Downtown LA's History & Architecture: Private Walking Tour

What your day looks like

In a city blessed with blissful light, innovation and bold visual design statements, Los Angeles is full of architectural gems that only make sense in the context of the history around which they were built. Discover an ever-evolving urban centre with a unique blend of Art Deco and Beaux-Arts architectural landmarks, modern skyscrapers, and historic landmarks. From bold esoteric newcomers like the monumental Broad Museum to landmark favourites such as Bradbury Building built in 1893, Los Angeles is a city rich in iconic architecture - it’s rare to see two buildings alike. You will discover sharp, crisp right angles of modernist architecture, the dazzling exoticism of soaring spires and fairytale towers, and grand palatial estates. Backdropped by year-round blue skies and golden sunshine, LA’s structures are showcased to perfection in the city’s famous sublime light. This tour will dazzle with the porous alabaster-white shell facade of the Broad Museum, the glinting curves of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the city’s downtown cultural centrepiece, and the old Mexican influences of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument and its tree-shaded plazas. Pass lush sculptural landscapes on our way to be wowed by the geometric light-filled design of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, José Rafael Moneo’s Pritzker-prize-winning structure. This compelling tour - popular with visitors and Angelinos alike - provides the fascinating backstory to the growth of this great city, from its humble origins to the present day, as told through its striking, unique architecture. Attractions along this route: - Union Station, Downtown LA: Built-in 1939 - before cars and planes became the travel MO of Americans - Union Station in downtown was built to consolidate the stations of three different major rail lines. - Olvera Street: The street was created in the 1930s to preserve Mexico's heritage in the city, and it continues to serve this purpose nearly a century later. - Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels: Built-in under three years from 1999-2002, this modern Cathedral has virtually no right angles and is one of the city's architectural masterpieces. - The Bradbury Building: This landmark is known for its architectural beauty and starring role in Film Noir classic, 'Blade Runner'. - Walt Disney Concert Hall: Beautiful architecture in downtown Los Angeles.