The History and Architecture of Downtown LA

Fri, 11 Jul, 2025 at 10:00 am to Tue, 28 Jul, 2026 at 01:00 pm UTC-07:00

341 S Hill St | Los Angeles

See LA in a Day
Publisher/HostSee LA in a Day
The History and Architecture of Downtown LA
Advertisement
Explore the historic heart LA while seeing modern marvels like the Walt Disney Concert Hall and sampling mochi in Little Tokyo.
About this Event
Event Photos

Welcome to Downtown LA (or DTLA as the locals say)! This 3hr walking tour is the best way to explore the most historic part of Los Angeles. An expert guide will take you on a journey through the city's iconic landmarks, while sharing fascinating stories about the area's past. Join us for an unforgettable adventure!


If you want to truly understand LA, you have to visit downtown. Downtown is the birthplace of Los Angeles; where LA began with just 44 people and eventually grew into the city we see today. The history of LA and downtown are inseparable. On this tour, you will experience several different parts of DTLA.

We begin the tour with a ride on historic Angels Flight - the shortest little train ride in the world! This will take us up to Bunker Hill. Once a haven for Victorian mansions, Bunker Hill is now home to modern architectural marvels like the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Broad Museum.

Once we have seen Bunker Hill, we will see the Civic Center. This is the political engine of LA. City Hall, celebrity courthouses, and the LAPD all have a presence in this part of downtown. We will discuss the architectural history of City Hall, its film credits, and how City Hall played an important part in shaping the look of Los Angeles.

From there, you'll head to Little Tokyo. Full of shops and restaurants, Little Tokyo is one of the coolest parts of LA. The history of this community is one of resilience, having survived many redevopments and WW2. This is where we will sample mochi from a 100+ year old family owned business!

Finally, we will see a bit of the historic core. Architecture fans will love the variety of Beaux Art, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco buildings that we still have in this area. Some of the best parts of the tour are saved for the last section, like the Bradbury Building and The Last Bookstore. To end, the tour walks though Grand Central Market, pointing out some of the best stalls and making sure you get an excellent lunch when the tour concludes.


Fans of architecture, city planning, history, TV, film, Bosch, Perry Mason, mochi, art deco, Raymond Chandler, Blade Runner, and more will all get something out of this amazing tour in Downtown LA. Come explore with us!



Event Photos

Information


*** We meet at the BOTTOM of Angels Flight at 341 S. Spring St. ***


This is a 3hr walking tour.


You will receive more detailed information in an automated email when you book.


Event Photos
Event Photos
Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

341 S Hill St, 341 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, United States

Tickets

USD 54.13

Icon
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Ask AI if this event suits you:

More Events in Los Angeles

Professional Indian\/ South Asian Singles!
Mon, 02 Feb at 08:30 pm Professional Indian/ South Asian Singles!

Death & Co Los Angeles

SPACESLUG \/ SALEM'S BEND \/ CATTLEMASS - Los Angeles, CA | 2.2.2026
Mon, 02 Feb at 09:00 pm SPACESLUG / SALEM'S BEND / CATTLEMASS - Los Angeles, CA | 2.2.2026

Redwood Bar & Grill

Nice Shirt Dumbass
Mon, 02 Feb at 09:00 pm Nice Shirt Dumbass

Fourth Wall Cafe

Los Angeles Coliseum Historic Tours
Tue, 03 Feb at 12:00 am Los Angeles Coliseum Historic Tours

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Jade
Tue, 03 Feb at 03:00 am Jade

The Wiltern

Jade
Tue, 03 Feb at 03:00 am Jade

Hollywood Palladium

Data + Donuts with Sabrina Davis and Cody Kraatz
Tue, 03 Feb at 08:00 am Data + Donuts with Sabrina Davis and Cody Kraatz

LACI/La Kretz

Weekly Circle of Influence \u2013 Business Referral Meeting
Tue, 03 Feb at 08:30 am Weekly Circle of Influence – Business Referral Meeting

Pillars Café

Free Digital Skills Training Session at View Park Library
Tue, 03 Feb at 10:00 am Free Digital Skills Training Session at View Park Library

View Park Bebe Moore Campbell Library

Get to Know the myPlace Health PACE Program, Onsite!
Tue, 03 Feb at 01:00 pm Get to Know the myPlace Health PACE Program, Onsite!

121 S Mountain View Ave

Los Angeles is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore Los Angeles Events