Los Angeles Beginnings Tour
About this activity
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Experience Highlights
Tour Los Angeles and learn the history of how it grew from a small, lost town to the big city it is today. For around 2 hours, you'll pass by some of the city's oldest landmarks, such as its first church or its first railway station, and learn about the beginnings of Los Angeles.
Accompanied by an expert guide, you'll pass by iconic landmarks such as Grand Park, the Walt Disney Concert Hall and The Broad, and learn about the history and importance of these sites in Los Angeles and how they have helped the city grow. With its myriad of stops and many interesting facts, this is an ideal activity for history buffs and the curious .
- Tour some of the oldest and most iconic sites in Los Angeles.
- Learn about the history of the city accompanied by an expert guide.
- Discover how Los Angeles grew from a small town to an iconic international city
What’s included
- Los Angeles tour of the city's beginnings
- Expert local guide
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Step by Step
On this tour you will have the opportunity, for about 2 hours, to take a tour of the most iconic buildings and places in Los Angeles. Accompanied by an expert guide , you'll learn how a small town in the American West gave way to Hollywood and became one of the largest and best known cities in the United States.
You'll see Union Station, which, built in 1939, is known as "America's last great railway station". Famous films such as Pearl Harbor, Blade Runner and Star Trek VIII have been filmed here.
You will walk along Olvera Street, considered the birthplace of the city, as it is the site of the city's oldest church. Olvera Street is the oldest square in the city. In 1820, when Los Angeles still belonged to Mexico, it was the city's main square.
In the plaza itself you'll see Our Lady Queen of Angels, the church that gives the city its name and the first church built in the city. You will also visit The Hall of Justice, the oldest government building in the city. This imposing white building was the seat of justice in Los Angeles from 1925 until 1994, when an earthquake rendered it unusable. In 2015, it was finally rebuilt.
You'll pass the Cathedral of Our Lady of Los Angeles (not to be confused with the aforementioned church) and see one of the largest Catholic churches in the world. It was built in 2002, by Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, and is the main seat of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
You will pass by Grand Park, one of the most iconic parks in Los Angeles, and stop in front of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. You'll marvel at the beautiful architectural style of this building, built by Frank Gehry, who was also the architect of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao .
Other important stops include The Broad, the city's contemporary art museum, known for its unique architectural style, and the Colburn School, Los Angeles' premier music school.
At Angels Flight Railway, you'll stop in front of the world's shortest railway. It was built in 1901 and is only 91 metres long, and when it was first installed it connected Hill Street and Olive Street, although it was later relocated to connect Hill Street to California Plaza. Once the activity is over, you will have the opportunity to hop on and see Los Angeles from above, although the fare is not included in this activity.
