LA History

From Charlie Chaplin to 'We Are The World,' this Hollywood studio has seen it all

The storied Henson Studio lot on La Brea is under contract with singer John Mayer and director McG.

A brick building with a sign, "The Jim Henson Company" out front. And a frog on top of it.

Her murder hasn't been solved for nearly 80 years. Why the Black Dahlia case will never die

Revisiting the L.A. cold case of the Black Dahlia.

A black and white photo bulletin with a photo of a young woman smiling at the camera. In bold black letters the bulletin headline reads: Wanted Information on Elizabeth Short. between Dates January 9 and January 15, 1947

The history of the Grapevine and its predecessor — the Old Ridge Road

Before there was the Grapevine, there was the Old Ridge Route, a 697-curve pass through the mountains connecting SoCal to NorCal.

Hills and a winding road in Southern California

Marilyn Monroe. Rudolph Valentino. The celebrity ghosts you might see in Hollywood during spooky season

Welcome to Spooky L.A., a series where we explore the eerie, dark history of the city during the week of Halloween.

A woman with light tone skin and a glamorous fur trimmed suit on left. At right, a black and white photo a Brentwood bungalow with a Spanish roof tile.

This little-known alien abduction case happened in LA’s backyard. Your guide to the ‘UFO hotbed’ in Big Tujunga Canyon

One UFO researcher called Big Tujunga Canyon a “window area” for paranormal encounters.

A sunset landscape of Big Tujunga Canyon is in the background. Illustrations of slender alien creatures and a UFO are in the foreground.

Heading to World Series games in NY? Here's your guide to Brooklyn Dodgers history and sites

The Dodgers were Brooklyn’s darlings until 1958, when they moved to Los Angeles.

Four men — three of the white, the other Black — are seen in a black-and-white photo kneeling in white baseball uniforms with the word "Dodgers" emblazoned across their chests.

How LA became a donut town and the man who started it all

The story of Ted Ngoy and the community of Cambodian refugees behind every donut.

How LA's first playgrounds brought respite to working class children

Los Angeles established the country's first Playground Department Commission 120 years ago.

A black and white photo shows children and adults in Edwardian dress, standing around a primitive looking slide in a playground

From wearing your PJs to hiding friends in the trunk, we remember the magic of SoCal drive-in theaters

There are only a few traditional drive-ins left in the region. At one point, there were around 70 between L.A. and Orange Counties alone. What happened?

A triangle shaped sign reads: Edwards San Gabriel Drive-in Theatre along a rode. Behind is the back of the drive-in screen. Palm trees are visible.

Think the LA Aqueduct was the city’s first water system? Nope, it’s the Zanja Madre

The zanja system of pipes and trenches was first built in 1781, and remnants can still be seen in the city today.

A close up of part of the brick Zanja Madre broken and sticking out of the dirt.

This LA barbershop could soon be made a historic landmark

The Black-owned shop has been at its current location since 1977. It was part of a string of Black businesses that sprang up when much of L.A. was still segregated.

Greg Faucett, who's a Black man wearing an appron and sunglasses, stands outside his one-story shop on a bright sunny day. The shope name is visible in red and blue lettering on a sign on top of the facade wall.

Can’t get enough of California? Try hopping into this Huell Howser livestream

PBS SoCal is trying out a new experiment by streaming Howser’s Visiting on YouTube, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A black and white wide view of a man with a light skin tone and dark pilot shades on smiling in at the camera. He's standing neara crowd of people and a small train car next to the downtown L.A. skyline.

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