Looking For Summer Fun With A Side of LA History? Check Out These 6 Spots

Published Jun 14, 2024 6:00 AM

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People in small groups, some on picnic blankets on the lawn outside Holllyhock House in Barnsdall Art Park.

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From record-breaking bougainvillea blooms to beautiful beaches, Los Angeles has lots of fun places to visit that can also help you learn a bit more about its history.

Etan Rosenbloom knows a lot of them.

He’s been to more than 200 of the 600 locations on the National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles County. It’s part of a project he started early in the pandemic — called “Etan Does LA” — where he brings his social media followers along on his quest to go to all of the spots on the National Register in L.A.

The register is the official list of what the federal government considers "historic places worthy of preservation.”

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LAist’s How To LA podcast team has visited a couple of spots on the National Register with Rosenbloom — first, Gartz Court in Pasadena, and most recently Hollyhock House in East Hollywood.

Hollyhock House — and the surrounding Barnsdall Art Park — is a great place to check out in the summer, and particularly this summer, because Friday wine tastings at the park are back this year for the first time since 2019.

Rosenbloom also shared some other tips for spots on the National Register that could be extra fun to check out in the summertime.

The largest growth of bougainvillea in the U.S. (Glendora)

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These vine-like shrubs aren’t native to California, but they’re still super pretty — with lots of flowers, often in shades of bright pink or purple. The bougainvillea that’s on the National Register in Glendora was planted in 1901 by citrus growers.

Rosenbloom says: “It's there year round, but it really comes to life in the early summer, so June and July. [My daughter and I] were there in late May, and it was already popping off, but we might have to end up going back."

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"It's just on a residential street surrounding what used to be an orange grove, but if you are a flower enthusiast or you just like saying, 'Hey, I went to the biggest… fill-in-the-blank.' That's a great one to go to.”

Malibu Historic District & Adamson House (Malibu)

The outside of the entrance to a white Spanish-style two-story home with aqua trim, colorful tile details around windows and the front wooden door.

“Historic Malibu was added to the National Register a few years ago on the basis of its importance to surfing history,” Rosebloom says. “I think it's the only National Register site associated with surfing."

While you're there, he suggests you check out the Adamson House.

“In addition to being a super-beautiful, tile-covered house on the beach,” Rosenbloom says, it also connects with a lot of different aspects of L.A. History. The owners of the house, “Merritt Adamson and his wife Rhoda owned a successful dairy called Adohr Farms (Adohr is "Rhoda" backwards)."

If you've been to Pasadena recently, you may have noticed that one of their former dairy outposts on South Arroyo Parkway is now occupied by Howlin' Rays. And its neon sign was only recently uncovered.

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"Rhoda's parents were the last private owners of Malibu," adds Rosenbloom. "Her mom spent many years trying to prevent public access, until the government got the right of way and, thus, the PCH (then called the "Roosevelt Highway") was born.”

Looff Hippodrome (Santa Monica)

An old black and white image of the Santa Monica pier. Old Model-A-type cars are in the foreground, a roller coaster is on the left and on the right is a large two-story building with a spire-type roof. A couple of smaller buildings are in the foreground, including one that reads "Cafeteria."

This is the oldest attraction on the Santa Monica Pier and houses a 102-year-old carousel.

La Laguna de San Gabriel (San Gabriel)

“A 1960s playground built of imaginative concrete creatures swimming in the sand,” created by Mexican concrete artist Benjamin Dominguez.

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Rosenbloom's pro tip: “They've refurbished a bunch of the creatures recently so it's more colorful and safer than ever.”

Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden (Pasadena)

A wooden Japanese tea house surrounded by trees and plants with a stream or small lake in the foreground.

“If you need some shade and serenity, this small, historic Japanese garden in Pasadena will do the trick. It's open on Friday and Saturday at 4 p.m., or during the day on Sundays.”

There is a $12-15 admission fee, but children under 12 enter for free.

And a pro tip from Rosenbloom: Right across the street is Arlington Garden, which is free and open every day of the year.