A 1921 movie house with a 2,600-pipe Wurlitzer inside
One of the South Bay's oldest surviving theaters, kept alive as a nonprofit showing silent films and Golden Age classics with live organ accompaniment.
- The building dates to 1921.
Built: 1921
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It opened as the El Segundo State Theater.
The theatre opened as El Segundo State Theater
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Its organ is a 2,600-pipe Mighty Wurlitzer that came from the Fox West Theater in Long Beach.
a 2,600-pipe Mighty Wurlitzer organ from the Fox West Theater in Long Beach, CA
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
Refinery-smoke machine-shop district turned creative-office quarter
A low-rise grid of old machine shops that once served the refinery and aerospace firms, now El Segundo's brewery-and-startup quarter and a test of how a small industrial district can change without being erased.
- The area is named for smoke that settled there from the 1911 Standard Oil refinery.
The area got its name because smoke once settled there from Standard Oil Co.'s refinery in 1911.
ABC7 Los Angeles ↗ reported - For decades it housed manufacturers supplying nearby aerospace companies.
For decades, the neighborhood was home to manufacturers serving neighboring aerospace firms
ABC7 Los Angeles ↗ reported - The city rezoned about 120 acres of the district to court young companies.
It has set its sights on 120 acres of its industrial Smoky Hollow neighborhood.
ABC7 Los Angeles ↗ reported
Visiting: public. Map spot is approximate.
Giant egg-shaped digesters on the beach next to El Segundo
Los Angeles' oldest and largest wastewater plant, with a row of egg-shaped digester tanks visible from Vista del Mar; it is the core of the city's push to recycle its wastewater.
- It is the City of Los Angeles' oldest and largest wastewater treatment plant.
Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant is the City's oldest and largest wastewater treatment facility.
LA Sanitation & Environment ↗ fact - It has a capacity of 800 million gallons per day.
Capacity of 800 million gallons per day
LA Sanitation & Environment ↗ fact - Its digesters are huge enclosed egg-shaped tanks.
huge, totally enclosed, egg shaped tanks called digesters
LA Sanitation & Environment ↗ fact - Free group tours are offered by appointment.
We are pleased to provide free group tours of our water reclamation facilities.
LA Sanitation & Environment ↗ fact
Visiting: by appointment. Map spot is approximate.
The refinery that named the town 'the Second'
El Segundo exists because Standard Oil put its second California refinery here; the plant still covers about a thousand acres and fuels a big share of Southern California's planes and cars.
- The refinery was built in 1911.
The El Segundo Refinery was built in 1911.
Chevron El Segundo ↗ fact - It covers roughly 1,000 acres.
Approximately 1,000 acres
Chevron El Segundo ↗ fact - It supplies 40% of Southern California's jet fuel and about a fifth of the region's gasoline market.
The El Segundo Refinery supplies 40% of the jet fuel and has 20% of the gasoline market share in Southern California.
Chevron El Segundo ↗ fact - The city's name ('the second') comes from its being Standard Oil's second West Coast refinery.
The city acquired its name ("the second" in Spanish) due to being the second Standard Oil refinery on the West Coast
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only. Map spot is approximate.
Billed as the world's largest satellite factory, since 1961
Hughes, and then Boeing, built hundreds of communications satellites here, starting the geosynchronous-satellite era; the plant is still adding production lines for Space Force programs.
- Hughes Space and Communications opened in El Segundo in 1961 and Boeing bought it in 2000.
Hughes Space and Communications Company opened its doors in El Segundo in 1961 and was acquired by Boeing in 2000.
Boeing ↗ fact - Boeing described the Satellite Development Center as the world's largest satellite factory, over 1 million square feet.
the largest satellite factory in the world, encompassing more than 1 million square feet.
Boeing ↗ fact - In 2026 Boeing opened a new production line at the El Segundo facility.
Boeing has opened a new production line at its satellite facility in El Segundo, California.
Boeing ↗ fact
Visiting: private. Map spot is approximate.
Where the LA Kings practice, and the public skates
A pro team practice base that doubles as a public ice rink complex; until 2017 it was also the Lakers' practice home, part of El Segundo's quiet run as a pro sports back office.
- It officially opened on March 5, 2000.
officially opened on March 5, 2000.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It sits at 555 North Nash Street in El Segundo.
located on 555 North Nash Street in El Segundo, California.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It has three public ice rinks of different sizes.
The facility includes three public ice rinks, NHL size, Olympic size, and a smaller size ice rink.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public. Map spot is approximate.
A Space Age flying saucer parked in the middle of LAX
The definitive Googie-era symbol of jet-age Los Angeles; it is a city monument, but the restaurant and observation deck are closed and its future is unsettled.
- It was dedicated on June 25, 1961, by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.
The structure was dedicated on June 25, 1961, by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The initial design was by James Langenheim of Pereira & Luckman.
The initial design was created by James Langenheim, of Pereira & Luckman
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Los Angeles named its exterior and interior a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1993.
In 1993, the city designated the exterior and interior of the Theme Building as a historic-cultural monument.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - As of mid-2026 its restaurant and observation deck were closed and its future unknown.
The historic landmark's future is unknown.
Los Angeles Magazine ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only.
The nonprofit brain trust behind U.S. national security space
Founded in 1960 next to the Air Force's missile office, Aerospace is the federally funded research center that checks the work on military space programs; it moved its corporate HQ to Virginia in 2024 but doubled down on the El Segundo campus.
- Aerospace was incorporated as a nonprofit on June 3, 1960.
On June 3, 1960, Aerospace was established under the laws of the State of California as a nonprofit corporation.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It operates the FFRDC for national security space, mainly supporting Space Force's Space Systems Command.
The Aerospace Corporation, as the FFRDC for national security space, primarily supports the United States Space Force's
Wikipedia ↗ reported - When it moved its headquarters to the D.C. area, it announced a $100 million investment in the South Bay campus.
reaffirmed its commitment to its South Bay campus by announcing a $100-million investment there.
The Aerospace Corporation ↗ fact
Visiting: private. Map spot is approximate.
A Space Force base with no runway, in an office park
The headquarters of the Space Force command that buys and builds the nation's military satellites sits in a suburban office campus, which says a lot about why the aerospace industry clusters around El Segundo.
- It is a U.S. Space Force base in El Segundo.
Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB) is a United States Space Force base located in El Segundo, California.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is headquarters of Space Systems Command.
Los Angeles Air Force Base is headquarters to the Space Systems Command (SSC),
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Its former Area A was closed in 2006 and traded to a builder in exchange for the new Schriever Space Complex in Area B.
In 2006 Area A of LAAFB was permanently closed after a deal with a local builder to exchange the land in Area A
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: private.
A 2.25-mile elevated train finally threading into LAX
The first rail link into LAX's terminals, tying the airport to Metro's C and K lines; the biggest change to how people reach the airport in decades, though its opening keeps slipping.
- The line is 2.25 miles long with six stations.
The 2.25-mile (3.62 km) line will include six stations
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It connects to the Metro C and K lines at the new transit center.
The new station will link SkyLink to the C and K rail lines, Metro Bus, and other municipal bus operator lines.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - In late October 2026 the projected passenger start moved from Jan. 6 to Feb. 5 after track arc-flash damage and an unresolved power agreement.
projected start date for the 2.25-mile elevated train from Jan. 6 to Feb. 5.
Santa Monica Mirror ↗ reported
Visiting: public. Map spot is approximate.
A 1920 concrete pier with a rounded end to beat the waves
An early concrete pier whose rounded tip was an engineering answer to Pacific swells, capped by an octagonal roundhouse; it is a California Historical Landmark.
- The pier was completed and dedicated on July 5, 1920.
The pier was completed and dedicated on July 5, 1920.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Engineer A.L. Harris gave it a rounded end to withstand the surf.
Harris' innovative design featured a rounded end to the pier, which helped it withstand the pounding of the Pacific.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was declared a state historic landmark in 1995.
In 1995, the pier was declared a state historic landmark.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
Where Pioneer 10 and the James Webb telescope came together
A 100-plus-acre campus opened in 1961 that became the space hub of TRW, builder of Pioneer 10; the James Webb Space Telescope's optics and instruments came here in 2018 for final testing before launch.
- Space Park is an aerospace campus of over 100 acres in Redondo Beach.
Space Park is an aerospace engineering campus occupying over 100 acres in Redondo Beach, California.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Northrop Grumman now owns and runs the site.
the site is now owned and operated by Northrop Grumman Corp. (NGC)
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Webb's telescope and instrument module arrived at Space Park in February 2018.
February 2, 2018 The optical telescope and integrated science instrument module of JWST arrived at Space Park.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Webb's final thermal-vacuum test was done in building M4 in July 2019.
July 11, 2019 Final thermal-vacuum test completed in bldg. M4 for JWST to ensure its electronic functionality in space.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: private.
A 32-foot donut on the roof near LAX
The best-known survivor of LA's programmatic roadside architecture, a building that advertises itself to drivers on the way to and from LAX.
- The original Big Donut building was designed by Henry J. Goodwin.
The original building was designed by Henry J. Goodwin.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Most of the chain's rooftop donuts are 32 ft 6 in across.
Most locations use a 32 ft 6 in (9.91 m) diameter version that sits atop the building and faces an intersection.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The original 24-hour drive-in is at 805 West Manchester Boulevard.
The original 24-hour drive-in is at 805 West Manchester Boulevard and it intersects with La Cienega Boulevard.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
A basketball arena built around a 51-row fan wall
The Clippers' privately financed arena treats the home crowd as the design driver, with an uninterrupted fan wall behind one basket and a ring-shaped halo board overhead.
- It opened on August 15, 2024.
It opened on August 15, 2024, ahead of the
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The 18,000-seat arena was designed by AECOM.
The 18,000-seat arena was designed by AECOM.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It has a seating section called The Wall.
The arena features a seating section known as "The Wall".
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
The most expensive stadium ever built, under a see-through roof
A $5 billion-plus stadium under a translucent ETFE canopy, so close to LAX that the FAA spent more than a year reviewing its design; it anchors the rebuilt Hollywood Park district in Inglewood.
- It opened in September 2020.
Opened in September 2020
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was designed by HKS.
designed by HKS
Wikipedia ↗ reported - At about $5.5 billion it is the most expensive stadium ever built.
making it the most expensive stadium ever built
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Its canopy has 302 ETFE panels.
is made up of 302 ETFE panels
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The FAA reviewed the design for more than a year over how it would interact with LAX radar.
The stadium design had been under review by the FAA for more than a year because of concerns
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
An old Northrop jumbo-jet plant now building Falcon rockets
A three-story former aircraft plant where SpaceX builds engines, rockets and capsules under one roof and runs mission control, two miles from El Segundo; it was the company HQ until 2024.
- The building was put up by Northrop to make Boeing 747 fuselage sections.
originally constructed by Northrop Corporation to manufacture Boeing 747 fuselage sections
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It houses offices, mission control and Falcon 9 manufacturing.
houses office space, mission control, and Falcon 9 manufacturing operations
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It sits beside Hawthorne's general aviation airport.
next to the general aviation airport in Hawthorne, California.
AOPA Pilot ↗ reported - SpaceX officially moved its headquarters to Brownsville, Texas, in August 2024.
The headquarters officially moved to Brownsville, Texas in August 2024.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only. Map spot is approximate.
A round 'Fabulous Forum' modeled on Roman coliseums
A round arena designed to recall Roman coliseums, long home to LA's pro basketball and hockey teams, now on the National Register and run as a concert venue.
- The Forum opened on December 30, 1967.
The Forum opened on December 30, 1967.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The round building was designed by Charles Luckman.
The round, $16 million building was designed by Los Angeles architect Charles Luckman
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was listed on the National Register in 2014.
On September 24, 2014, the Forum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was meant to be reminiscent of Roman coliseums.
reminiscent of Roman coliseums
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
What's left of a developer's 'Venice of America' dream
A walkable grid of residential canals survives from a 1905 resort scheme; most of the original network was paved into streets.
- The canals were built in 1905 by Abbot Kinney as part of 'Venice of America'.
built in 1905 by developer Abbot Kinney as part of his Venice of America
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Many canals were filled in 1929 for roads.
a number of canals were filled in 1929 to make room for paved roads
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The district was added to the National Register in 1982.
Added to NRHP: August 30, 1982
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
You drive into the parking garage between giant binoculars
A Gehry office building with an Oldenburg/van Bruggen pop-art sculpture as its front door, it is postmodern Venice at its most playful.
- Its giant binoculars are a 1991 artwork by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.
a prominent public artwork entitled Giant Binoculars (1991), designed by artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen,
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was built in 1991 for ad agency Chiat/Day.
Originally known as the Chiat/Day Building, it was built in 1991 for the advertising agency Chiat/Day
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Google became the tenant in 2011.
The latest tenant of this building was Google in 2011,
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only.
Old warehouses twisted into an outdoor museum of experimental buildings
Moss and developers Frederick and Laurie Samitaur Smith remade a district of dull warehouses into a cluster of wildly sculptural offices that architects travel to see.
- The collaboration began in 1986 with developers Frederick and Laurie Samitaur Smith.
Frederick and Laurie Samitaur Smith
Architect Magazine ↗ reported - The area previously held disused warehouses and basic manufacturing space.
disused warehouses and bare-bones manufacturing spaces
Architect Magazine ↗ reported - The AIA gave it the 2020 Twenty-Five Year Award for setting a precedent.
set a precedent for the last 25–35 years
Architect Magazine ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only. Map spot is approximate.
A Byzantine-Moorish carousel barn standing over the Pacific
One of the few surviving amusement buildings from the pier's early days, the Hippodrome is a National Historic Landmark that still spins a carousel.
- It was built in 1916 by Charles and Arthur Looff.
Looff, Charles & Arthur
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Its style mixes Byzantine, Moorish and Californian elements.
Mixture of Byzantine, Moorish, and Californian
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, and scenes of The Sting were filmed inside.
scenes were filmed therein for the 1973 film, The Sting
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
A Mediterranean village square with a Bologna Neptune copy
The first commercial center of an Olmsted-planned suburb, built as a Mediterranean revival plaza around a replica of Bologna's Neptune fountain.
- Palos Verdes Estates was master-planned by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.
The city was master-planned by the noted American landscape architect and planner Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The plaza's centerpiece is a replica of a bronze Neptune fountain.
The Neptune fountain situated in the center of Malaga Cove Plaza is faithful replica of the original bronze
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The original fountain was designed by Tommaso Laureti and erected in Bologna in 1563.
designed by Italian artist Tommaso Laureti and erected in Bologna, Italy in 1563.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The plaza was built in stages between 1925 and 1964 as the area's first commercial center.
Constructed between 1925-1964, Malaga Cove Plaza was the first commercial center
Ethan Does LA (blog) ↗ reported
Visiting: public. Map spot is approximate.
An Irving Gill arch bridge from Torrance's planned-city founding
A rare piece of infrastructure by modernist pioneer Irving Gill, built for the Red Car line when Torrance was laid out as a model industrial city; it is on the National Register.
- It was designed by Irving Gill and built in 1913.
Designed by Irving Gill and built in 1913
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It spans Torrance Boulevard at Bow Avenue.
It spans Torrance Boulevard at Bow Avenue, a short distance west of Western Avenue
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was listed on the National Register on July 13, 1989.
the bridge became the city's second entry in the National Register of Historic Places on July 13, 1989
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
A pink bungalow wrapped in chain-link and corrugated steel
Gehry's remodel of his own house, with the old bungalow peeking through a cheap-materials shell, is where his deconstructivist career took off.
- In 1978 Gehry wrapped the existing house in a new exterior, leaving the old one visible.
In 1978, he chose to wrap the house with a new exterior while leaving the old exterior visible.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It uses chain-link fence and corrugated steel.
It makes use of unconventional materials, such as chain-link fences and corrugated steel.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Many neighbors disliked it.
Many of Gehry's neighbors were unhappy with the unusual architecture appearing in their neighborhood.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only.
A landmark home built from off-the-shelf catalog steel parts
The Eameses turned industrial catalog parts into a colorful, livable steel-and-glass home, a defining work of postwar modernism and now a National Historic Landmark.
- It is also known as Case Study House No. 8.
The Eames House (also known as Case Study House No. 8) is a landmark of mid-20th century
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was built entirely from parts out of steel fabricators' catalogs.
constructed entirely from "off-the-shelf" parts available from steel fabricator catalogs
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
Designated NHL: September 20, 2006
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: by appointment.
George Lucas's museum, a curving landmark in Exposition Park
George Lucas's museum, designed by Beijing-based MAD, gives Exposition Park a futuristic new neighbor beside the Coliseum and science museums.
- The museum announced it would open to the public on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open its doors to the public on Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art ↗ fact - Ma Yansong of MAD Architects designed it.
The building was designed by Ma Yansong of Chinese architecture firm MAD Architects
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The building is nearly 300,000 square feet on five levels.
The museum's nearly 300,000-square-foot (28,000 m2) building will be five levels
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
About to become the first stadium to host three Summer Olympics
The Parkinsons' peristyle stadium, with its Olympic cauldron, is a National Historic Landmark that hosted the 1932 and 1984 Games and is slated for 2028.
- It was the first stadium to host the Summer Olympics twice.
the Coliseum became the first stadium to host the Summer Olympic Games twice
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It will be the first to host three times, in 2028.
It will become the first stadium to have hosted the Summer Olympics three times when it hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1984.
The Coliseum was designated a National Historic Landmark on July 27, 1984
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
One man, hand tools, no plans, three decades, 99-foot spires
A single immigrant laborer built these lacy steel-and-concrete spires alone over more than 30 years, making them one of the great works of outsider art and engineering anywhere.
- Rodia built the towers alone, with hand tools and no predetermined design.
He built them with no special equipment or predetermined design, working alone with hand tools.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The tallest tower reaches 99.5 feet.
The tallest of the towers is 99.5 feet (30.3 m).
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The frames are steel rebar covered in Rodia's own concrete mix.
constructed from steel rebar and Rodia's own concoction of a type of concrete.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
A fairy-tale witch's cottage that started as a film studio office
This Storybook-style cottage with a sagging roof was built for a movie studio in Culver City and trucked to a quiet Beverly Hills street.
- It was built in 1921 as offices and dressing rooms for a Culver City film studio.
It was originally built in 1921 to serve as the offices and dressing rooms for Irvin Willat's film studio in Culver City
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was moved to its current site in 1926.
was moved to its present location in 1926
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is a Storybook-style building known as The Witch's House.
Alternative names: The Witch's House
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only.
A 1939 department store joined to a glass-domed concrete sphere
Piano restored the gold-tiled Streamline May Company building and bolted on a spherical theater by skybridge, pairing old and new Wilshire icons.
- The museum fills the restored 1939 Streamline Moderne May Company building.
The Saban Building, a restored 1939 Streamline Moderne May Company building (2021)
Wikipedia ↗ reported - A spherical addition, linked by skyways, holds the David Geffen Theater.
A spherical structure was built as an extension of the main Saban Building, connected via skyways
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Renzo Piano oversaw the design.
The design of the museum was overseen by Italian architect Renzo Piano.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
A 900-foot gallery that leaps across Wilshire Boulevard
Zumthor's long, low, single-level building replaces much of LACMA's old campus and bridges a major boulevard, a bold and debated rethink of how a museum is laid out.
- It spans Wilshire Boulevard as a 900-foot elevated exhibition space.
Spanning Wilshire Boulevard, the elevated, 900-foot-long exhibition space
LACMA Unframed ↗ fact - It holds 110,000 square feet of gallery space.
filling 110,000 square feet of gallery space
LACMA Unframed ↗ fact - Art from all cultures and eras is shown on a single level, without set routes through the galleries.
present art from all cultures and eras on a single level without hierarchies or prescribed visitor pathways
LACMA Unframed ↗ fact - LACMA opened the David Geffen Galleries on April 19, 2026.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) officially opened the David Geffen Galleries today
LACMA ↗ fact
Visiting: public. Map spot is approximate.
A zigzag-roofed Googie diner saved as a city monument
Armét & Davis's angular coffee shop is a textbook example of Googie, LA's car-age roadside style, protected after a demolition scare.
- It opened on La Cienega in 1957, designed by Armét & Davis.
designed by the architectural firm of Armét & Davis
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Its style came to be known as Googie.
a distinctive angular and brightly colored style that came to be known as Googie architecture
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It became Historic-Cultural Monument No. 1090 in 2015.
declared Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument number 1090 in 2015
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public. Map spot is approximate.
A hilltop acropolis reached by a cable-pulled hovertrain
Meier's travertine-and-white-metal campus crowns a ridge above the 405, pairing a museum with gardens and city-to-ocean views; it is one of the most visited buildings in the region.
- The $1.3 billion center opened in December 1997.
The $1.3 billion center opened to the public on December 16, 1997.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - About 1.2 million square feet of travertine went into it.
Around 1,200,000 square feet (110,000 m2) of travertine was used to build the center.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The Central Garden is a work by artist Robert Irwin.
Central Garden at the Getty Center is the work of artist Robert Irwin.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
No bedrooms: the residents slept in rooftop baskets
Schindler's tilt-up concrete house for two families is often called one of the first modern houses anywhere, blurring indoors and out a century ago; it is now the MAK Center.
- The walls are tilt-up concrete slabs cast on site.
The walls are concrete tilt up slabs, poured into forms on top of the foundation.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was designed as a shared live/work space for two families.
The residence was meant to be a cooperative live/work space for two young families.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Instead of bedrooms it has two rooftop sleeping baskets.
Instead of bedrooms, there are two rooftop sleeping baskets.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
A living-room ceiling pierced by 750 drinking-glass skylights
Lautner's concrete cave-meets-cockpit is a cult landmark of LA modernism, a Big Lebowski set, and a promised gift to LACMA.
- The living room's coffered ceiling is set with hundreds of drinking glasses as skylights.
One of the home's most distinct features is the living room's coffered ceiling, the surface of which has over 750
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was the home of Jackie Treehorn in The Big Lebowski.
as the house of porn magnate Jackie Treehorn,
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Owner James Goldstein added a James Turrell light installation.
One of Goldstein's additions to the home is Above Horizon, an art installation designed by light artist James Turrell.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: private.
A bottling plant disguised as an ocean liner
Derrah's Streamline Moderne plant, with portholes and a ship's bridge, is a peak example of LA's love of programmatic, mood-setting buildings.
- It looks like a ship with portholes, a catwalk and a bridge.
with the appearance of a ship with portholes, catwalk and a bridge
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was designed by Robert V. Derrah and built in 1939.
Architect: Robert V. Derrah
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It became Historic-Cultural Monument No. 138 in 1975.
It was designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 138 on February 5, 1975.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only.
A 1926 lighthouse with a ghost story and a Paris lens
The bright white tower on the peninsula's cliffs still carries its original rotating Fresnel lens and a local legend of a lady in white.
- It is in Rancho Palos Verdes and was built in 1926.
Point Vicente Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, United States, north of Los Angeles Harbor, which was built in 1926.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The tower is 67 feet tall.
The white cylindrical tower is 67 feet (20 m) tall
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It uses a third-order rotating Fresnel lens.
a classical third-order rotating Parisian Fresnel lens
Wikipedia ↗ reported - After WWII a legend grew of a woman in a white gown pacing the lens room.
After World War II, a legend arose of a woman in a white gown seen pacing in the tower where the lens was located.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public. Map spot is approximate.
Lloyd Wright's glass church, taken apart piece by piece
A National Historic Landmark glass chapel by Frank Lloyd Wright's son, dismantled in 2024 as the Portuguese Bend landslide moved the ground beneath it; its pieces are in storage awaiting a new site.
- It was designed by Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright.
was designed by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright) in the late 1940s.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2023.
was designated a National Historic Landmark for its architecture and landscaping in 2023.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Disassembly was completed in July 2024 and the materials are in storage.
chapel disassembly was completed in july 2024
Wayfarers Chapel ↗ fact - The church hopes to begin first-phase reconstruction at a new site by fall 2027.
We hope the first phase reconstruction will commence by the Fall of 2027.
Wayfarers Chapel ↗ fact
Visiting: private.
The tallest building in California, and LA's first without a flat top
Its sail-shaped crown broke LA's decades of flat-topped towers after the city dropped a rooftop helipad rule, and its foundation set a concrete-pour record.
- It is the tallest building west of the Mississippi.
the tallest building west of the Mississippi
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was the first LA skyscraper without a flat roof; a 1974 rule had required rooftop helipads.
a 1974 fire ordinance which required all tall buildings in the city to include rooftop helipads
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Its foundation took a record 21,600 cubic yards of concrete in 20 hours.
a record 21,600 cu yd (16,500 m3) pour of concrete in just 20 hours
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
Glass box cantilevered over a cliff on an 'unbuildable' lot
Julius Shulman's night photo of this glass corner floating over the city grid became the image of the California modern dream.
- It became Case Study House No. 22.
the Stahls' proposed house became Case Study House No. 22.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is cantilevered over a sharp drop, with glass walls on all but the street side.
The house has a solid wall facing the street, while all the other walls are made of glass, overlooking the city below.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Julius Shulman took his famous photo of it in May 1960.
Julius Shulman's most widely disseminated photograph of the house was taken on the evening of May 9, 1960.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - In late 2025 the house was listed for sale at $25 million, with tours continuing for the time being.
The Agency is representing the listing, which has an asking price of $25 million.
Inman ↗ reported
Visiting: by appointment.
The harbor founder's 1863 Greek Revival house, now a museum
Built by Phineas Banning, a central figure in the early harbor at San Pedro Bay, it is a rare Civil War-era house in the South Bay, now a museum with its barn and gardens.
- It was built in 1863 by Phineas Banning.
Built in 1863 by Phineas Banning near the original San Pedro Bay
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is a Greek Revival-Victorian home in Wilmington.
is a historic Greek Revival-Victorian home in the Wilmington section of Los Angeles, California
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The house, barn and gardens operate as a museum.
The home, barn and gardens are now operated as a museum.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
Plain brick outside, a sunlit iron-and-glass cathedral inside
LA's oldest major commercial landmark hides one of the most photographed interiors in America: a skylit atrium of open cage elevators and ornate ironwork that later became a sci-fi film set.
- It is best known for its skylit atrium with ornate ironwork.
best known for its extraordinary skylit atrium of access walkways, stairs and elevators, and their ornate ironwork.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was a setting in Blade Runner.
Most notably, the building is a setting in the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is a designated city landmark.
It was also designated a landmark by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
A geodesic concrete dome theater built in 16 weeks
The first geodesic dome of its kind built from concrete panels for a cinema, it is a Hollywood icon that has sat dark since the pandemic, with reopening plans announced.
- It is based on Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome.
They would be based on the geodesic dome developed by R. Buckminster Fuller
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Construction took only 16 weeks.
Working around the clock, the entire construction spanned only 16 weeks.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It has not reopened since closing; owners plan to reopen in 2028.
plans to reopen both locations in 2028
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only.
A honeycomb 'veil' wrapped around a hidden art vault
Next door to Disney Hall, The Broad answers Gehry's shiny curves with a porous white lattice, and its 'veil and vault' plan stores the collection in plain sight at the building's core.
- The museum opened on September 20, 2015.
September 20, 2015
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The design concept is called 'the veil and the vault'.
The design is based on a concept entitled "the veil and the vault".
Wikipedia ↗ reported - General admission to the permanent collection is free.
It offers free general admission to its permanent collection galleries.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
Its steel skin once reflected sunlight hot enough to bother neighbors
Gehry's billowing stainless-steel hall became the symbol of a reborn Grand Avenue and is admired as much for its warm wooden interior acoustics as for its exterior.
- The hall opened on October 23, 2003.
October 23, 2003
Wikipedia ↗ reported - A planned stone exterior was swapped for a cheaper stainless steel skin.
the originally designed stone exterior was replaced with a less costly stainless steel skin.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Reflected sunlight from the steel caused glare for some nearby residents.
Some residents of the neighboring condominiums suffered glare caused by sunlight
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
Gehry's stacked towers facing his own Disney Hall
Gehry's late-career mixed-use complex finally completes the Grand Avenue corridor his concert hall began, with a hotel, apartments and public plaza.
- It was designed by Frank Gehry and completed in 2022.
Construction began in December 2018 and completed in 2022.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The towers sit across from Disney Concert Hall.
Two towers were built across from the Disney Concert Hall, designed by architect Frank Gehry as part of the Grand LA.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It includes a 45-story residential tower and a 25-story tower with the Conrad hotel.
a 45-story residential tower and a 25-story tower featuring apartments and the Conrad Hotel.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public. Map spot is approximate.
Concrete mixed with sand from all 58 California counties
For decades the only tower allowed to break LA's height limit, City Hall is a civic symbol built from pieces of the whole state and later retrofitted to float on base isolators.
- Its tower concrete used sand from every California county and water from the 21 missions.
The concrete in its tower was made with sand from each of California's 58 counties and water from its 21 historical missions.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was the city's tallest building from 1928 to 1966.
It was the tallest building in Los Angeles from 1928 until 1966.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is the tallest base-isolated structure in the world.
is the tallest base-isolated structure in the world.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
A ribbon of glowing arches that replaced a crumbling concrete icon
The original 1932 bridge was eaten from inside by a chemical reaction in its concrete; its 3,500-foot replacement with paired arches became an instant civic landmark.
- The original was demolished because an alkali-silica reaction cracked and weakened its concrete.
led to an alkali-silica reaction (ASR), which created cracks in the concrete and sapped the strength of the structure.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The new bridge is by Michael Maltzan and the HNTB design-build team.
The newly completed bridge is designed by architect Michael Maltzan and the HNTB Design-Build team
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The replacement opened July 9, 2022, and spans the LA River.
The Sixth Street Viaduct spans the Los Angeles River
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
A stack of records whose rooftop light blinks 'Hollywood' in Morse
The round tower is a mid-century pop icon and a working studio: its basement echo chambers shaped the sound of decades of records.
- It is described as the world's first circular office building.
the world's first circular office building ever constructed
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Its rooftop light spells 'Hollywood' in Morse code.
spells out the word "Hollywood" in Morse code
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It houses Capitol Studios' recording rooms and echo chambers.
is home to the recording studios and echo chambers of Capitol Studios
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only.
The last of America's great railway stations
Union Station blends Spanish Mission warmth with Art Deco and Streamline lines, and it still works as the region's main rail and transit hub.
- It opened in May 1939.
It opened in May 1939 as the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The design mixes Art Deco, Mission Revival and Streamline Moderne.
The structure combines Art Deco, Mission Revival, and Streamline Moderne style.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public. Map spot is approximate.
Los Angeles's first UNESCO World Heritage Site
Wright's first LA commission, built for heiress Aline Barnsdall, abstracts the hollyhock flower into a Mayan-flavored hilltop house that now anchors a public art park.
- Wright designed it for heiress Aline Barnsdall.
designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright for the heiress Aline Barnsdall
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is named for its hollyhock-inspired motifs.
is named for the hollyhock-inspired motifs in its design
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is the first World Heritage Site in Los Angeles.
Hollyhock House is the first World Heritage Site in Los Angeles
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
The only suspension bridge in the world standing entirely on piles
The green suspension bridge over the Port of Los Angeles was a structural first: welded, and founded on piles rather than bedrock; blue LED lights now trace its cables at night.
- It opened in 1963.
The bridge opened in 1963
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was the first welded suspension bridge in the U.S.
It was the first welded suspension bridge in the United States.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is the only suspension bridge in the world supported entirely on piles.
It is the only suspension bridge in the world supported entirely on piles.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It has 160 solar-powered blue LED lamps.
160 blue LED lamps, powered by solar panels.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
A 1931 Art Deco movie palace owned by the city
One of the last great Warner Bros. palaces, an Art Deco-Moderne theater the City of Los Angeles bought in 1996 to keep as a public venue.
- It opened on January 20, 1931.
The Warner Grand Theatre is a historic movie palace that opened on January 20, 1931.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was designed by B. Marcus Priteca with interiors by Anthony Heinsbergen.
architect B. Marcus Priteca and interior designer Anthony Heinsbergen
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The City of Los Angeles acquired it in 1996.
The City of Los Angeles acquired Warner Grand Theatre in 1996 and assigned operations and programming to DCA.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
An octagonal house on one concrete stalk, reached by funicular
Lautner solved a 45-degree 'unbuildable' slope by perching a flying-saucer house atop a single column, an engineering stunt that became a space-age icon.
- It sits on a 5-foot-wide concrete column almost 30 feet high.
Most distinctively, the house is perched atop a 5-foot-wide (1.5 m) concrete column nearly 30 feet (9 m) high.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The house is reached by a funicular.
The house is reached by a funicular.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The design answered a 45-degree slope thought unbuildable.
This design was Lautner's solution to a site that, with a slope of 45 degrees, was thought to be practically unbuildable.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only.
24,000 patterned concrete blocks, a Mayan temple on a hill
Wright's largest textile-block house looms over Los Feliz like a ruin from another civilization, which is why filmmakers keep casting it.
- It has at least 24,000 patterned concrete textile blocks.
The structure includes at least 24,000 concrete textile blocks, which are decorated with engraved patterns.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It appears in Blade Runner.
One of the most prominent films to feature the Ennis House was the 1982 film Blade Runner
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged it, leading to a restoration.
The house was damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which created holes in the house's southern retaining wall.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only.
The most looked-through telescope on Earth, free since 1935
The domed observatory on Mount Hollywood is both a public science temple and a movie icon, and it has never charged admission.
- Admission has been free since 1935, per Griffith J. Griffith's will.
admission has been free since the observatory's opening in 1935, in accordance with his will.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - More than 9 million people have looked through its 12-inch Zeiss refractor.
over 9 million people have looked through the 12-inch (30.5 cm) Zeiss refracting scope
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It appeared in Rebel Without a Cause.
The observatory was featured twice in Rebel Without a Cause (1955),
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
Twin 515-foot towers replacing the old Gerald Desmond Bridge
A cable-stayed bridge built tall enough to let the biggest container ships into the port, replacing the 1968 Gerald Desmond Bridge.
- It opened to traffic in both directions on October 5, 2020.
Motor vehicle traffic opened in both directions on October 5, 2020
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It replaced the Gerald Desmond Bridge, completed in 1968.
The bridge replaced the Gerald Desmond Bridge, which was completed in 1968
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Its two towers are 515 feet tall.
At 515 feet tall, the bridges two towers will be the second-tallest of any cable-stayed bridge in the U.S.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
Often called America's first steel-frame house
Neutra's hillside steel-and-glass house helped introduce the International Style to the US and was featured in MoMA's landmark 1932 show; an architect's pilgrimage stop.
- It is often described as the first steel frame house in the US.
It is often described as the first steel frame house in the United States
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was in the 1932 Museum of Modern Art exhibition.
It was included in the 1932 exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It appears in L.A. Confidential.
The house was used in the 1997 film L.A. Confidential
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only.
A 17-ton bronze bell in a hand-built Korean pavilion
A bicentennial gift from South Korea, housed in a traditional pavilion built by Korean craftsmen on a hilltop overlooking the harbor; it rings on set days each year.
- It was dedicated on October 3, 1976.
It was dedicated on October 3, 1976.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The bell is made of more than 17 tons of copper and tin.
over seventeen tons of copper and tin
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Its pavilion was built by South Korean craftsmen over ten months.
built by South Korean craftsmen over a period of ten months
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
An 1874 redwood lighthouse that looks like a Victorian house
A wooden, house-like 1874 lighthouse built of California redwood, now a museum on the bluffs at the tip of San Pedro.
- It was built in 1874 from California redwood.
The lighthouse was built in 1874 with lumber from California redwoods.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was designed by Paul J. Pelz.
It was designed by Paul J. Pelz.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was added to the National Register on June 13, 1972.
Added to NRHP: June 13, 1972
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
'Porcupine Hill': a city of oil wells inside Long Beach
A tiny city entirely surrounded by Long Beach, built on one of the world's most productive oil strikes; working wells still dot the slopes below a viewpoint park.
- Shell's Alamitos #1 well erupted on June 23, 1921.
On June 23, 1921, Royal Dutch Shell's Alamitos #1 well erupted.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Signal Hill is an enclave completely surrounded by Long Beach.
Partially high on an eponymous hill, the city is an enclave completely surrounded by the city of Long Beach.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is still a productive oil field with wells and derricks remaining.
Signal Hill is still a productive oil field and several wells and derricks remain.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public. Map spot is approximate.
A 1941 Streamline Moderne terminal still in daily use
A 1941 Streamline Moderne terminal with Grace Clements murals and mosaics that still handles passengers, beside the site of the Douglas Aircraft plant dedicated the same year.
- The terminal was designed by Austin and Wing and built in 1941.
The main terminal building was designed by architects William Horace Austin and Kenneth Smith Wing and was constructed in 1941.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is in the Streamline Moderne style.
Long Beach Airport has one terminal in Streamline Moderne style
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Its murals and mosaics are by Grace Clements, finished in 1941.
The murals and mosaics were created by artist Grace Clements and completed in 1941
Wikipedia ↗ reported - The neighboring Douglas Aircraft plant broke ground in November 1940 and was dedicated in October 1941.
Ground was broken for the initial Douglas Aircraft facility in November 1940, with dedication in October 1941.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
A 16-story French Gothic chateau on Ocean Boulevard
Once the second-tallest structure in the region and the tallest private building in Southern California, it is still the signature of the Long Beach shoreline, and it rode out the 1933 earthquake.
- It was designed by Richard D. King.
The building was designed by architect Richard D. King
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It is a 16-story French Gothic building.
the Villa Riviera is a 16-story French Gothic Building
Wikipedia ↗ reported - At 277 feet it was the second-tallest structure in the region.
the 277-foot high structure was the second tallest in the region
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was added to the National Register in 1996.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only.
An Art Deco ocean liner turned permanent hotel
A whole Art Deco ocean liner, retired in 1967 and kept as a city-owned hotel and museum; after closing in 2020 it formally reopened in 2023.
- After retiring in 1967 it sailed to Long Beach and was permanently moored.
sailed to the Port of Long Beach where she was permanently moored.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Its interiors are mostly Art Deco.
Her interior design, while mostly Art Deco
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It was listed on the National Register in 1993.
the ship was nominated and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - It formally reopened to the public on April 1, 2023.
formally reopened to the public on 1 April 2023.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: public.
Oil drilling islands disguised as a resort skyline
Four artificial islands whose drilling rigs hide behind sculpted towers, waterfalls and landscaping, an early example of industrial camouflage overseen by a theme-park designer.
- They were built in 1965 to tap the East Wilmington Oil Field.
The THUMS Islands were built in 1965 to tap into the East Wilmington Oil Field.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - There are four artificial islands in San Pedro Bay off Long Beach.
The THUMS Islands are a set of four artificial islands in San Pedro Bay off the coast of Long Beach, California.
Wikipedia ↗ reported - Landscaping and sound walls were designed to hide the operation and cut noise.
The landscaping and sound walls were designed to camouflage the operation and reduce noise.
Wikipedia ↗ reported
Visiting: exterior only. Map spot is approximate.
