LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes facts for kids
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Plaza House and Vickrey-Brunswig Building.
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| Established | April 2011 |
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| Location | 501 North Main Street |
| Public transit access | Union Station |
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, often called LA Plaza, is a special museum and cultural center in Los Angeles, California. It opened in April 2011. This museum focuses on the rich history and traditions of Mexican, Mexican American, and all Latino people in Los Angeles and Southern California.
LA Plaza has many interactive exhibits. For example, you can see a recreated Main Street from the 1920s. The museum offers exhibitions, educational programs, and fun public events for everyone.
You can find LA Plaza near Olvera Street in the historic El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic District. It is right next to La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles, also known as Plaza Church. The museum buildings, the Vickrey-Brunswig Building and the Plaza House, are from the 1880s. They are some of the oldest buildings in the city!
Los Angeles County owns LA Plaza. The county also owns other big museums like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. A special walkway at LA Plaza is used to show large outdoor sculptures.
Contents
Building LA Plaza: A Look Back
How LA Plaza Started
Gloria Molina, a County Supervisor, was a key person in making LA Plaza happen. She was one of the first to support the idea. Many people say she was the most important person in bringing the museum to life.
The center is built on about 2.2 acres of land. It cost $54 million to build. The design was created by Chu+Gooding Architects.
Restoring Old Buildings
The historic Plaza House and Vickrey-Brunswig Building were carefully restored. This work finished in December 2009. The LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Foundation then moved its offices into the Vickrey-Brunswig Building in October 2010.
Unexpected Discoveries
In October 2010, something surprising happened during digging for an outdoor garden. Workers found human remains from an old cemetery. About 118 bodies were removed. However, construction stopped in January 2011. This was because people were concerned that the remains might be from Native American ancestors. There were also worries about how the remains were being handled. The remains were later taken to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.
Walls Against Walls Artwork
LA Plaza is home to a unique public artwork called "Walls Against Walls." It is a piece of the actual Berlin Wall. This artwork includes a letter to President Donald Trump. The letter shares a message about how walls always come down. This special piece has traveled across the country since 2019.
LA Plaza Today: What's Happening
Supporting the Museum
A large building project helps support LA Plaza. This project includes 341 apartments, shops, and community spaces. It provides money for the nonprofit group that runs LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. This plan was approved in 2014.
The project also created a new walking path. This path faces Spring Street and makes it easy to get to the LA Plaza Paseo. The Paseo connects the museum area to Union Station. This makes it easier for people to visit LA Plaza and other nearby places like Fort Moore and Grand Park. This project is part of the exciting changes happening in downtown Los Angeles.
