Architecture Tours L.A.

Architecture Tours L.A.

If you want a unique L.A. experience, then this is the tour for you!

WELCOME TO ARCHITECTURE TOURS LOS ANGELES

Are you ready for a different kind of sight seeing tour? This is an excellent way to get to know the City of Angels. Our tours are guided by an architectural historian and guidebook author who knows her way around. Looking for something off the beaten path?  See the exciting structures that make L.A. the dynamic city it is and see the REAL Los Angeles!!!

2023 Trip Advisor Choice

Architecture Tours Los Angeles will introduce to you and explore the unique and fascinating architecture of Los Angeles. Long regarded as the city of the future, L.A. is home to some of the most original and innovative architecture in the United States and the world, as well as being home to virtually every conceivable historic style, reflecting the diversity and imagination of the people who live here.

Our various tours cover different neighborhoods in the city and highlight the architecture, history and culture of that area. The tours focus on unusual and outstanding architectural gems of this dynamic metropolis. You’ll see structures ranging in style from Egyptian Revival to Chateauesque and Tudor to sleek mid-Century modern to Post-Modern, all in the comfort of a deluxe van with bucket seats, strong air-conditioning and two sun roofs for maximum visibility.

Tour Descriptions

Tour Descriptions

Tours offered daily usually at 10:00AM, by reservation Two person minimum required All tours driven in an air-conditioned mini-van with 2 sunroofs for maximum visibility More ...

Reservations

Reservations

** Reservations are required! ** To make a reservation, call Architecture Tours L.A. at (323) 464-7868 or e-mail [email protected]. NOTE: Reservations are confirmed using Square, More ...

Gift Shop

Books written by architectural historian Laura Massino Smith now available at http://www.amazon.com and http://www.schifferbooks.com Search by Author:Massino or Title:Architecture Tours L.A ** LATEST BOOK PUBLISHED More ...

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Photograph: ercwttmn

Architectural homes in Los Angeles: Eames House

Photograph: John Morse

Architectural homes in Los Angeles: Schindler House

Photograph Courtesy Mak Center

Architectural homes in Los Angeles: Lummis House (El Alisal)

Photograph: Courtesy Historical Society of Southern California

Architectural homes in Los Angeles: Hollyhock House

Photograph: Jakob N. Layman

Architectural homes in Los Angeles: Sam Maloof House

Photograph: Courtesy Maloof Foundation

Architectural homes in Los Angeles: Greystone Mansion

Photograph: Courtesy Greystone Mansion

Architectural homes in Los Angeles: Gamble House

Photograph: Courtesy Gamble House

Architectural homes in Los Angeles: Neutra VDL Research House

Photograph: Doncram

Architectural homes in Los Angeles: Avila Adobe

Photograph: Courtesy Avila Adobe

Architectural homes in Los Angeles: Frank Gehry House

House tour: Architectural homes in Los Angeles

Visit these important architectural homes from some of LA's pioneering greats like Eames, Gehry and Neutra.

From tract homes to Case Study Houses, Southern California has always been at the forefront of residential home design ( even Ice Cube knows it ). Whether you’re interested in local history, celebrity digs or plain old house porn, we’ve got a spot for you. So get off the beaten museum track and check out these landmark architectural homes, all within a few mile radius and (mostly) open to the public.

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Eames House

Eames House

  • Historic buildings and sites
  • Pacific Palisades

Designing couple Charles and Ray Eames were known for their intelligence and their joie de vivre , both of which are apparent at the Eames House nestled in the Pacific Palisades. One of Southern California’s most beloved examples of modernist residential design, with its Mondrian-style color-block exterior and environmentally-sensitive siting, this home was the Eames’ residence from the time they moved in—on Christmas Eve of 1949—until their deaths in the '70s and '80s, respectively. Visitors park a couple blocks away and walk up the hilly driveway for a self-guided tour of the exterior ($10, reservations required). Interior tours are more difficult to come by: Members are invited for an appreciation day, always scheduled near the Eames’ June 20 anniversary. Anyone can book a one-hour personal tour ($275; $200 for members), but if you’re a real Eames fan, you may want to splurge on the picnic for four in the meadow ($750; $675 for members) and recreate the opening shots of the duo’s popular Powers of Ten video.

Schindler House

Schindler House

  • Things to do
  • Walks and tours
  • West Hollywood

Sleeping baskets on the roof, communal kitchens and a revolving-door salon of artists. Nope, not a Burning Man camp: This is the Schindler House, designed by Austrian architect Rudolf Schindler, who built it as a dual-family residence in which his family cohabited for a time with his frenemy and fellow influential architect Richard Neutra. A quiet, Japanese-influenced concrete building hidden behind a bamboo grove on a street of condos, this experiment in living now houses the Mak Center , a Vienna-based institute that runs a fantastic program of events in the space, including experimental fashion shows, innovative performance art and concerts of new, original compositions. During the week, visitors can wander around the empty house and imagine themselves part of the freewheeling LA bohemia of the 1920s and '30s.

Lummis House (El Alisal)

Lummis House (El Alisal)

  • Highland Park

Where would we be without those energetic civic boosters that built Los Angeles? The prolific Charles Fletcher Lummis founded the Southwest Museum, was an editor at the Los Angeles Times , and still managed to design this house (the name of which means “the Sycamore” in Spanish) on the banks of the Arroyo Seco. Its exterior is made almost entirely from river rock and the interior is heavily influenced by Pueblo Indian dwellings. Fans of today’s DIY movement will appreciate the rustic Craftsman charm of this home, which is furnished with hand-crafted wood pieces; it’s interesting to see how closely modern-day bohemian design mirrors that of Lummis House. The Historical Society of Southern California is now headquartered here, and it holds several Sunday afternoon programs a year, as well as an annual holiday open house in December.

Hollyhock House

Hollyhock House

This 1921, Mayan-inflected Frank Lloyd Wright house was originally built as a “progressive theatrical community” space by activist and oil heiress Aline Barnsdall. Today it’s the centerpiece of Barnsdall Park and is open for tours during the park’s popular Friday night wine tasting events . Rudolf Schindler, a protégé of Wright’s, was the overseeing architect on this project (unusual for Wright, who typically was on-site for all of his buildings) and by all reports it was a contentious building process, with the same delays and cost overruns familiar to anyone who’s attempted construction. After it was completed, frequent flooding of the living room in the short yet destructive rainy season and seismic concerns prevented Barnsdall from living in the gorgeous but impractical concrete and stucco house for long—though she did spend the rest of her life in a smaller house on the property, which the family called Olive Hill.

Sam Maloof House

Sam Maloof House

  • Inland Empire

Master woodworker Sam Maloof and his carpenters designed and built this lovely, thoughtful home piece by piece in his on-site workshop; no two door openings are the same here, and each joint is a wonder of craftsmanship. A MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, Maloof has had his iconic rocking chairs shown at the Smithsonian; he also designed the chairs that were used on-camera at the history-changing Nixon/Kennedy debates. Visitors can see some of this furniture, as well as the wide-ranging collection of arts-and-craft pieces that he and his wife of 50 years, Alfreda, amassed together. The garden, which he tended, and the house are both open for tours; if you ask, you might be able to peek into the workshop, where he continued building until his death in 2009 at the age of 93.

Greystone Mansion

Greystone Mansion

  • Beverly Hills

Is the Greystone Mansion haunted ? The society that runs it certainly wants us to think so—haunted house tours and a popular interactive play capitalize on the 1929 scandal in which the owner of the mansion, oil heir Ned Doheny, died in a mysterious murder-suicide with his boyhood friend and employee. Doheny’s father was mired in the Teacup Dome Scandal at the time, and the deaths meant that he was excused from testifying; rumors also abounded that Ned, who was married with children, was trying to cover up a same-sex affair. Either way, a tour of this 55-room Tudor estate is a good way to get a glimpse into the lives of LA’s historical 1%—costly slate clads the façade and walkways, the windows are leaded glass and guests were entertained in the bowling alley and two movie theaters. When the home was finished in 1929, it cost a reported $3M, making it the most expensive private home in the city at the time.

Gamble House

Gamble House

  • Cultural centers
  • price 2 of 4

Pasadena may think it owes much of its traditional Arts and Crafts style to Charles and Henry Greene, the brothers and architects responsible for designing many of the city’s landmark buildings, but really, they should be honoring Thomas Greene, the architects’ father. He was the one who decided on their profession, sending them off to MIT and then demanding they move out to Pasadena once they graduated. No word on whether he determined their style as well, but no matter who the progenitor, this graceful house originally built for one of the heirs of the Proctor & Gamble fortune remains one of the best examples of their work. Programming at the Gamble House is exceptional—there are tours that focus on things like the art glass or the details and joinery in the house, as well as more casual events like Brown Bag Tuesday, when visitors bring their own picnic lunch to eat on the grounds, followed by a 20-minute tour. However you decide to experience it, don’t miss the remarkable zig-zag staircase, a joyous element that adds a bit of fun to the perfection of the house.

Neutra VDL Research House

Neutra VDL Research House

  • Silver Lake

The original Neutra VDL Research House, a living laboratory for architect Richard Neutra’s theories on residential design, was built for $8,000 (including the site!) in 1932; it burned down in 1963 and two years later his son oversaw the rebuilding of an updated version. Neutra was something of a control-freak as a designer—he made recommendations to his clients that included the ideal flowers to display, and would occasionally make unannounced visits to see how, exactly, people were living in his homes. This remodel retains Neutra’s clarity of vision and is still a stunner. Today, this glass-walled paragon of modern design overlooking the Silver Lake Reservoir is an active part of LA’s design community and home to occasional art installations. Each Saturday, students in Cal Poly Pomona’s architecture program lead half-hour tours.

Avila Adobe

Avila Adobe

Visit this 1818 home to see what life was like in California when it was still governed by Mexico. This is the oldest standing residence in the city, built by wealthy cattle rancher Francisco Avila, whose extensive 4,439-acre land grant covered much of Beverly Hills and the Miracle Mile district. Built of tar from the La Brea Tar Pits , clay from the LA River and wood from the riverbank, this adobe structure is located near the Zanja Madre (in English, "mother ditch"), the original aqueduct that brought water to the LA River for El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles (the original name of our fair city). Though visitors only see about half of the original house, it’s well-preserved with an interesting mix of Spanish, Mission and ranchero influences.

Frank Gehry House

Frank Gehry House

  • Santa Monica

The neighbors love to hate it, carloads of architecture students drop by to gawk at it: This unexpected intersection of chicken wire, plywood, corrugated metal and traditional Santa Monica house is famed architect Frank Gehry’s actual place of residence. This year the AIA gave it the Twenty-Five Year Award, for a building that has stood the test of time for 25 to 35 years. Rumor has it that when Gehry had a party for his firm here, design enthusiast Brad Pitt knocked on the door and invited himself in. You probably shouldn’t do the same, but you can take it in from the outside. There are no official visiting hours or tickets, but the house is very easy to view from the street.

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5 of the Best Los Angeles Architecture Tours

Los Angeles’ urban landscape is characterised by several distinctive architectural styles – all of which can be discovered by booking onto a guided architecture tour of the city.

best architecture tours los angeles

(Photo: LA Walking Tours)

The sprawling South Californian city has always been a place of whimsy and experimentation – in no realm more true when it comes to its architecture. Indeed, Los Angeles has attracted many famous architects here down the years, including the likes of Richard Meier, Frank Gehry and Richard Neutra, whose creative vision remains indelibly imprinted on the city skyline. Here are 5 of the best LA architecture tours currently available.

Downtown Los Angeles Architecture Walking Tour

This 2-hour walking tour of Downtown LA takes in the city’s finest architectural monuments and their varying styles that span beaux arts, Renaissance Revival, art deco, modernism, and more. Among the landmarks you’ll get to see will be the Wilshire Grand Center (LA’s tallest building), the Broadway Theater District, Central Library,  the Fine Arts Building, the NoMadHotel, and more. As you explore, your expert guide will regale you with fascinating facts and tales about the architecture of this iconic city. From $35 per person.

Book at Viator

Downtown Los Angeles: Food, Arts and Culture Walking Tour

best architecture tours los angeles

(Photo: ExperienceFirst California / Courtesy GetYourGuide)

Covering architecture, culture and cuisine, this 2-hour tour includes a visit to one of LA’s finest food halls, and the chance to sample some of the local produce they sell. Other notable highlights include trips to some of the city’s most treasured museums and architectural jewels, such as Union Station, The Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Bradbury, and The US Bank Tower, while you learn all about downtown’s history and culture courtesy of your highly informative guide. There’ll also be insights into the history of public transportation in LA, and how gentrification has changed the urban landscape in recent years. From $39 per person.

Book at GetYourGuide

Customisable Private Tour with Transfer

For a more exclusive and intimate tour experience, this all-day private tour invites you and your select group of family or friends to hand-pick your itinerary with the help of your guide. On offer will be the chance to take in some of the city’s popular districts, such as Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and their distinctive architecture. Along the way, you’ll be able to take as many breaks as you wish to eat, shop, and explore at your own pace. The tour price includes hotel pick-up and drop-off in a private, air-conditioned vehicle. From $1,131 per groups of 2 (larger group options available).

City Highlights Tour with Cruise Terminal Transfer

best architecture tours los angeles

(Photo: SUNSEEKER TOURS LONG BEACH / Courtesy GetYourGuide)

If you’re arriving in to LA by cruise liner and want to hit the ground running, then this full-day tour could be just the ticket. After boarding a comfortable van from your chosen cruise terminal, sit back and relax as you’re shown around some of the city’s most famed landmarks and architectural highlights. Marvel at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum which hosted the Olympics twice, enjoy the laid-back ambience and bohemian aesthetic at Venice Beach, and be starstruck as you pass the iconic Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard – all accompanied by live onboard commentary. From $149 per person.

Los Angeles Beginnings Walking Tour

Explore Los Angeles’ vibrant past and glamorous downtown on this 2-hour walking tour through the heart of the city. See the murals and vaulted ceiling at Union Station, browse souvenirs as you stroll historic Olvera Street, then visit the concert halls, cathedral, and park that have helped re-energise the downtown district over the last couple of decades. Other highlights include the chance to ride the shortest railway in the world, the Angels’ Flight funicular, which once ferried Los Angeles’ elite into the city’s most sought-after neighbourhood. From $35 per person.

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Architecture Tours L.A. - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

best architecture tours los angeles

LA Architecture Tours, Sightseeing & Tourism

Pudleaux tourism offers a variety of architecture tours in los angeles, california. featuring the silver lake neutra tour and la frank lloyd wright tour, los angeles architecture tours , frank lloyd wright tours , hollywood tours, hire a tour guide to show you los angeles, downtown la architecture tours, tour of west la and the beach towns: santa monica & venice, neutra architecture tours, sightseeing tours of la, architecture tours in los angeles, california .

If you're looking to go on an architecture tour in Los Angeles, or hire a private tour guide to show you around LA, look no further. Offering a variety of architectural tours in Los Angeles as well as LA sightseeing tours, Pudleaux Tourism is a tour brand that provides tours of LA for residents and visitors seeking to learn about LA architecture and LA history. A knowledgeable Los Angeles tour guide can offer great insight into the culture of LA as you visit the sights in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Venice, and the other districts and cities that make up LA. Each private tour of LA provides a unique way to experience Los Angeles like a local and also visit the best tourist areas in LA. The LA Frank Lloyd Wright Tour  and the Silver Lake Neutra Tour are the only tours of their kind in Los Angeles, and each offers a unique focus on those architects and their impact on architecture in LA and beyond.

Tours of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture in LA, Neutra tours, and tours of downtown LA are just a few of the Los Angeles architecture tours available to sign up for. Custom tours that focus on a specific architect or architectural style can be arranged for groups traveling to Los Angeles . Tours for international travel groups visiting LA can be coordinated, and tours are great ideas for corporate outings in LA. If you want to do some sightseeing in Los Angeles with a tour guide and private transportation, please visit the Hire a Guide page . Tours of the California coast and day trips to Santa Barbara and San Diego from Los Angeles can be organized upon request. Scroll down for a list of LA tours offered. If you would like help creating the perfect travel itinerary, please send a message with as much detail as possible.

Custom and private tours of Los Angeles are available year-round .

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L.a. architecture tour roster.

LA Frank Lloyd Wright Tour

The LA Frank Lloyd Wright Tour offers a comprehensive overview of Frank Lloyd Wright's Los Angeles-area architecture. This Los Angeles architecture tour examines four buildings designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, including the Hollyhock House (1921) in Hollywood, and three of the architect's concrete textile-block houses of the 1920's. In addition to showcasing Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture in Los Angeles, this private tour also surveys a number of structures designed by Frank Lloyd Wright's son, Lloyd Wright. 

Downtown LA Architecture Tour (DTLA Tour)

The Downtown LA Architecture Tour is a brilliant way to see the sights and sounds of Los Angeles. This 90-minute walking tour treks approximately 1.5 miles of downtown LA, and examines more than a century's worth of modern and historic architecture. Highlights include Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall (2003), a walk through the historic Bradbury Building (1893), and a ride on Angel's Flight (1901). This is the most comprehensive Los Angeles architecture tour that 90 minutes can offer.

LA Highlights Tour

The LA Highlights Tour is a private tour for the traveler who wants to see all of the major tourist attractions in Los Angeles, as well as explore the most popular neighborhoods to visit in LA. Guests of this LA architecture tour are escorted by a private guide to explore and learn about all of the major areas in and around Los Angeles including: Downtown LA, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills, Century City, Santa Monica, and Venice.  There are breathtaking views and photo ops galore. The "Hollywood" sign, Venice Canals, Griffith Observatory, and Pacific Ocean are just a few of the landmarks seen on this extensive architectural and historical tour of Los Angeles. 

WeHo/Beverly Hills Tour

Perhaps you knew that the Rodeo Drive area in Beverly Hills is defined by high end, luxury shopping, but did you know that some of the buildings that shelter these fashion houses were designed by architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Meier?  The WeHo/Beverly Hills Tour is a private tour that takes you in a private car (it's very private!) to see the major attractions and significant architectural and historical landmarks of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Architectural highlights include the Pacific Design Center and Schindler's Kings Road House in West Hollywood, and the Greystone mansion in Beverly Hills. 

Silver Lake Neutra Tour  (most popular tour of LA)

This 60-minute walking tour takes guests through the Silver Lake neighborhood in Los Angeles to view a collection of 10 buildings designed by architect Richard Neutra, one of the early masters of the International Style. Representing the largest concentration of Neutra's architecture in the world, t he "Colony of Neutra Houses"  or "Neutra Village" is set along the picturesque Silver Lake Reservoir and makes for a delightful walk through one of LA's coolest neighborhoods.  On this LA architecture tour, guests learn about the architectural significance of Neutra's work and about the architect's design philosophy while seeing firsthand some of his most cutting edge buildings.

Century City Architecture Tour

The Century City Architecture Tour takes you through the architectural museum that is Century City, the  other downtown LA. Built in the early 1960's on a portion of the Fox Studios backlot, Century City is a residential and business district of Los Angeles that is notable for its soaring skyscrapers in a city typically defined by horizontal sprawl. This planned development was an experiment in architecture and design for twentieth century Los Angeles, and most of the buildings are the works of world-renowned architects. On this 75-minute walking tour, guests see and learn about the history and architecture of Century City, with insight into how the city is redefining the urban landscape for life in the twenty-first century.

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25 Must-See Architectural Landmarks in Los Angeles

By Janelle Zara

Image may contain Building Road Office Building Architecture Tarmac Asphalt Human Person Urban City and Town

In any row of Los Angeles buildings, it’s a rarity to see two that are exactly alike. See: the glinting curves of the Walt Disney Concert Hall next to the spongelike façade of the Broad Museum, or the right angles of a modernist home next to a neighbor outfitted with the minarets of a temple. This unusual variety is, perhaps, a result of the climate; in addition to the sun-kissed beautiful people, the warm weather, surreally blue skies, and laissez-faire attitude that blesses the city year-round has also attracted a number of brilliant eccentrics and dreamers. The Eameses, Frank Gehry, and Frank Lloyd Wright, among many others, were as drawn to the sublime light as they were inspired by it. Consequently, Los Angeles is a visual feast, and the architecture (both indoors and outdoors) is like that of nowhere else. Our roundup of must-see design ranges from major institutions and private homes—both of which often take the form of palatial estates—to lush sculptural landscapes, as well as the quirky destinations that only locals know. Architecture buffs and casual tourists, prepare to be wowed.

Pictured: The Broad Museum Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s building for billionaire philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad’s massive art collection is the latest to join the ranks of L.A. icons. The unusual façade is a porous white shell, while the interiors are bathed in meticulously controlled natural light. The art collection (featuring works by Ellsworth Kelly, Yayoi Kusama, and Cindy Sherman, among others) is pretty impressive, too.

Image may contain Building Architecture Transportation Vehicle Automobile Car Urban City Town and Crowd

Walt Disney Concert Hall

The Frank Gehry–designed home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic is, arguably, the cultural centerpiece of downtown L.A. Despite its worldwide fame, a little-known fact remains: Staircases actually line the steel curves of its façade, allowing visitors to scale its peaks.

This image may contain Grass Plant Outdoors Lawn and Porch

Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine

The rumors are true: Angelenos have an unusual attraction to all that is New Age. On the more esoteric end of the L.A. architecture spectrum is this white hilltop temple, the centerpiece of a ten-acre spiritual oasis brimming with lush flora and a spring-fed lake.

Image may contain Grass Plant Human Person Office Building Building and Lawn

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

With 120 acres of thematically sculpted gardens, vast collections of European and American art, and historic manuscripts upon historic manuscripts, the Huntington offers a full day of exploration. On view now throughout the main building are site-specific installations by contemporary artist Alex Israel.

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One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Earliest Commissions Lists for $779,000

By Michael Y. Park

This image may contain Human Person Building Architecture Office Building Convention Center City Town and Urban

The Getty Center

The hilltop home of the late J. Paul Getty’s massive collections of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts is a white travertine masterpiece of modernist architecture, designed by Richard Meier. Artist Robert Irwin conceived the Central Garden, which is an immersive, constantly evolving work of art in itself.

This image may contain Outdoors Plant Tree Nature Building Shelter Countryside Rural Housing Vegetation and House

The Eames’s Case Study House #8

While the former home and studio of the most lauded husband-and-wife designers of all time is now a private residence, its current owner has been kind enough to allow Eames fanatics to take self-guided tours of the exterior (reservations required). For its impact on modernist architecture, it’s worth the look, no question.

Image may contain Plant Grass Lawn and Building

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

L.A.’s anchor arts institution condenses so many icons of Southern California in one place, including the architecture of William Pereira, the plant-based art of Robert Irwin, and a forest of street lamps installed by the late Chris Burden that greets you even before you enter the building.

modern home on green lawn

Hollyhock House

Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1919–21 templelike design for an eccentric oil heiress marks two separate milestones: L.A.’s introduction to the architect, and a turning point in Wright’s career geared toward embracing the outdoors, one that paved the way to what is now known as California modernism. After a recent renovation, the house reopened to the public as a museum.

Image may contain Porch Patio Landscape Outdoors Nature Scenery and Pergola

The Stahl House

Pierre Koenig’s 1960 Hollywood Hills design checks all the boxes when it comes to California modernist dream homes. It has floor-to-ceiling glass that blurs distinctions between interior and exterior, extraordinary views of the city, and, most importantly, a pool. Regular tours are available.

This image may contain Interior Design Indoors Room Hall Auditorium Theater and Cinema

The Vista Theatre

It’s no surprise that Tinseltown takes its movie theaters very seriously, adding an extra oomph to the moviegoing experience through design. Silver Lake’s Vista Theatre is a classic example. The single-screen 1923 movie house still retains its original kitschy interiors.

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Watts Towers

Over the course of more than three decades, Italian-born construction worker Simon Rodia built these 17 monumental structures (the tallest standing at nearly 100 feet) from rebar and an array of other found objects, producing one of the most acclaimed and recognizable works of Outsider Art. The Watts Towers are now a National Historic Landmark.

Image may contain Roof Building Flagstone and Architecture

Greystone Mansion and Park

Tours of the gorgeous 1928 Beverly Hills estate offer a glimpse into how the other half lives—or lived. (Mysteriously, its original resident was found murdered only five months after he moved in.) You might recognize the Gothic exterior from its roles in films like X-Men and The Big Lebowski.

Image may contain Architecture Tower Building Clock Tower Spire Steeple Road Path Tarmac and Asphalt

Shakespeare Bridge

L.A. is dotted with hidden historic monuments. One of them is the 1926 Shakespeare Bridge, a charming, albeit anachronistic, Gothic structure tucked into an unassuming nook of Los Feliz.

Image may contain Building Architecture Dome Outdoors Nature Scenery and Landscape

Griffith Observatory

Perched high in the Hollywood Hills, the observatory is one of the city’s most visible—not to mention beautiful—landmarks. It’s got it all: Art Deco architecture, a high-powered telescope, free admission, and extraordinary views.

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Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

One of the largest churches in the world overlooks the 101 Freeway. Spanish Pritzker Prize winner José Rafael Moneo’s light-filled design, studded with unusual geometric protrusions, hardly fits the traditional profile of a church; the giant cross built into the façade’s central window is the only giveaway.

Image may contain Banister Handrail and Staircase

Culver City Hayden Tract

The Hayden Tract was a derelict, postindustrial stretch of Culver City until the mid-1980s, when developers Frederick and Laurie Samitaur Smith commissioned architect Eric Owen Moss to revive the area. Over the ensuing decades, the surreal, sci-fi-inspired architecture has attracted high-profile commercial tenants, including Nike and Beats by Dre.

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The Mayan Theater

The downtown venue for live music and other nightlife is a show in itself—the artist Francisco Cornejo sculpted the façade to reference pre-Columbian architecture, a popular Art Deco theme that continues in the tomblike interiors. Its over-the-top stylings are a throwback to the excesses of the roaring ’20s.

Image may contain Human Person Building Bunker Plant Tree Walkway Path and Flagstone

Griffith Park Zoo

Despite having closed in the 1966, the zoo has left its grounds open to the public. Now that the animals have left, the enclosures, carved from rock to evoke a Flintstones vibe, usually contain a few models and photographers at any given time.

Image may contain Slate Transportation Vehicle Train and Outdoors

Murphy Ranch

This one’s for the more adventurous; the abandoned 1930s headquarters to Nazi sympathizers is located in the woods of Rustic Canyon and likely on the verge of collapse. Its crumbling walls, however, have become a major destination for graffiti artists.

Image may contain Building Architecture Porch Patio and Window

Wayfarers Chapel

Lloyd Wright, the too-often overlooked son of the great Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the Rancho Palos Verdes church almost entirely in glass. Its transparent walls flood the interior with sunlight and offer views of the wooded surroundings overlooking the ocean. It’s so picturesque, in fact, that it’s where The O.C. filmed Caleb and Julie’s wedding.

Image may contain Building Bridge Road Architecture Arched Arch Freeway and Arch Bridge

A favorite shooting location for many a movie, commercial, and music video, the cement pipeline that is the L.A. River has a strange industrial charm—just take a look at its cameo as the backdrop in Grease. In certain places, it also has bike trails, wildlife, and gorgeous bridges.

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The Bradbury Building

Built in 1893, the Bradbury is the oldest commercial building in central Los Angeles, and still retains much of its turn-of-the-century flair. The structure was originally designed by Sumner Hunt and completed by George H. Wyman, and it’s pièce de résistance is a soaring atrium with decorative iron railings, marble staircases, and open cage elevators.

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Pacific Design Center

Designed by architect César Pelli, this tricolor complex opened in phases. The blue building debuted in 1975, followed by the green one in 1988, and the red in 2012. Besides office space, the campus features two restaurants helmed by Wolfgang Puck, a 380-seat film venue and reception facility, and a Michael Graves–designed fitness center.

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Union Station

An unusual blend of Spanish Colonial Revival and Art Deco styles, this train station is an architectural gem. Built in 1939 by the father-and-son team at Parkinson & Parkinson, Union Station was one of the last grand train hubs to be built in America, and now serves as a stop for L.A.’s Metro Rail.

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The Theme Building

When you land at LAX, the Theme Building is right there to greet you. Completed in 1960, the spaceship-esque structure was commissioned during an expansion to the airport spurred by the postwar boom in air travel. Though the restaurant inside closed in 2014, the observation deck is still open to visitors.

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best architecture tours los angeles

Walking Tours

Experience L.A. architecture, art, and history, with the Conservancy’s award-winning walking tours!

The Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, recognizing, and revitalizing cultural and architecturally significant historic places in Los Angeles. Through our tours, we bring people closer to the places important to the history of Los Angeles.

Consider becoming a Conservancy member to enjoy discounts and presales on programs and events. Learn more .

Featured Tour

best architecture tours los angeles

96 Years on the FOX Studio Lot!

Sunday april 14, 2024.

Join the L.A. Conservancy for an exciting and rare opportunity to tour the historic FOX Studio Lot! The member presale starts now. Login to get access to these tickets. Not a member? Join today!

best architecture tours los angeles

All Roads Lead to Westwood: The Village

Saturday, may 11, 2024 | sold out.

best architecture tours los angeles

All Roads Lead to Westwood: Little Holmby

Sunday, april 28, 2024 | sold out.

Join the Conservancy for a guided walking tour through the historic neighborhood of Westwood-Holmby, or “Little Holmby.”

Recurring Walking Tours

Our weekend tours are only $18 for members and $25 for the general public. 

Thank you for your support! Your purchase directly supports the Conservancy’s mission to preserve the historic places in Los Angeles County.

Check out our tour options below!

Victorian house located in L.A.'s historic Angelino Heights.

Angelino Heights

Every first saturday of the month at 10:00 a.m..

Explore this hidden Victorian neighborhood east of Echo Park, L.A.’s oldest suburb.

best architecture tours los angeles

Saturdays at 10:15 a.m.

Everyone knows that L.A. is a glamorous city. But few know that true Old Hollywood glamour lies in the streets of downtown L.A.!

The Biltmore Hotel lobby.

The Biltmore Hotel

Sundays at 1:00 p.m. (currently unavailable).

Known in its early days as “The Host of the Coast, the Biltmore Hotel has a glittering history to tell.

Unfortunately, the Biltmore Hotel tour is unavailable at this time. We hope to bring it back soon.

best architecture tours los angeles

Broadway Historic Theatre and Commercial District Walking Tour

Saturdays at 10:00 a.m..

Step inside a lavish movie palace and learn how Hollywood history began on downtown L.A.’s Broadway.

The Los Angeles Central Library in downtown Los Angeles.

Historic Downtown

Saturdays at 9:45 a.m..

Get a great overview of downtown L.A. history and architecture, from the eighteenth century to the present on this Saturday walking tour.

View of downtown Los Angeles skyline.

Modern Skyline

Second saturday of every month at 10:30 a.m..

Think skyscrapers aren’t historic? Think again! After seeing how downtown L.A. has evolved over the past century, you’ll see our beloved skyline in a whole new way.

best architecture tours los angeles

Past Meets Present

Fourth saturday of every month at 10:30 a.m..

Stroll down L.A.’s Spring Street, one of the oldest in the city, and see a vibrant neighborhood thriving against the backdrop of this historic downtown corridor.

Facade of Union Station in Los Angeles.

Union Station

Saturdays at 11:00 a.m..

Learn the backstory of L.A.’s iconic Union Station. This extraordinary Spanish Colonial Revival and Art Deco monument was built to serve as the gateway to Los Angeles – a role which, in many ways, it continues to play today. It continues to serve tens of thousands of commuters daily.

best architecture tours los angeles

Group Tours (Virtual/In-Person)

Rates start at $240 for 12 people.

Arrange a private in-person or virtual walking tour for your group.

best architecture tours los angeles

Student Walking Tour Field Trips

Rates start at $10 per student/one chaperone free per 10 students.

Conservancy student field trips are great choices for students, Scouts, youth groups, homeschoolers, and more!

Walking Tours FAQs

Learn more about our Walking Tour Program, including important policies and information.

Who Gives the Walking Tours?

Los Angeles Conservancy-trained volunteer tour guides primarily lead tours.

Who are the Los Angeles Conservancy Tour Guides?

Los Angeles Conservancy tour guides are highly trained individuals, passionate about sharing their love of  Los Angeles, history, architecture, and preservation with others. They come to the Conservancy with unique backgrounds and experiences, but they all have the same goal—to share the story of Los Angeles’ places with others and to inspire a love for its historic buildings.

Tour Guide Training

All tour guides are volunteers who dedicate their time, energy, and knowledge to serve as the face of the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Walking Tour Program. Each guide undergoes a rigorous six-week training course that consists of in-class and on-the-street training. They learn about architectural styles, the history of downtown and its diverse communities, and about preservation and the work of the Los Angeles Conservancy. They learn one to two different walking tours using scripts created by Conservancy staff and train under fellow Conservancy tour guides. Educational and safety workshops are held throughout the year that enable guides to continue their training and meet Conservancy walking tours’ high standards.

Please visit our volunteers page for information about becoming a Los Angeles Conservancy volunteer tour guide .

Reservations Required

Advanced registration is required for walking tours. At this time, we are not accepting walk-ups.

Prices and Policies

Tours cost $10 for Los Angeles Conservancy members and youth seventeen and under; $15 for the general public.

Conservancy members can make  four adult reservations  at the member rate per tour.

All sales are final — no refunds.  You may change your reservation date if you contact us at least 24 hours before the tour date on your original reservation.

Please, no pets. Strollers are not recommended.

Please see our information about group tours for groups of twelve or more people.

Registration typically closes  2 hours before the tour .

Responsibility and Release

All participants in the Los Angeles Conservancy-sponsored Walking Tours knowingly and freely accept and assume all risks, both known and unknown ,  including contracting and/or transmitting COVID-19 and any other communicable diseases ,  and AGREE TO RELEASE, DEFEND, INDEMNIFY, NOT SUE, AND HOLD HARMLESS the Los Angeles Conservancy, its principals, officers, employees, volunteers, sponsors, agents and other participants from any and all claims, damages (including medical expenses and attorneys’ fees), injuries and expenses arising out of, or resulting from your voluntary attendance/participation in Walking Tours, including contracting and/or transmitting COVID-19 and any other communicable diseases and any and all other injury, illness, disability, death, or loss or damage to person or property.  All participants expressly waive the benefits of California Civil Code 1542 , which provides that: “A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.”

Check out what people are saying about our tours!

best architecture tours los angeles

We are grateful for the kind support of our sponsors!

best architecture tours los angeles

Major funding for the Los Angeles Conservancy’s educational programs is provided by the LaFetra Foundation and the Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation.

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best architecture tours los angeles

Best Architecture Tours In Los Angeles To Check Out

Looking for the best architecture tours in Los Angeles? Well, you’re in the right place!

Here in Los Angeles, the glitz and glamor of Hollywood meet a rich tapestry of architectural wonders!

From the shimmering skyscrapers to the eclectic mix of historic and modern structures, LA’s architecture reflects its colorful culture.

As a city that never stops evolving, its buildings provide a glimpse into its diverse heritage and forward-thinking spirit.

Join us as we unveil the Best Los Angeles Architecture Tours that will not just delight your eyes but also deepen your understanding of this dynamic city.

This article contains affiliate links where we may get a small commission if you click on the link and purchase. No extra cost is added to you.

1. Downtown Los Angeles Architecture Walking Tour

best architecture tours los angeles

Embark on a journey through Downtown Los Angeles ‘ most significant architectural sites with this rich and captivating walking tour.

Experience firsthand the splendor of LA’s tallest and most emblematic structures such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Broad, and the historic Bradbury Building. 

Your expert guide will lead you through the cityscape, explaining the diverse architectural styles, from Beaux-Arts to modernist designs, that make up LA’s vibrant downtown area. 

This tour is not only about admiring the facades; it delves into the cultural and historical context, allowing you to understand how urban development has shaped today’s city.

It’s a must for anyone interested in a trifecta of wonders: architecture, history, and the soul of Los Angeles!

🍕 Foodie? Check out these top-rated LA food tours !

2. The History and Architecture of Downtown Los Angeles

best architecture tours los angeles

Los Angeles’ history is as multifaceted as its architecture, and this comprehensive 3-hour excursion offers a unique perspective.

You’ll traverse the Historic Core, Little Tokyo, Bunker Hill, and more, all while gaining profound insights into LA’s culture and development. 

Visit iconic locations like the Grand Central Market and the Art Deco Eastern Columbia Building, and be amazed by the intricate architectural details.

A special highlight of the tour is a visit to a family-owned Japanese confectionery, established in 1903, in Little Tokyo. 

Your friendly and knowledgeable guide ensures this tour is an essential introduction to the city’s hot spots, architecture, and rich history, unraveling the blend of cultures and styles that make Downtown LA a fascinating place to explore.

Los Angeles is more than just the world’s entertainment capital; it’s a city that thrills and fascinates with its neighborhoods, historic sites, and iconic landmarks.

Looking to see more of LA? Check out these top-rated guided tours !

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Green Lux Ride

Take a private tour of LA Architecture in a luxury vehicle

See highlights of the work of the world’s greatest architects in various architectural styles and settings. This is a surprising tour, covering all the major architectural styles of the last two centuries, as well as examples unique to the Los Angeles area.

You'll see buildings and homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Lloyd Wright, I.M. Pei, Frank Gehry, Cesar Pelli, Rudolph Schindler, John Lautner, Parkinson & Parkinson, Charles & Ray Eames, Bertram Goodhue, Irving Gill, and more.

As with all of our tours, we will customize your LA Architectural Tour to your preferences

  • Walt Disney Concert Hall
  • Griffith Observatory
  • LA City Hall
  • I.M. Pei, Cesar Pelli, Frank Lloyd Wright
  • Rudolph Schindler, Irving Gill, Frank Gehry
  • and many more

Tours are flexible to fit your needs and start and end at your request. You'll have the freedom to change your route along the way.

Tour duration - includes lunch stop

Over 80 Guests

Have enjoyed this tour

Highlighting LA's best architecture

Ready to see the highlights of LA Architecture?

Give your LA tour guide a call or text at 310-435-2842

joe

Joe is the owner/operator of GreenLux and our primary tour guide. He is a California native and is very knowledgeable about Hollywood, Los Angeles, its surroundings, and its history. Join him and up to 10 passengers in a luxury vehicle on your private tour.

*With sufficient advance notice, we can arrange for a larger group with a Custom Coach. Call to discuss.

Hollywood & Los Angeles Tours

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Hollywood Highlights

Rodeo drive street sign

Hollywood & Beverly Hills Tour

venice-beach-tours-private-muscle-beach

Hollywood West Tour

downtown-los-angeles-private-tours-walkt-disney-hall

Downtown Los Angeles Tour

Los Angeles Tours Private Figueroa

Highlights of LA Architecture Tour

la la land tour los angeles hollywood

La La Land Tour

once-upon-a-time-hollywood-tours-private

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Tour

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Custom Hollywood & LA Tours

.st0{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#fff} .st0{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#fff} SMS Main navigation Things to Do Attractions & Tours Arts & Culture Outdoors & Wellness Shopping Budget Family Hidden Gems Luxury Pet-Friendly Eat & Drink Bars Clubs Dine LA Restaurant Week Restaurants Business Spotlight Find Events Itineraries Where to Stay Celebrate LA Heritage AAPI Heritage Black LA Latino Heritage LGBTQ+ Tourist Information Meetings About LA Tourism Travel Trade Membership Business Spotlight Media Research Careers Today's must read Hidden Gems of Los Angeles Log in Search Search Things to Do Arts & Culture Discover the Landmark Houses of Los Angeles From Mid-Century Modern icons to LA's first World Heritage Site

Photo: Annenberg Community Beach House, Facebook

Marion Davies House - Annenberg Beach House

The site that is currently known as the Annenberg Community Beach House was originally a five-acre oceanfront property belonging to William Randolph Hearst and his mistress, Marion Davies. The lavish compound was designed in the Georgian Colonial-style by architects Julia Morgan and William Flannery and featured a three-story main house, three detached guest houses, servants' quarters, dog kennels, tennis courts and two swimming pools. The legendary parties held at the compound during Hearst and Davies’ tenure had guest lists that often numbered in the thousands. Luminaries such as Howard Hughes, Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Bette Davis, Carole Lombard, Cary Grant, Winston Churchill, and Gloria Swanson all spent time at the massive estate at one time or another.

The site operated as the popular Sand & Sea Club for decades, then sat vacant and boarded up for years until the city of Santa Monica announced plans to renovate and reopen it as a public beach facility. Renowned philanthropist Wallis Annenberg donated $27.5 million to the cause. During the renovation, all of the remaining original structures from the Hearst days were demolished, except for a 110-foot Italian marble swimming pool and one of the guest homes, now known as the Marion Davies Guest House . The Annenberg Community Beach House opened to the public in April 2009. The site is open daily and is also used as a special events/wedding venue and filming location.

2nd floor of the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences

Neutra VDL Studio and Residences

The only Richard Neutra-designed house that is now open regularly to the public, the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences is a Silver Lake hidden gem that was built by the famed architect in 1932. He ran his practice out of a studio here, and along with his wife Dione, raised three sons in this house, which he designed to demonstrate that Modernist principles could be enjoyed by less affluent clients, while maintaining privacy. Natural light, glass walls, patios and mirrors are hallmarks of the Neutra VDL House. Tours of the property, given by Cal Poly Pomona architecture students, are offered on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In January 2017, the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The U.S. Department of the Interior press release describes Neutra as "a nationally and internationally seminal figure of the twentieth century Modern movement in architecture" and the VDL Research House as "the only property where one can see the progression of his style over a period of years and is among the key properties to understanding the national significance of Richard Neutra.”

Schindler House | Photo by Joshua White, courtesy of MAK Center

Schindler House

When this residential house was built by Vienna-born Rudolf Schindler back in1922 - inspired by a recent trip to Yosemite with his wife - it was extremely unconventional at the time for a place to live. In reality, it was meant to be a cooperative live-work space between two families, much like a camp site. Having been the residence of the Schindlers and then other creatives, this WeHo hidden gem is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday as an architectural center.

Stahl House black and white

Stahl House

The Stahl House (aka Case Study House #22) was designed by architect Pierre Koenig and built in 1959. Perched in the Hollywood hills above the city, the Stahl House is an icon of Mid-Century Modern architecture. A 1960 black and white photograph by Julius Shulman, showing two women leisurely sitting in a corner of the house with panoramic views through floor-to-ceiling glass walls, is one of the most famous architectural photos in history and a quintessential Los Angeles image. In 2016, TIME named Shulman's photo one of the 100 Most Influential Images of All Time .

The Stahl House was declared Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #670 in 1999. In 2007, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) listed the Stahl House as one of the top 150 structures on its "America's Favorite Architecture" list, one of only 11 in Southern California, and the only private residence on the list. The Stahl House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

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The 13 Best Los Angeles Tours

Maximize your time in Los Angeles with the insider tips and historical context provided by the best local tours.

Best Los Angeles Tours

Courtesy of Bikes and Hikes LA

At more than 465 square miles, Los Angeles defies easy exploration. Even those who dream of touring the city's top attractions in a sporty convertible may be discouraged by the city's notorious traffic congestion and tough parking rules. To enjoy that stress-free, laid-back vacation California is famous for, choose an easy, efficient guided tour. Using both traveler sentiment and expert opinion, U.S. News selected some of the top tours in Los Angeles whose entertaining introduction to the city will engage intrepid explorers, first-time visitors and local residents alike.

Bikes and Hikes LA – Hollywood Sign Hike

Price: From $29 Duration: 3 hours

Summit Mount Hollywood on this hiking trip. You'll see Griffith Park and the Forest Lawn Mausoleum as well as the world-famous Hollywood sign and panoramic vistas of the city. Be ready for a workout: You'll hike approximately 4 miles round-trip. Reviewers say the tour is excellent and the guides provide lots of history during the hike.

Tours are offered daily year-round and depart at 8:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. The company also offers a shorter version of this hike and several bike tours of LA.

Check prices & availability on:

Open Bus Tours – Movie Star Home Tour

Price: From $35 Duration: 2 hours

Open Bus Tours whisks you through Hollywood and Beverly Hills in an open-top van to show you the places where the rich and famous play. The guide will point out landmarks associated with past and current celebrities, contemporary sports figures and YouTube stars, plus drive past famous movie studios and filming locations, if available. You can snap photos of mansions, the Hollywood sign, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, the Sunset Strip, the Dolby Theatre and more. Visitors say they like leaving the LA driving to fun, knowledgeable guides who entertain them with gossip. Others emphasize that this is more of a sightseeing tour and wish that they saw more celebrity homes.

The tours are available from Thursday to Monday; there are four departures each day. The company also offers private tours.

Big Bus Tours Los Angeles – TMZ Celebrity Tour

Price: Adults from $59; kids from $49 Duration: 2 hours

Gossip, secrets and buzz-worthy names are the focus of this popular Hollywood Celebrity Hot Spot Tour from Big Bus Tours Los Angeles and TMZ, the famous celebrity news website. The guided bus outing departs several times daily from Hollywood and makes no stops. Instead, the entertaining guides show video clips, share stories, do giveaways and play games. Recent tour-takers who love celebrity gossip and pop culture offer very positive reviews of the outing, while some complain about not seeing any celebrities during their tour.

Tours depart multiple times daily. TMZ also runs a Hollywood Selfie Tour, which shuttles tourgoers to the best photo spots.

ExperienceFirst – Haunted Hollywood Walking Tour: True Crime, Creepy Tales

Price: Adults from $39; kids from $35 Duration: 2 hours

This ghost tour not only covers paranormal activity in Hollywood, but also delves into LA's crime history. You'll learn about serial killers who traumatized the city as well as the infamous Manson family murders. Among the locations you'll visit are the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel and the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. Reviewers say the tour is excellent and that guides are wonderful storytellers.

Trips depart at 6 p.m. nightly. ExperienceFirst also operates guided hikes to the Hollywood sign, among others.

Best Los Angeles Tours

Courtesy of A Day in LA

A Day in LA Tours – LA City Tour

Price: Adults from $99; kids from $89 Duration: 7.5 hours

Cruise from Venice Beach to Griffith Park and everywhere in between on this tour. Tourgoers will hop on an air-conditioned bus that's equipped with device charging ports and cruise in comfort to areas like Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica. First-time visitors to LA rave about how much you see in one day despite the city's famous traffic. Others appreciate spending about 40 minutes at each attraction so they could explore and take photos.

Trips depart daily around 8 a.m. A Day in LA Tours offers hotel pickup from Los Angeles area hotels for an additional fee. You can also take this tour from Anaheim.

Six Taste – Downtown Los Angeles Food Tour

Price: From $85 Duration: 4 hours

On this Downtown LA walking tour by Six Taste, visitors will sample signature dishes from five eateries while learning more about the history of downtown and the city's diverse cultures. Tastings may include pupusas, pizza, chicken mole and gelato. The company partners with more than 100 restaurants, so these tastings may change. Locals and visitors alike rave about the Six Taste guides and their selection of hard-to-find stands and shops, as well as the delicious food.

Downtown tours run on Saturdays and Sundays only at 11 a.m. The tour is vegetarian friendly. Some dietary accommodations can be made as long as you notify the company at least 72 hours in advance. Other popular Six Taste tours explore Santa Monica and the Arts District.

Malibu Wine Hikes – Malibu Wine Hike & Trail Tour

Price: From $49 Duration: 2 hours

California wine is a must-try for oenophiles, but you won't need to venture to Napa, Sonoma or Santa Barbara to sample some vino. Approximately 30 miles west of LA you'll find Malibu, a well-known beach town and home to Malibu Wine Hikes. On its 2.5-mile wine tour, you'll explore Saddlerock Ranch and its incomparable beauty, including the property's grape vines. Guides will tell you about the varietals the ranch grows and you'll get to taste the wine it produces. Visitors say they had a great time and are particularly wowed by the scenery.

Keep in mind this hike isn't accessible and strollers and wagons are not allowed. Tours depart Wednesday through Monday. Times can vary by day, but you can generally expect tours in the late morning and mid-afternoon. Malibu Wine Hikes also offers a popular tour in a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Sunset Ranch Hollywood – Mulholland Trail Tour

Price: From $75 Duration: 1 hour

Hop on a trusted steed and explore Griffith Park with Sunset Ranch. As you ride through the park, you'll see the Hollywood Sign, the Pacific and LA vistas. Tour-takers say that the guides are friendly and knowledgeable; the ride is a great option for beginners. They also rave about the views from the trail. While children are welcome, they must be at least 8 years old to ride; they company doesn't allow double riders.

You'll want to book your tour online in advance to secure a spot. Tours depart hourly from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you want a longer ride, consider the two-hour Mt. Hollywood Trail Tour.

Best Los Angeles Tours

Courtesy of Architecture Tours L.A.

Architecture Tours L.A. – Silver Lake

Price: From $80 Duration: 2-3 hours

Architecture buffs and design professionals should book ahead for this tour of the Silver Lake neighborhood. For up to three hours, you'll view midcentury modern and contemporary homes by master architects Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, John Lautner and other notables. Architectural historian and author Laura Massino Smith is your expert guide as she chauffeurs you through the neighborhood via van. Tour-takers appreciate Smith's insider access to homes designed by master architects that would otherwise be impossible to find or view up close.

Tours run daily around 10 a.m. and are given by reservation only. You can get tickets by contacting the company directly and you must have at least two people to book. Architecture Tours L.A. hosts a variety of other tours through Los Angeles neighborhoods, such as Hancock Park/Miracle Mile and West Hollywood/Beverly Hills.

Sidewalk Food Tours of Los Angeles – Downtown LA Food Tour

Price: Adults from $89; kids from $75 Duration: 3 hours

This vegetarian-friendly food tour of downtown Los Angeles appeals to travelers interested in the neighborhood's history and ethnically diverse culinary scene. You'll make six food stops that could include doughnuts, French pastry, Mexican tacos and Asian fusion. You'll also walk through Grand Central Market and see sights like the Biltmore Los Angeles, a luxury hotel, and the Million Dollar Theatre. Visitors rave about the knowledgeable guides and appreciate finding restaurants to return to, while locals enjoy learning about downtown and the city's hidden gem restaurants.

Expect to walk or stand the entire tour and bring a full water bottle. Tours run at 11 a.m. Friday through Monday. Many stops can accommodate gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free diets. Sidewalk Food Tours also offers a West Hollywood Food Tour and private food tours.

Surf City Tours – The Perfect Malibu Tour

Price: Adults from $85; kids from $70 Duration: 5.5 hours

See the homes of the rich and famous – with a side of spectacular ocean scenery – during this tour. Surf City Tours whisks you through Malibu to see the homes of celebrities like Lady Gaga and Cher as well as historic sites and filming locations. It also includes an hourlong stop so you can explore the beach on your own. Travelers say the tour is a must-do and appreciate the guides' enthusiasm and historical knowledge.

Tours depart at 9:30 a.m. daily. You must bring a car seat for all children 8 and younger. Tours depart from the company's location in Santa Monica. The company also runs a surfing trip and a Hollywood tour.

Universal Studios Studio Tour

Price: Included with park admission Duration: 1 hour

Movie fans will get a thrill out of Universal Studios' Studio Tour, a theme park attraction that moves tram riders around the studio backlot. Jimmy Fallon serves as your video tour guide who introduces short clips that serve to enhance the narration from your in-person guide. During the tram ride, you'll encounter the Jupiter's Claim set from "Nope," the shark from "Jaws" and other key props. Interactive experiences include watching a 3D King Kong battle a T. rex and racing alongside stars from "The Fast and the Furious" movie franchise. Both experiences are favorites of reviewers who especially enjoy the special effects. Some tour-takers feel that it is more of another theme park ride than a tour.

The backlot tours leave throughout the day. Tours are included with the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park ticket, which starts at $109 per person for one-day general admission. The park offers multiple shows and rides featuring famous animals, cartoon characters and blockbuster hits.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood

Price: Adults from $70; kids from $60 Duration: 3 hours

Spend time with friends, scientists and wizards during the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. For one hour of the experience, a guide will drive you around the backlots of the studio while they tell you about the company's history and how they produce films and shows. The remainder of the the tour is self-guided. Tour-takers can explore sets from "Friends" and "The Big Bang Theory," see numerous costumes and props (including items from the DC Universe and "Fantastic Beasts") and grab a bite to eat or a souvenir at the cafe and shop. Tourgoers rave about this tour, calling it an absolute must for movie fans.

Tours are available daily from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You must select a specific time slot when you book. You can upgrade your experience to a Plus or Deluxe tour, which include longer guided tours and meals.

You may also be interested in:

  • Best Things to Do in Los Angeles
  • Best Los Angeles Hotels
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  • Best California Tours
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How student housing around USC is transforming a historic Black and Latino neighborhood

Brightly colored red and white apartments surrounded by homes, with a city skyline in the distance

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Only a year ago the little gray and yellow house on 35th Place was nestled among similar early 20th century homes interspersed with a few postwar apartments.

Today it is flanked on one side by two four-story buildings and on the other by three buildings under construction.

Scenes like that are playing out on almost every block in the neighborhood west of the USC campus. A building boom is transforming a historic Black and Latino neighborhood into a village of modern student housing, unchecked by planning constraints that were enacted more than a decade ago specifically to hold off such a boom.

Similar development occurs over large portions of South Los Angeles where small firms have learned to max out the area’s underutilized multi-family zones that allow much more density than the single-family zones that are the bedrock of the city’s suburbs.

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But nowhere are the buildings as large, or the transformation occurring faster, than in the mile radius around USC. The drastic change is raising concerns that working-class families are being displaced — either lured by cash offers that aren’t enough to buy housing elsewhere or forced from affordable rentals — to be replaced by a well-to-do transitory population.

“I’m most concerned that new housing is being created for temporary residents at the expense of housing for permanent residents, multi-generational residents, people who are committed to the neighborhood,” said Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who is pushing for tighter planning restrictions he hopes will slow the pace.

But the neighborhood immediately west of USC, from Vermont Avenue to Western Avenue, may have crossed the tipping point where it is too late to slow the development.

Two people carrying bags cross a residential street.

“I feel like the horse has left the barn in some ways,” said Cynthia Strathmann, executive director of Strategic Actions for a Just Economy , a nonprofit that researches and promotes housing policies to benefit low-income Angelenos.

“It’s not surprising,” Strathmann said. “SAJE has been talking to USC about development around USC for the last 20 years, sort of knowing that this was coming based on some of the signs we’ve been seeing for a long time.”

The transformation is moving so swiftly that almost any random block has construction in progress on one or two lots, a recently completed building or two and a boarded-up house with a demolition notice posted on a construction fence.

SAJE has surveyed one block of 36th Place three times, in 1999, 2009 and last year, working with students of USC sociology professor Leland Saito .

“Even between 1999 and 2009 you were already seeing this massive displacement of community members,” Strathmann said. Last year’s survey found only one person living on the block who was not a student.

Saito, who lives in a small white house at the corner of 37th Drive and South Catalina Avenue, said he feels caught up in forces beyond his control, as both a victim of the gentrification around him — with his street being overrun by tall buildings—and a gentrifier himself. He bought his house in 2008 on the salary of a university professor.

LOS ANGELES-CA-, 2023: Pedro Villegas, 61, is photographed in his Los Angeles apartment on Vin Scully Avenue where he lives with his family, on April 19, 2023. The residents of two apartment complexes on Vin Scully Avenue have been offered cash for keys and have refused the offer. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

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A combination of an aging homeowner population and the growing number of university students searching for housing has attracted a handful of determined developers whose agents walk door-to-door soliciting homeowners to sell.

A Neighborhood Stabilization Ordinance adopted in 2008 was designed to preserve the low-density character of the working-class neighborhood in the shadow of L.A. County’s largest private employer.

But loopholes in the planning law have allowed developers to build up to four stories, in most cases by-right, meaning they require no planning review.

“It seems to me they have a room full of people trying to find loopholes in the city’s building permit process,” Harris-Dawson said.

What they found was a way around the limit on habitable rooms. If one is a combination kitchen/living room, the rest can be bedrooms. For students, four small ones will do.

A stroll down one block of 35th Place is like viewing a time lapse of a long-stable neighborhood caught in sudden flux.

After 46 years in his house near Normandie Avenue, Glen Flowers has sold it for $1.1 million and is planning to relocate to his native Belize.

A man in a T-shirt and baseball cap stands in front of an orange and white house.

The house next door, which recently sold, is boarded up and growing waist-high weeds in its front yard. A four-story apartment building towers over Flowers’ back yard.

He stays in touch with some former neighbors who sold out earlier.

“They’ve moved out to the valleys and stuff like that,” he said. “I think there’s only one, two, three, four, five permanents on this block anymore.”

One neighbor sold his home early in the gentrification process for $800,000 and regrets it , he said.

“You know, I talked to him lately. He was sorry, because the money he got for his house, he wasn’t able to buy another house. And he spent that money and he’s in trouble.”

For those remaining, noise, dust and road blockages are common complaints.

Renters, too, find the change unsettling.

Vanisa Vacarro, a renter, said the neighborhood is a predominantly Belizean community . She lives in her apartment with her two young children. She said she’s concerned about increased rent prices but doesn’t feel pressure from her landlord to leave the building.

A woman with two small children stands on a sidewalk.

Vacarro lives in a 1970s two-story apartment. Though she has not seen any indication the owner would sell, she still feels anxious about what would happen if she had to leave.

She recently was able to move into a two-bedroom unit, and she knows she would have to move her two children into a one-bedroom again if she is evicted.

Several homeowners interviewed by The Times were ambivalent on the issue of gentrification, weighing the loss of community against the increase in value and an intangible —their sense of security.

They said that security provided by USC has eliminated gangs, drug sales and other crimes that once plagued the neighborhood.

“We love what USC has done in terms of the development of community, things that were a little different 20, 30, 40 years ago,” said Donald Harrison, who lives in the back house on a lot across the street from Flowers.

“I’m sure it’s mixed emotions for a lot of people,” Harrison said. “For sure, we would all like to say, ‘Oh, the parking is bad.’ Yeah, that’s no different than it was 20 years ago. It was even worse, you know, with the gang violence and the drugs and all the other stuff that came along with it.”

Harrison said he may consider leaving one day, but not while his mother is still in the front house.

A man walks through a partially open driveway gate toward a house beyond.

“She’s 88 now, and we’re trying to let her live her glory days where she wants to live it, you know.”

Stephen Berkeley, a pool table repairman who lives behind his mother-in-law’s house in the middle of the block, also accepts the change as progress.

“I’m for progress, but then sometimes progress overshadows the memories of the neighborhood, you understand what I’m saying?” Berkeley said. “And we’re losing and somebody’s winning.”

Berkeley said his 99-year-old mother-in-law was born in the front house and plans to leave it to her grandchildren. He thinks they’ll sell, but he’s OK with that.

A man standing in front of a gated driveway points with one hand.

“I don’t want to stop anything,” he said.

Besides their disproportionate size, the new buildings rising in the neighborhood are set apart by their bright colors, splashy design features, sophisticated but small gardens and lots of bedrooms.

By stacking buildings two or three deep on a lot, each a duplex with up to three bedrooms, developers can place a dozen or more bedrooms where a modest wood-sided cottage once stood.

What distinguishes the new buildings most, in the eyes of critics, is that, despite the added density, they provide no replacement housing for the residents they displace.

Compared to the boxy, family-oriented duplexes rising in many parts of South Los Angeles, the developers here have created a housing model specifically aimed at students.

The small bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, are leased individually at rates ranging from the low $1,000s to more than $2,000 per bedroom.

They serve a market arising from the steady growth of USC’s enrollment, especially graduate students, coupled with the inability of the university to add more housing on its built-out campus.

The university provides housing for only a small fraction of its nearly 49,000 students. It guarantees housing for first- and second- year undergraduates in 7,200 beds in residence halls and leased off-campus apartments, including the 800-unit University Gateway Apartments on Figueroa Street. An additional 1,300 off-campus units are leased to graduate students and their families.

The private market has stepped into the gap. Over the years, many of the postwar apartment buildings scattered among the predominantly single-family homes west of the campus have entered the student market, advertising their availability with large banners bearing the cardinal and gold school colors.

In 2011, L.A. developer Geoffrey Palmer obtained city approval for Lorenzo, a 914-unit mixed-use development east of the 110 Freeway billed as an upscale student community.

Los Angeles, CA - December 11: University Park on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023 in

1. The home of Glen Flowers in the 1300 block of 35th Place which he recently sold to developers is dwarfed by multi-story student-oriented development that is transforming the bungalow neighborhood west of USC. 2. New multi story developments in the 1300 block of 35th Place is changing the neighborhood as developers are building multi-story student-oriented buildings transforming the bungalow neighborhood west of USC. (Al Seib/For The Times)

Since Lorenzo opened, demand has continued to rise as enrollment grew by nearly 11,000, about 70% of whom are graduate students.

The university has no affiliation with private developers but it has acknowledged its role in the off-campus housing by partnering with the website Off Campus Housing 101 where community rentals are listed.

Around 2018, developer interest that was focused on the area immediately west of campus accelerated into a buying spree spreading to Western Avenue.

A Times analysis of L.A. County Assessor records shows that 24 properties were purchased by limited liability corporations that year in the area bounded by Vermont and Western avenues and Jefferson and Exposition boulevards. Purchases by LLCs, a precursor to development, steadily increased in subsequent years, totaling 274 parcels through 2022.

Los Angeles city building records show that 135 permits to construct duplexes and 10 for apartments have been issued in 2018 or later, and 191 demolition permits have been issued, indicating that more is yet to come. Of the new construction permits, 72 are for three-story buildings and 36 for four-story buildings.

Stacks of lumber sit next to a building under construction.

The effect is a dramatic reshaping of the neighborhood.

The Rev. Matt Keadle of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church has seen his congregation get smaller and smaller throughout the years as permanent residents have moved out of the neighborhood.

Keadle said one worshiper had lived in the area for decades before selling her home. She was a director of the church’s preschool and even cooked hot meals for those in need. When she moved out, Keadle said, a big-box building of student apartments replaced her home.

“It was just so emblematic of the change that we’ve seen. Students contribute to the neighborhood in different ways,” he said, “but it’s different from [someone] who has been here for generations.”

Keadle said he, along with other community organizations, have tried to collaborate with private developers in the past. However, the talks have broken down.

“We just couldn’t come to an agreement that we felt like was going to benefit everyone,” Keadle said. “We’ve certainly tried and we will continue to do so.”

Oscar Rodriguez, who enjoys afternoons on the veranda of his Craftsman house surrounded by flowering bougainvillea and manicured vines, jokes that the forlorn gray and yellow house across the street reminds him of the movie “Up,” with a tiny home stuck between massive buildings.

The only longtime neighbor he was close to sold their home recently after 38 years. Maybe one day he’ll do the same, but he still says no to the constant offers.

“Well, I think that I’m kind of settled down here, and I have no need to try to get in another adventure,” he said.

A man with a younger man smiles and waves as he stands in a partially open gate.

The construction on Rodriguez’s block is by-right, meaning it is consistent with the R1.5 zoning. Developers need only go to City Hall to file for a building permit.

The 2008 Neighborhood Preservation Overlay — additional zoning rules imposed on a specific area — imposed additional design standards that are nominally intended to protect the neighborhood’s character. In practice, they don’t.

Records obtained from the city Planning Department show that designs submitted for review are approved without comment.

In a 2020 motion asking the Planning Department for ideas to better protect the neighborhood, Harris-Dawson lamented that “community members and other civic stakeholders are seeking to understand why, despite the implementation of land use controls, there continues to be a loss of affordable housing and an overconcentration of student housing near the University Park/Expo Park community.”

The overlay requires a public hearing and approval by a zoning administrator for any dwelling with five or more habitable rooms per unit. With three or four bedrooms and a common living area, the student model doesn’t reach that standard.

The Harris-Dawson motion would tighten the standard to four habitable rooms. It is currently under review by the city attorney.

The developers who are turning the neighborhood upside down generally keep a low profile. They usually form separate LLCs for each property, masking their identities. A Times analysis of company mailing addresses identified dozens of small operators and 10 firms that owned five or more properties in the neighborhood.

The largest, Tripalink, has projects either completed or in progress on 23 parcels in the 43-block area and owns another 20 parcels. The company runs a shuttle bus service through the neighborhood to take students to campus.

Formed in 2016 by USC graduate Donghao Li, Tripalink now boasts 10,000 units under management including luxury apartments in downtown L.A., Koreatown, Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle. The company’s website says it specializes in co-living apartments.

Harris-Dawson said his office receives complaints about noisy construction that starts early in the morning and blocks streets and sidewalks.

There are also complaints that developers, including Tripalink, have bought and demolished houses without obtaining city permits, thus avoiding review of rules that seek to preserve neighborhood character.

Li did not respond to multiple requests to speak with The Times.

Recently, an unexpected twist emerged when the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority leased a newly completed triplex west of Exposition Park to house 20 people being removed from street encampments through Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program.

It turns out that the student model of individual bedrooms with private bathrooms sharing common living areas is also a good match for formerly homeless people, said Kris Freed, whose consulting firm is working to sign up master leases for LAHSA.

People stand outside a three-story building.

Freed, who thinks the building boom may have oversaturated the student market, is negotiating with 12 developers of new buildings.

A potential windfall of badly needed housing for homeless people is viewed favorably by residents, neighborhood advocates and political leaders alike.

“That would be great if they started using it for homeless persons,” said Flowers, the homeowner who just sold out. “The population is growing by the day,”

But that wouldn’t solve the fundamental problem: displacement of longtime residents.

Frustrated by the ineffectiveness of past strategies, Harris-Dawson has introduced a new proposal that would require developers to notify tenants of their legal rights, deny future demolition permits to those found to have infringed tenant rights and give tenants a right to sue over violations of the zoning code.

A hearing before the council Planning and Land Use Management Committee has been postponed several times.

Regardless of the motion’s fate, Strathmann of SAJE thinks a broader approach is needed. Among other things, she said, displaced tenants should have an immediate right of return to housing somewhere else in the neighborhood, and builders should be required to create larger bedrooms.

“How about you replace it with the same size rooms, so families can live there,” she said.

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Los Angeles, CA - December 11: University Park on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023 in Los Angeles, CA. A group tours a new building at 1200 Leighton Ave that has been master-leased by LAHSA on behalf of LA City for Mayor Bass' Inside Safe program. Rapid multi-story student-oriented development is transforming the bungalow neighborhood west of USC. There is focus on two or three blocks between Exposition and Jefferson, Vermont and Western where three-to five-story buildings are recently completed or under construction in an area with long-term residents. The tour of a new building that has been master-leased by LAHSA is part of the gentrification of the neighborhood but also reflects the city's response to the shortage of affordable housing and the value-clash that is the underlying theme of the story. (Al Seib / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles Times senior writer Doug Smith scouts Los Angeles for the ragged edges where public policy meets real people, combining data analysis and gumshoe reporting to tell L.A. stories through his more than 50 years of experience covering the city.

best architecture tours los angeles

Angie Orellana Hernandez is a 2023-24 reporting fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She previously worked at The Times as an arts and entertainment intern. She graduated from USC, where she studied journalism and Spanish. Prior to joining The Times, she covered entertainment, as well as human interest, legal and crime stories at E! News. Her writing can also be found in USA Today, the Boston Globe, CNN and KCRA3.

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