Exposition Park (urban park) facts for kids
Exposition Park is a big, exciting park in Los Angeles, California. It covers about 160 acres, which is like 120 football fields! You can find it in the southern part of the city. The park is surrounded by Exposition Boulevard, Figueroa Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and Vermont Avenue. It's also right next to the University of Southern California.
This park started way back in 1872 as a place for farmers to show off their crops. Today, it's famous for its amazing museums and sports stadiums. You can visit places like the California Science Center, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and the California African American Museum. It also has the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and BMO Stadium.
Exposition Park is a public space for everyone to enjoy. It has even been an "Olympic Park" twice before, hosting events for the Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984. It will host Olympic events again in 2028!
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What Can You See at Exposition Park?
Exposition Park is packed with cool places to explore:
Sports and Fun Activities
- The LA84 Foundation/John C. Argue Swim Stadium is a great place for swimming.
- BMO Stadium is where the Los Angeles FC and Angel City FC soccer teams play.
- The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is home to the USC Trojans football team. It's a huge stadium with a lot of history!
- The EXPO Center has the swim stadium and the Soboroff Sports Field for soccer.
Amazing Museums and Learning Centers
- The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is currently being built. It will be a new museum for art and storytelling.
- The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has incredible exhibits about animals, dinosaurs, and nature.
- The California Science Center is a fantastic place to learn about science. It has an IMAX Theater for giant movies.
- The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is part of the Science Center. It's where you can see the actual Space Shuttle Endeavour! This part is also being updated.
- The California African American Museum celebrates the history and culture of African Americans.
- The Science Center School and Amgen Center for Science Learning are places where kids can learn even more about science.
Gardens and Special Spots
- The Exposition Park Rose Garden is a beautiful place with many different kinds of roses.
- The Wallis Annenberg Building used to be an armory, a place where military equipment was stored.
- You can find concrete hand and footprints from actors like Ed Begley Jr. and others who played doctors on TV shows. It's like a Hollywood Walk of Fame for medical dramas!
The museums and cultural spots in the park are managed by both the state of California and Los Angeles County.
Past Attractions
- The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was another big stadium in the park, but it is no longer there.
A Look Back at Exposition Park's History
This 160-acre area was first used as a fairground for farmers from 1872 to 1910. It was even called "Agricultural Park" back then. In 1880, some important people, including a former California Governor, helped the state buy the land. They wanted to help farming grow in Southern California. Farmers would sell their crops here. There was even a racetrack where horses, dogs, and camels raced! This racetrack was where the beautiful rose garden is now.
Around 1909, a group of people decided to make the park even better. They removed the racetrack and added gardens and museums. This helped turn it into the amazing cultural and sports center we know today.
Exposition Park has a long history with the Olympic Games. It hosted events for the Olympics in 1932 and 1984. It will be an important location again for the 2028 Summer Olympics. The Coliseum will host track and field events and the main closing ceremony. The BMO Stadium will be one of the places for soccer games.
Getting to Exposition Park by Public Transport
It's easy to get to Exposition Park without a car!
- The Metro E Line light rail train runs along the north side of the park. You can get off at the Expo Park/USC station.
- The Metro J Line bus also serves the park. Its 37th Street/USC Station is on the 1-110 freeway.
More to Explore
- California State and Consumer Services Agency
- List of parks in Los Angeles
See also
In Spanish: Exposition Park (Los Ángeles) para niños
