Los Angeles Art Deco & Beaux Art Architecture: Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (4 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/7

Duration3h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Marble columns, a Greek temple remodeled, the Bradbury Building, and a library saved from the wrecking ball

A private walking tour of downtown Los Angeles exploring Art Deco and Beaux Art architecture across eight landmarks, led by a live guide in English. You'll see the Bradbury Building, Los Angeles Central Library (saved from demolition in 1978), the CalEdison building with its marble interior, and the Eastern Columbia Building's iconic clock tower, ending at Santee Alley market. The tour runs three hours and includes plenty of time to photograph each stop; wheelchair accessible with public transit nearby.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Downtown LA Art Deco Buildings

Begin tour at Los Angeles City Hall
Visit LA Courthouse Art Moderne style
Admire Bradbury Building Beau-Arts architecture
Walk to Title Guarantee Building
Explore Pershing Square and Biltmore hotel
Discover CalEdison building marble details
See Los Angeles Central Library Art Deco
Admire Oviatt Building and PacMutual temple
End tour at Eastern Columbia Building

The Experience

You start at Los Angeles City Hall, the eclectic building that has stood in countless films, then move to the LA Courthouse to see Art Moderne in practice. From there the route takes you to the Bradbury Building, one of downtown's oldest surviving Beaux-Arts structures, and the Title Guarantee Building from 1930, where Art Deco verticality shaped the design of what are now loft-style apartments. Your guide walks you through Pershing Square to explain the difference between Beaux Art and Art Deco, pointing out the 1925 Biltmore hotel as an example of the earlier style.

The CalEdison building from 1931 sits on a prominent corner—you may be able to step inside to see the marble floor and columns that define the period. Los Angeles Central Library, built in 1926 and saved from demolition by the Los Angeles Conservancy, shows Art Deco in its early form. The Oviatt Building mixes Romanesque Revival with Art Deco elements added after its owner visited the 1925 Paris exposition, while the PacMutual building, originally a Greek temple from 1908, was remodeled in the 1930s to match the Art Deco aesthetic. The tour ends at the Eastern Columbia Building, a former department store with its distinctive greenish terra cotta and iconic clock tower, now luxury condominiums.

Your guide is a source for food recommendations in downtown, so ask about where to eat after the tour ends. The jewellery district is part of the route, and you'll walk through Santee Alley market before the tour concludes. Plenty of time is built in for photographs at each stop, and the pace is set for a moderate level of physical fitness.

What’s included

A private guide in English for your own group.
plenty of time to photograph each landmark and building facade.
access to the jewellery district and Santee Alley market as part of the route.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessiblePublic transport nearby

Operated by Travel Curious

Is this one for you?Three hours leaves your afternoon or morning free depending on when you book, so you can pair this with lunch in the district your guide recommends or explore the market at the end without rushing. The private format means your guide adjusts the pace and focus to what interests your group most.