Grand Park Facts for Kids

For the park in Chicago, see Grant Park (Chicago). For the sports complex in Indiana, see Grand Park (Indiana). For the park in Seoul, South Korea, see Seoul Grand Park.

Quick facts for kids Grand Park

Type	Urban park
Location	Civic Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Area	12 acres (4.9 ha)
Created	2012
Designer	RIOS
Operated by	Los Angeles Music Center
Status	Open all year
Public transit access

Gloria Molina Grand Park, often called Grand Park, is a 12-acre (4.9 ha) park in the civic center of Los Angeles, California. It was first built in 1966 as the 'Civic Center Mall'. Later, it became part of a bigger plan called the Grand Avenue Project. The first part of the park opened in July 2012.

Both the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County worked together to create Grand Park. A design company called Rios Clementi Hale Studios designed the park. The nearby Los Angeles Music Center helps manage the park. They handle events, security, and keeping the park clean.

Grand Park stretches between the Los Angeles City Hall and the Los Angeles Music Center. It's a great place for walking and connects the Bunker Hill area to the city's main government buildings. The park has shady sidewalks, plants that don't need much water, a fun fountain, and open spaces for shows and events. There are also many street lights, movable benches, and small shops. These features make it easy and fun to explore the area. Some people compare Grand Park to famous city parks like New York's Central Park or San Francisco's Union Square.

The Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain and Los Angeles City Hall

Park History: How Grand Park Came to Be
Who Manages Grand Park?
Fun Things to Do at Grand Park
Getting to Grand Park
Major Events at Grand Park
Memorials and Statues
Images for kids
See also

Park History: How Grand Park Came to Be

Grand Park was first suggested as a park in 1907. However, it wasn't until 1957 that the city and county decided to gather their government buildings in one central spot. The park, then called "Civic Center Mall," was finished in 1966.

Grand Park features bright pink seating and mature trees.

Work to redesign Grand Park started in 2010. This project cost $56 million. Most of the money came from a company that was also developing the nearby Grand Avenue Project. In 2019, construction began on a new mixed-use building designed by Frank Gehry as part of the park's later phase.

On March 21, 2023, the park was renamed Gloria Molina Grand Park. This was done to honor supervisor Gloria Molina for her important work in redeveloping the park. The renaming was approved by local leaders.

Who Manages Grand Park?

The Los Angeles Music Center is in charge of running Grand Park. They manage the park's daily operations, including security and maintenance. The Music Center also earns money from shops and events held in the park. Security is handled by the Music Center's team, with help from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Fun Things to Do at Grand Park

Because Los Angeles has sunny weather, Grand Park hosts many events all year. In 2012, money was set aside for the park's first year of operations. This money covered security, maintenance, and about $100,000 for events. The Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County organizes these events. This center also manages other famous venues like the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The park's first event featured Bandaloop, a group of aerial dancers. They performed against the backdrop of Los Angeles City Hall. In its first six months, Grand Park held about 40 events. Some were for large crowds, while others aimed to attract people just passing by.

The Community Terrace area has a big picnic table and a lawn. This space is great for gatherings. You can also watch visuals projected onto the nearby Hall of Records wall. The open lawn areas are perfect for big public events. These include New Year's Eve parties and other festivals.

Getting to Grand Park

It's easy to get to Grand Park using public transportation. You can take the Los Angeles Metro B and D lines to the Civic Center/Grand Park station. The park is also close to stops for the J Line and several Metro bus routes. These stops are located on 1st Street and Hill Street in the civic center.

Major Events at Grand Park

Grand Park is home to Los Angeles' main New Year's Eve celebration. This free event, called "N.Y.E.L.A." (New Year's Eve Los Angeles), first took place from December 31, 2013, to January 1, 2014. The first celebration included food trucks, art, light shows, and music stages. About 25,000 people attended.

Every year since, at 11:55 p.m., a light projection show lights up the side of Los Angeles City Hall. This show displays amazing visual art before counting down to midnight. The LA Music Center helps create this art. The event has grown a lot, with fireworks added in 2015-16. By the sixth annual event (2018–19), over 50,000 guests came to Grand Park's N.Y.E.L.A. celebration.

In August 2014, a big music festival called the Made in America Festival was held in Grand Park. Famous artists like Imagine Dragons, John Mayer, and Kanye West performed there.

An Armenian genocide memorial was opened in September 2016.

The music video for "Play That Song" by the band Train was partly filmed in front of the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain. Also, parts of the movies Pretty Woman and 500 Days of Summer were filmed here.

On September 22, 2019, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a rally at the park. About 10,000 Armenian Americans attended.

Since July 4, 2023, Grand Park has hosted amazing drone shows for its 4th of July Block Party. This is because fireworks are restricted in Downtown Los Angeles. Grizzly Drones is the company that performs these shows.

Grand Park will also be a special place during the 2028 Summer Olympics. It will be a venue for the marathon, race walk, and road cycling events.