Cultural Building sights in California
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Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Few drivers speeding along I-280 realize that things are speeding by beneath them at far higher velocities. The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, run by the university for the US Department of Energy, goes right under the freeway. Positrons (positively charged subatomic particles) hurtle down a straight 2-mile path in a 4in diameter linac (an accelerator beam tube), on their way to high-speed impacts at the other end of the tube.
Experiments at SLAC have resulted in the discovery of the existence of further subatomic particles, including quarks, and have gained the facility three Nobel Prizes so far. At 2 miles long, SLAC's Klystron Gallery is the world's longest buildi…
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B
Richard J Riordan Central Library
Don’t tell Walt Disney Concert Hall, but the Richard J Riordan Central Library, opened in 1926, is the most fascinating building in town. Yep, the library. The 64ft-high rotunda is the first big wow, its 42ft span highlighted by immense murals. Below, a 1-ton chandelier perches optimistically above the stark marble floor. In the 1993 Tom Bradley wing, escalators cascade below a soaring glass atrium, descending through four glass-walled floors filled with books. And Central has more than 2.1 million of those, not to mention a restaurant, gift store, free internet access and art exhibits. Tours led daily. Check it out. It’s free.
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C
Geisel Library
The University of California San Diego's 26,000 lucky students live and study amongst the campus' rolling coastal hills that are covered in fragrant eucalyptus trees. By far its most distinctive structure is the Geisel Library, an upside-down multileveled pyramid of glass and concrete whose namesake, Theodor Geisel, is better known as Dr Seuss, creator of the Cat in the Hat. He and his wife contributed substantially to the library, and there is a collection of his drawings and books on the ground level.
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D
Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library houses, among other gems, a copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio and the records of the Donner Party. Its small public exhibits of historical California include the surprisingly small gold nugget that sparked the 1849 Gold Rush. You must register to use the library, be over 18 (or a high-school graduate) and present two forms of identification (one with photo). Visit the registration desk on entering.
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E
Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, housed in a graceful Spanish renaissance structure, is devoted exclusively to art and music. You can relax here while reading daily newspapers from around the globe.
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Sherman Library & Gardens
Corona del Mar’s prize attraction is the Sherman Library & Gardens, where a variety of lush gardens awaits those needing a quick dose of floral therapy.
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Beverly Hills Library
Has free internet and wi-fi access, carries international periodicals, and has special reading rooms for kids. Also hosts readings and cultural events.
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Santa Monica Library
Has free internet and wi-fi access, carries international periodicals, and has special reading rooms for kids. Also hosts readings and cultural events.
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Hollywood Library
Has free internet and wi-fi access, carries international periodicals, and has special reading rooms for kids. Also hosts readings and cultural events.
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