The surrounding area got a nod of respectability when this institute moved into the former Santa Fe Freight Yard in 2001. It’s a progressive laboratory with faculty and students who continually push the envelope in architectural design. You can see some of the results in one of the two galleries or attend a lecture or film screening; see the website for upcoming events.
Southern California Institute of Architecture
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
6.36 MILES
With eyes on both the galaxy above and palm-flanked boulevards below, the Griffith Observatory hovers above LA like a hulking spacecraft. This is one of…
19.31 MILES
What started as a simple berry farm is now a sprawling 160-acre operation with rides, live shows and lovable Peanuts characters roaming the grounds. Knott…
14.42 MILES
Prepare for a sensory overload on Venice's Boardwalk, a one-of-a-kind experience. Buff bodybuilders brush elbows with street performers and sellers of…
15.51 MILES
Once the very end of the legendary Route 66 and still the object of a tourist love affair, this much-photographed pier dates back to 1908 and is the city…
Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
9.07 MILES
One of the most delightful, inspirational spots in LA, the Huntington is rightly a highlight of any trip to California thanks to a world-class mix of art,…
1.2 MILES
From the instant it opened in September 2015, the Broad (rhymes with 'road') became a must-visit for contemporary-art fans. It houses the world-class…
14.08 MILES
In its billion-dollar, in-the-clouds perch, high above the city grit and grime, the Getty Center presents triple delights: a stellar art collection …
9.43 MILES
Dodge dinosaurs, hang with Homer Simpson and morph into a Minion on the sometimes hair-raising, always entertaining attractions at Universal Studios…
Nearby Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights attractions
0.13 MILES
The LA outpost of internationally acclaimed gallery Hauser & Wirth has art fiends in a flurry with its museum-standard exhibits of modern and contemporary…
2. Japanese American National Museum
0.45 MILES
A great first stop in Little Tokyo, this is the country’s first museum dedicated to the Japanese immigrant experience. The 2nd floor is home to the…
0.49 MILES
The unusual-looking tower is a yagura, a traditional fire-lookout tower typically found in rural Japan. It’s the gateway to this kitschy outdoor mall,…
0.5 MILES
MOCA showcases its big names and blockbuster exhibits at its main building on Grand Ave, freeing its original site in Little Tokyo to focus on more…
5. Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
0.75 MILES
OK, maybe Caltrans didn’t earn its $150-million digs based on performance, but that doesn’t change the fact that this floating steel-mesh-and-glass…
0.78 MILES
Built on the site of LA’s original Chinatown, Union Station opened in 1939 as America’s last grand rail station. It’s a glamorous exercise in Mission…
0.79 MILES
El Pueblo’s central, magnolia-shaded square is crowned by a pretty wrought-iron gazebo. Sleepy and a little sketchy during the week, it often turns into a…
0.82 MILES
Dressed in their traditional charro suits, Mexican mariachi musicians have been descending on Boyle Heights' old-school zócalo (public square) since the…