UNESCO, You Know!

Los Angeles Urban Architecture Walk

It's hard to be #1 when you live in LA. But Hollyhock House—a Frank Lloyd Wright building—has achieved that status, as the first LA landmark designated a World Heritage Site. See it on an urban tour of LA’s architecture and public art scene, including a Frank Lloyd Wright–themed walk through Barnsdall Art Park.

The park, Wright’s first commission in Los Angeles for Aline Barnsdall, features the Hollyhock House. Start by entering the park on the Hollywood Boulevard side, where there’s a parking area. Take the two flights of stairs up the hill to reach Barnsdall Art Park and Hollyhock House.

Two hikers wandering in Barnsdall Art Park

Two people taking a docent led tour of the outer grounds of Hollyhock House a Frank Lloyd Wright creation in Los Angeles

Next, head to the Ennis House in nearby Los Feliz. Take a 40-minute, 1.7-mile (one-way) walk from the Barnsdall parking lot up Vermont Avenue to Glendower Avenue, the steep and winding road flanked by grand Hollywood Hills mansions, up to the Ennis House. You can also drive from the Hollyhock House and park near the intersection of N. Vermont Avenue and Glendower Avenue to then take the 0.6-mile winding road to the house.

You can only view this house from the outside, with its expansive view of downtown LA and the Mayan-influenced architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Two young women enjoying an iced tea at a cafe in Los Angeles

BONUS: After enjoying two Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieces, drive 1 mile to the Silver Lake area to enjoy the Silver Lake Saturday/Sunday market along Sunset Boulevard. Treat yourself to the cool and delicious Taiwanese-Chinese restaurant Pine and Crane at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Griffith Park Boulevard. Find really good coffee and dessert at nearby La Colombe on Sunset Boulevard and Hyperion Avenue.

Dog-friendly, except indoors. 

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Man hiking up a trail at Montara Mountain, with a view of the Pacific and Grey Whale sand beach in the background

    From Beach to Summit

    No need to decide between a beach and a mountaintop—this hike includes both! Explore the stunning coastal scenery on this 6-mile out-and-back up Montara Mountain and into Rancho Corral de Tierra.

    View
  2. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Woman walking in the Venice Canals of Los Angeles County

    Canal Contemplations

    With its incense-scented boardwalk, bohemian shops, skateparks, and abundance of body builders, Venice is happily eccentric, and artistic. Exhibit A: Its network of European-style canals with charming bridges, offering a tranquil tour of the town’s history.

    View
  2. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  3. What's Up, Winthrop!

    It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View