National Register of Historic Places listings in Los Angeles facts for kids

Location of Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California

This page is a list of amazing places in Los Angeles, California, that are special enough to be on the National Register of Historic Places. Think of it like a Hall of Fame for buildings, parks, and other cool spots that have played an important part in history!

These places are chosen because they tell a story about the past. They might be very old, or they might be linked to important events or people. There are over 500 historic places in Los Angeles County, and 237 of them are right here in the city of Los Angeles. Some are even called National Historic Landmarks, which means they are super important to the whole country!

The very first place in Los Angeles to be added to this list was the Rómulo Pico Adobe in Mission Hills, way back in 1966. Many of the oldest spots are found in the Los Angeles Plaza Historic District in Downtown Los Angeles. These include the old Nuestra Señora La Reina de Los Angeles Church (built in 1822), the Avila Adobe (Los Angeles' oldest home from 1818), and the famous Olvera Street.

Most of the places on the list are buildings like offices or homes. But there are also some unique entries! For example, two ships are listed, and twenty-one are current or former branches of the Los Angeles Public Library. You'll also find seven churches or temples, and at least five sites connected to trains. Plus, there are four hotels, five theaters (not counting the huge Broadway Theater District!), four U.S. post offices, and four fire stations.

For a place to be added to the National Register, it usually needs to be at least 50 years old and still look mostly like it did in the past. Also, its owner needs to agree to the listing. Because of these rules, some other historically important places in the city aren't on the list. Even though Los Angeles is famous for movies, only a few sites related to the film industry are listed, like an old Warner Bros. office building. No actual film studios are on the list! The city also has a big aviation history, but only two sites, Hangar One and Portal of the Folded Wings, are connected to it.

These historic places are spread all over Los Angeles, from San Pedro in the south to Chatsworth in the north, and from Pacific Palisades in the west to Highland Park in the east. Downtown Los Angeles has 38 listed sites, Hollywood has 27, West Adams has 16, and San Pedro has 13. It shows just how big and spread out Los Angeles is! For example, the northernmost site in Chatsworth, the Old Santa Susana Stage Road, is more than 55 miles (88 km) from the southernmost site in San Pedro, the Point Fermin Light.

Cool Historic Places in Los Angeles
Former Listings
Images for kids

Cool Historic Places in Los Angeles

There are many amazing places on the National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles. Here are some examples of the types of places you can find:

Historic Districts: Neighborhoods with a Story

Historic districts are like entire neighborhoods or areas that are special because of their history and how they look.

The 27th Street Historic District and 52nd Place Historic District in South Los Angeles are known for their beautiful American Craftsman style homes. These areas are important for understanding the history of African Americans in Los Angeles.
The Alvarado Terrace Historic District in Pico-Union has grand mansions built between 1902 and 1907. They look out over a park and are very well-preserved.
The Broadway Theater and Commercial District in Downtown Los Angeles is super famous! It was the first and largest historic theater district to be added to the National Register. It has 12 old movie palaces in just six blocks – that's the biggest collection of movie palaces in the United States!
The Venice Canal Historic District in Venice is known for its man-made canals. It was built in 1905 by a developer named Abbott Kinney, who wanted to create a "Venice in America."

Famous Buildings and Landmarks

Many individual buildings are listed because of their unique architecture or the important events that happened there.

The Shrine Auditorium in University Park is a huge place where many big events have been held.
The Bradbury Building in Downtown Los Angeles is an architectural masterpiece built in 1893. It's famous for its amazing inner courtyard with open cage elevators and intricate ironwork.
The Bullock's Wilshire Building in Mid-City was once a fancy department store. Completed in 1929, it's a great example of Art Deco style, known for its tall tower.
The Crossroads of the World in Hollywood was called America's first modern shopping mall when it was built. Now it has offices and has been used in many movies!
The Ebell of Los Angeles in Mid-City is a women's club built in 1927. It has a theater where famous singer Judy Garland was discovered, and where pilot Amelia Earhart gave her last public speech.
The Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood is a well-known music venue that opened in 1940. Many famous bands and artists have played there over the years.
The Los Angeles Central Library in Downtown Los Angeles was built in 1926. It's the third-largest public library in the U.S. and was designed to look like ancient Egyptian buildings.
The Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (Union Station) in Downtown Los Angeles opened in 1939. It's a beautiful building that mixes different styles and has been a backdrop for many movies.
The Watts Towers of Simon Rodia in Watts are truly unique! They are 17 tall, connected sculptures built by an Italian immigrant worker named Simon Rodia in his free time from 1921 to 1954. He used everyday objects he found to create them.

Homes of Important People

Some houses are listed because famous or important people lived there.

The Ralph J. Bunche House in South Los Angeles was the childhood home of Ralph Bunche, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950. He was the first African American to receive this award.
The Eames House in Pacific Palisades was built in 1949 by the famous husband-and-wife design team, Charles and Ray Eames. It's also known as Case Study House No. 8.
The Will Rogers House in Pacific Palisades was the large ranch home of famous entertainer Will Rogers. It became a State Park in 1944.

Places of Worship and Community

Churches and other community buildings also hold important history.

The Angelus Temple in Echo Park is a large church that could seat 5,300 people. It was used by the famous evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson in the 1920s and 1930s.
The Congregation B'nai B'rith (now Wilshire Boulevard Temple) in Mid-City is the oldest Jewish synagogue in Los Angeles. Its Byzantine dome has been a landmark since 1929.
The Second Baptist Church in South Los Angeles was the biggest gathering place for African Americans in the western United States before World War II. Important leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X spoke there.

Transportation and Industry

Los Angeles's growth is also reflected in its historic transportation and industrial sites.

Angels Flight Railway in Downtown Los Angeles is a landmark funicular railway (a type of cable car) that goes up and down a steep hill.
The SS Catalina was a steamship that carried 25 million people to Santa Catalina Island between 1924 and 1975.
The SS Lane Victory in San Pedro is a World War II cargo ship that has been preserved as a museum. You can visit it!
The Watts Station in Watts was a train station built in 1904. It's famous for being the only building not damaged along "Charcoal Alley" during the Watts Riots in the 1960s.

Former Listings

Sometimes, places are removed from the National Register of Historic Places. This usually happens if they are destroyed or changed so much that they no longer look like they did historically.

The Mission San Fernando Rey de España was originally listed in 1971, but it was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1971 and had to be completely rebuilt. Because it was rebuilt and not original, it was removed from the list. (However, a different part of the mission, the Convento building, was listed later because it was still original).
The Pan-Pacific Auditorium in Fairfax was a famous building that was removed from the list after it was destroyed by a fire in 1989.

Images for kids

Crouch Memorial Church in the 27th Street Historic District.
A home in the 52nd Place Historic District.
The grand Shrine Auditorium.
A historic home in the Alvarado Terrace Historic District.
The Andalusia apartment building in Hollywood.
Angels Flight, a funicular railway in Downtown Los Angeles.
The Angeles Mesa Branch Library.
Angelus Temple, a large church in Echo Park.
A sign welcoming visitors to the historic Arroyo Seco Parkway.
The restored Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Steam Locomotive No. 3751.
The Avenel Cooperative Housing Project.
The office building at Baldwin Hills Village.
The Banning House in Wilmington.
Hollyhock House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Battery Osgood-Farley at Fort MacArthur.
The Susana Machado Bernard House and Barn.
The Board of Trade Building in Downtown Los Angeles.
Bolton Hall in Tujunga.
The Boyle Hotel – Cummings Block.
The famous interior of the Bradbury Building.
The Bradbury House in Pacific Palisades.
The Bricker Building in East Hollywood.
The Eugene W. Britt House in West Adams.
A view of the Broadway Theater and Commercial District.
The Brockman Building in Downtown Los Angeles.
The Bryson Apartment Hotel on Wilshire Blvd.
The building at 816 South Grand Avenue.
The Bullock's Wilshire Building.
The Ralph J. Bunche House.
A bungalow court at 1516 N. Serrano Avenue.
A bungalow court at 1544 N. Serrano Avenue.
A bungalow court at 1554 N. Serrano Avenue.
A bungalow court at 1721 N. Kingsley Drive.
The Cahuenga Branch Library.
The California Club.
A detail of Campo de Cahuenga.
A Victorian house on Carroll Avenue.
Casa de Rosas.
Case Study House No. 1.
Case Study House No. 21.
Case Study House No. 22.
The steamship S.S. Catalina.
The Catholic-Protestant Chapels at the VA Center.
The Centinela Adobe.
Chateau Colline.
The Mary Andrews Clark Memorial Home.
The Wilshire Boulevard Temple.
The Breed Street Shul.
Crossroads of the World.
The Richard Henry Dana Branch Library.
The Felipe De Neve Branch Library.
Drum Barracks in Wilmington.
The former Eagle Rock Branch Library.
The entrance to the Eames House.
The Ebell of Los Angeles building.
El Cabrillo apartment building.
The El Greco Apartments.
Engine Co. No. 27, now a museum.
Engine Company No. 28.
Engine House No. 18.
The Ennis House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
The Executive Office Building, Old Warner Brothers Studio.
The beautiful Exposition Park Rose Garden.
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Los Angeles Branch.
Fire Station No. 14.
Fire Station No. 23.
Fire Station No. 30, now a museum.
The Samuel Freeman House.
The John C. Fremont Branch Library.
The Friday Morning Club building.
The Garbutt House.
The Garment Capitol Building.
The Garfield Building.
The General Petroleum Building.
The Gerry Building.
Glassell Park Elementary School.
The Golden Gate Theater.
The Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building.
Granada Shoppes and Studios.
The Guaranty Building in Hollywood.
The Edward Alexander Kelley Hackett House.
The Hale House at Heritage Square.
The Halifax Apartments.
Hangar One.
The Willis Harpel House.
The Heinsbergen Decorating Company Building.
The Highland Park Masonic Temple.
The Highland Park Police Station, now a museum.
Highland-Camrose Bungalow Village.
Hollywood Boulevard.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Hollywood High School.
The Hollywood Masonic Temple.
The Hollywood Melrose Hotel.
The Hollywood Palladium.
The Hollywood Studio Club.
The Hollywood Western Building.
The Holmes-Shannon House.
The Hotel Chancellor.
The Hotel Rosslyn Annex.
The Washington Irving Branch Library.
The former Helen Hunt Jackson Branch Library.
The Jardinette Apartments.
The Jefferson Branch Library.
Judson Studios.
The Kerckoff Building.
La Belle Tour, also known as Hollywood Tower.
The Lane Victory ship.
The Lasky-DeMille Barn.
The Lincoln Heights Branch Library.
Lincoln Place Apartments.
The Lincoln Theater.
Little Tokyo Historic District.
Los Altos Apartments.
The Los Angeles Central Library.
The Los Angeles Harbor Light Station.
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The Los Angeles Nurses' Club.
The Los Angeles Pacific Company Ivy Park Substation.
A building in the Los Angeles Plaza Historic District.
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (Union Station).
The Lovell House.
The Lummis House.
The Machell-Seaman House.
The Malabar Branch Library.
McCarty Memorial Christian Church.
The Memorial Branch Library.
A house in the Menlo Avenue-West Twenty-ninth Street Historic District.
The Miller and Herriott House.
The Million Dollar Theater.
The Convento Building at Mission San Fernando Rey.
The Moneta Branch Library.
The Montecito Apartments.
The Frederick Mitchell Mooers House.
The Mount Pleasant House.
The John Muir Branch Library.
Municipal Warehouse No. 1.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
The Neutra Office Building.
The Richard and Dion Neutra VDL Research House II.
The North Hollywood Branch Library.
A house in the North University Park Historic District.
The Old Santa Susana Stage Road.
The James Oviatt Building.
The Pacific Electric Building.
The Minnie Hill Palmer House.
The Pellissier Building (Wiltern Theatre).
The Petitfils-Boos House.
The Romulo Pico Adobe.
The Pisgah Home Historic District.
The Plaza Substation.
The Point Fermin Lighthouse.
The Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation.
The Prince Hall Masonic Temple.
The fireboat Ralph J. Scott.
The Ralphs Grocery Store in Westwood.
The Ramsay-Durfee Estate.
Rancho El Encino.
The Frederick Hastings Rindge House.
The Will Rogers House.
The Roosevelt Building.
St. Andrews Bungalow Court.
A house in the St. James Park Historic District.
St. John's Episcopal Church.
The San Fernando Building.
The San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building.
The Santa Fe Coast Lines Hospital.
The Santa Fe Freight Depot.
The Sears, Roebuck & Company Mail Order Building.
The Second Baptist Church.
The Second Church of Christ, Scientist.
The Security Trust and Savings building.
The Security-First National Bank of Los Angeles building.
The Smith Estate.
The Somerville Hotel (Dunbar Hotel).
The South Bonnie Brae Tract Historic District.
A house in the South Serrano Avenue Historic District.
The Southern California Gas Company Complex.
The Southwest Museum.
The John Sowden House.
A building in the Spring Street Financial District.
The Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library.
The Stimson House.
The Storer House.
The Strathmore Apartments.
The Streetcar Depot.
The Subway Terminal Building.
The Superior Oil Company Building.
The Textile Center Building.
The Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building.
The C.E. Toberman Estate.
The Town House.
A home in the Twentieth Street Historic District.
The Twenty-eighth Street YMCA.
The U.S. Court House and Post Office.
The U.S. Post Office - Hollywood Station.
The U.S. Post Office - Los Angeles Terminal Annex.
The U.S. Post Office - San Pedro Main.
A building at the University of Southern California.
A home in the Van Buren Place Historic District.
The Van Nuys Branch Library.
The Venice Branch Library.
Houses along a canal in the Venice Canal Historic District.
The Venice of America House.
The Vermont Square Branch Library.
Villa Bonita.
Douglas and Octavia Walstrom House.jpg

The Douglas and Octavia Walstrom House.
The Warner Grand Theatre.
Watts Station.
The amazing Watts Towers.
Whitley Court.
A house in the Whitley Heights Historic District.
The Wilmington Branch Library.
The Wilshire Branch Library.
The Warren Wilson Beach House.
The Westlake Theatre.
A house in the Wilton Historic District.
The Women's Twentieth Century Club of Eagle Rock.
A building in the Yamashiro Historic District.
The Young's Market Company Building.
The Ziegler Estate.
The Mission San Fernando Rey de España before it was rebuilt.
The Pan-Pacific Auditorium before it was destroyed.

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National Register of Historic Places listings in Los Angeles Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.