Downtown
Los Angeles - California
Angels Flight
Description: Angels Flight is a historic cable car formerly located at Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles. When it opened in 1901, it was 328ft long, making it one of the shortest cable cars in the world. Due to remodeling work at Bunker Hill, the ride was dismantled and put into storage in 1969. In 1996 it was rebuilt at its present location. Over the years, the railroad has been shut down and maintained from time to time. After a fatal accident in 2001, when a cable broke and the two cars collided, the railroad faced extinction.
After extensive renovation work, it has been in operation again since 2010. So for one dollar/person, you can still ride this extraordinary, historic train today.
Our rating: The train is not something you would expect to see in a modern city. It looks a bit like an orange foreign body between the shiny facades of the skyscrapers. But it is precisely this contrast that makes it interesting. In any case, we enjoyed the ride, even if the 299ft are overcome quite quickly. If you're in the area, it's worth taking a look at the pretty train.
Entrance fees and opening hours
- 1$/person/ride
- Daily from 6:45 am to 10 pm.
Everything you need to know about a visit to the train can be found on the official webpage.
For the GPS: 350 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Bradbury Building
Description: The Bradbury Building was built in 1893 by architect George Wyman. It was commissioned by millionaire Lewis Bradbury. It is one of the oldest buildings in Downtown Los Angeles and has been a National Historic Landmark since 1977. It has always served as an office building. Because of its unusual architecture, especially inside, it has also very often served as a setting for various Hollywood movies.
For the GPS: 304 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Our rating: Already from the outside you can guess that the building could be something extraordinary. From the inside, it reminded us a little of the French Quater in New Orleans. As a tourist, you are only allowed to stay on the first floor of the building, but even from there you have a very nice view of the beautiful staircases and elevators. If you are in the vicinity, you can risk a look. We think it's worth investing the 30 minutes.
The Broad
Description: The Broad Museum in the heart of downtown Los Angeles houses the art collection of entrepreneurs El and Edythe Broad. The museum was specially commissioned by the couple for the artwork they collect and features mainly contemporary art from 1950 to the present. The collection consists of over 2000 works by more than 200 artists.
The museum is free of charge and shows constantly changing exhibitions. It is possible to reserve tickets online to avoid long waiting times. The reserved tickets are bound to certain times. Once you are in the museum, you can stay as long as you want.
Entrance fees and opening hours
- Free of charge
- Daily from 10 am to 6 pm.
Tickets for the museum can be purchased at the offiziellen Homepage des Museums .
For the GPS: 221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Our rating: Wir haben das Broad unter der Woche Ende August 2019 besucht. Die Karten hatten wir im Vorfeld online auf der Homepage des Museums reserviert. Das Museum ist sehr beliebt und deswegen meistens auch sehr gut besucht. Als Fans von zeitgenössischer Kunst hat uns das Museum sehr sehr gut gefallen.
City Hall
Description: City Hall is the seat of the city government. It was built from 1926-1928 and is 453ft high. After the reconstruction it is the tallest building in the world with seismic isolation, for Los Angeles this is not completely unimportant.
For tourists, the Observation Deck is particularly interesting, offering a great view of Los Angeles. The observation deck is open from Monday to Friday during office hours.
For the GPS: 200 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Our rating: For us, this was one of the highlights of our stroll through downtown Los Angeles. You get a very impressive overview of this huge city from above.
Grand Central Market
Description: The Grand Central Market is located on the first floor of the Hamer Laughlin Building. It is the oldest and largest market in the city. You will find numerous market stalls with fresh fruits and all kinds of other goodies. The ideal place to buy fresh food or for a lunch stop.
For the GPS: 317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Our rating: A nice stop when you're exploring downtown. From a culinary point of view, everyone is sure to find something for a short lunch break here. Since the hall is open, there is no way to really air condition it. Therefore, it was very warm and humid during our visit in late August 2019. Still, it was very interesting to walk through the aisles and look at the different offerings. The currywurst wasn't too bad either.
Grand Park
Description: Grand Park is a 30acre green oasis in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles.
Our rating: On a very warm day in Los Angeles, the park kept offering little ways to cool off and relax. Many trees offer shade and an interactive fountain invites you to cool off a bit. With a coffee you can sit comfortably in the shade and watch the hustle and bustle around you.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Description: Designed and built in 2003 by Frank Gehry, the modern building with a stainless steel facade is a concert hall. Because of its excellent acoustics, it is one of the most important in the whole world. The architecture is supposed to represent a sailing ship with blown sails and is quite noticeable in the streetscape. The visit is free of charge. You get a map in the lobby to orient yourself. If you have longer time, you can also learn more about the hall with an audio guide.
For the GPS: 111 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Our rating: The beautiful, appealing architecture offers nice photo motifs and we enjoyed strolling through this famous concert hall, where many well-known artists have performed. We can definitely recommend a visit.
