Looff built the pier’s now-famous amusement park. Since its beginning, the pier has weathered intense storms. Today, it’s full of opportunities for family fun and iconic rides overlooking the Pacific Ocean.