Popular Routes:  Arts & Culture

Downtown LA's cultural offerings are truly grand!  Mostly located on Grand Avenue in the heart of Bunker Hill, Downtown's cultural venues include the Music Center, Museum of Contemporary Art, Culburn School of Performing Arts, Central Library and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.  The Japanese American National Museum and Exposition Park are nearby too.

 

Riding the DASH buses (weekdays take the B, A, or F and weekends take the DD and F) for just .25 cents makes it easy to cover a lot of ground in just a day.  www.ladottransit.com

To begin, park your car at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels at 555 W. Temple or exit the Red Line at the Civic Center stop on Hill Street, just south of the Cathedral.  Take a self-guided or docent led tour of this magnificent landmark built in 2002 by Spanish architect, Jose Rafael Moneao.  www.olacatheral.org.

 Next walk to the Music Center at 135 N. Grand.  The giant three block site that begins at Grand and Temple streets includes the new Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre.  The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Center Theatre Group and Los Angeles Master Chorale are the resident performing companies at the Music Center. Self-guided audio tours and docent led tours are both available.  Or simply enjoy the plaza, fountains and gardens.  Don't miss the LA Phil store located at the Walt Disney Concert Hall for great gifts and CD's. www.musiccenter.org

Before leaving the Music Center, stop inside REDCAT, the Roy and Edna Disney/Calarts Theater tucked under the Walt Disney Concert Hall at 631 W. 2nd Street.  In addition to a "black box" theater, REDCAT's lounge and gallery space are open everyday but Monday.  www.redcat.org

Cross the street in front of the Walt Disney Concert Hall and you'll find yourself at the Colburn School of Performing Arts at 200 S. Grand Avenue.  The school offers music, drama and dance lessons for preschooolers to adults.  Free concerts open to the public are often presented in Zipper Concert Hall.  www.colburnschool.edu

Next door to the Colburn School is the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) at 250 S. Grand Avenue.  Home to more than 5,000 artworks created since the 1940's from Diane Arbus to Andy Worhol.  The MOCA store is stocked with unique handmade items and luxurious design collections, plus books and cards. Museum hours are Monday and Friday 11am to 5 pm; Thursday 11 am to 8 pm (free from 5 to 8 pm); Saturday and Sunday 11 am to 6 pm.  Closed Monday and Tuesday.  www.moca.org

 
South of MOCA lies the California Plaza Watercourt at 350 S. Grand Avenue where you'll often encouter international and local musicians, dancers and actors performing on the beautiful Watercourt stage.  Programmed by Grand Performances, all of the shows are free and draw a diverse audience during the summer months. www.grandperformances.org

|t must be time for lunch or a snack!  Choices range from fast food to gourmet steakhouses.

Concert Hall Cafe at the Walt Disney Concert Hall at 151 S. Grand Avenue, 213-972-3550. Patinette at MOCA at 250 S. Grand Avenue, 213-626-1178.
Panda Express at the Watercourt at 350 S. Grand Avenue, 213-626-5018.
Koo Koo Roo at 255 S. Grand Avenue, 213-620-1800.
Nick & Stef's Steakhouse at 330 S. Hope Street, 213-680-0330.

Now that you've had some nourishment, hike down Grand Avenue to the Los Angeles Public Library at 630 W. 5th Street.  Sitting at the corner of Grand and 5th, the Central Library offers a collection of 2.2 million books, galleries, gift shop, cafes and gardens.  Free programs featuring acclaimed authors and docent tours make this a must-see destination.  www.lapl.org

Time to call it a day?  Then hop on a B DASH bus (weekdays only) in front of the Library.  You'll circle around the Financial District and then head back to your car parked at the Cathedral.

Still want to see more?  Then hop on a D DASH bus (weekdays only) at 5th and Figueroa, just two blocks west of the Library to visit Little Tokyo where you'll find the Japanese American National Museum.  This is the only museum in the US dedicated to sharing the experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry.  Rotating exhibits and events for families and adults provide a full day of activitiy.  The Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday 10 am to 5 pm; Thursday 10 am to 8 pm; closed Monday.  www.janm.org

On weekends, take the DD DASH bus to both the Cathedral and Little Tokyo.  From the Library, the bus stop is located two blocks west at 5th and Figueroa streets.

Another district to explore is the Figueroa Corridor where you'll find Exposition Park, home to the Natural History Museum, the California African American Museum and the California Science Center and IMAX.  From the Library, walk one block west to Flower Street to take the F DASH Bus on weekends or weekdays.  www.figueroacorridor.org