hollyhock house tours los angeles

Hollyhock House

Perched on a 36-acre hilltop in East Hollywood, Wright’s first and most widely known West Coast design defies stylistic categorization.

Aline Barnsdall

4800 Hollywood Blvd.

National Historic Landmark. National Register of Historic Places.

culturela.org

Variously described as Mayan, Aztec, Asian, Egyptian, and as a “California Romanza” by the architect himself, the Hollyhock House was a transitional structure for Wright. The building bridges the Prairie style of the preceding decades and his textile block structures of the 1920s. Wright’s client, Aline Barnsdall, was the heir of one of the largest independent oil producers in the United States. A fiercely independent feminist who was immersed in the world of experimental theater, Aline flouted convention, first approaching Wright at the height of his personal scandals. Though Barnsdall initially envisioned an elaborate complex of residences, theaters, and shops to serve an avant-garde theater community, financial and artistic differences meant that the Hollyhock House and two secondary residences were the only buildings constructed.

Barnsdall’s request for a residence that was half house and half garden inspired the numerous terraces, colonnades and pergolas that join the Hollyhock House’s interior and exterior spaces. A series of rooftop terraces takes advantage of the temperate climate, providing magnificent views of the Los Angeles basin and the Hollywood Hills. Stylized hollyhocks, Barnsdall’s favorite flower, appear on roof finials, furniture, art glass windows, and the ornamental bands of cast-concrete on the structure’s exterior. With seventeen rooms and seven bathrooms, the massive residence was ultimately not what Barnsdall wanted. Indeed, her dislike of the Hollyhock House was such that she decided not to complete the artists’ colony. In 1923, she offered the Hollyhock House and 11 acres of her property to Los Angeles to serve as a public library and park. The city initially rejected her offer, but in 1927 changed its mind and accepted the land and its buildings for an art park dedicated to the memory of Aline’s father, Theodore Barnsdall.

Similar Projects Residential Southwest

Arnold Friedman House

Pecos, NM 1945

David & Gladys Wright House

Phoenix, AZ 1950

Don M. Stromquist House

Bountiful, UT completed in 1963

See more of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work

The Whirling Arrow

News and updates from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Frank Lloyd Wright + Arizona

Frank Lloyd Wright’s connection to Arizona, the location of his personal winter home Taliesin West, runs deep, with his architectural influence seen all over the Valley. Here, PhD student David R. Richardson gives a brief overview of several of Wright’s most notable projects in the Grand Canyon state.

Celebrating World Art Day April 15, 2024

Cookie banner

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy . Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use , which became effective December 20, 2019.

By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.

Site search

• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Archive.curbed.com
• For Sale
 in LA
• For Rent in LA
• Curbed Comparisons
• Neighborhoods
• Real Estate Market Reports
• Rental Market Reports
• Homelessness
• Development
 News
• Transportation
• Architecture


Filed under:

• Frank Lloyd Wright Week
• Curbed Inside

A full tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House

Completely restored in 2015, the home has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site

The Hollyhock House was the first house Frank Lloyd Wright designed in Los Angeles, part of a performing arts complex commissioned in the early 1920s by oil heiress Aline Barnsdall for an incredible 36-acre hilltop site on the Hollywood and Los Feliz border.

The house contains the "germination of what I think you can easily say became California Modernism," says Hollyhock curator Jeffrey Herr.

But Wright was often away during construction, working on the Imperial Hotel in Japan, and building was mostly overseen by project manager Rudolph Schindler. When costs got out of control, Barnsdall fired Wright and eventually hired Schindler, and she never moved into the house, which had been designed around the icon of her favorite flower, the Hollyhock.

In 1927, she donated the property, with the surrounding 12 acres, to the city of Los Angeles, and over the decades since it was deformed over and over by bad renovations and general entropy. (Lloyd Wright oversaw two renovations, on in 1946 and one in the unfortunate design year of 1974.)

Following years of closure, the Hollyhock is now reopen with a beautiful, painstaking restoration that has brought many of its public spaces back to their 1921 magnificence. In 2019, the home was named as a UNESCO World Heritage site , along with seven other Wright buildings.

Herr supervised the restoration, along with Hsiao-Ling Ting of the city’s Bureau of Engineering, and Kevin Jew of the nonprofit Project Restore, which wrote the grant for the project.

The exterior was perhaps the easy part; they found a buried piece of stucco from the house’s heyday and were able to reproduce the texture and color so that Hollyhock is now more "harmonious" with the surrounding landscape.

The entryway, a Modernist version of a formal foyer, looks pristinely 1920s now, but just a few years ago had concrete floors, recessed lighting, and sliding glass doors.

Today it has been almost entirely reconstructed with historically accurate plaster, intricate ceiling moldings—originally stripped back in the ’40s—painstakingly created and aligned by a woodworker named Erik Mortensen, and accordion-folding glass doors that open to completely erase the division between house and courtyard, with actual 1920s door handles and latches.

Hollyhock’s centerpiece, though, is a showstopping hearth backed in an abstract, Hollyhock-themed bas relief, with a detailed skylight above and a pool below (it’s not filled, sadly; water isn’t very kind to the house).

Herr calls the fireplace "one of the best things [Wright] ever did." The elaborate accompanying couches, which Herr calls "better suited for viewing Wright’s work than for conversation," is a 1990s reproduction of original furniture.

The dining room still has its original furniture, incredibly, including a set of chairs with spines like Hollyhocks.

The clerestory windows that ring the room were removed during restoration, at which point Herr realized that a change in the roof height had cut off their bottom four inches years ago. So they put the roof back where it was; now the windows have the views they were intended to have, plus there’s a lot more light in the dining room.

The library and kitchen have only been returned to 1940s Lloyd Wright form (though the library’s donated books are all pre-1925). Meanwhile, most of the private rooms are still in the ’70s, but they won’t be open to the public anyway, because of ADA requirements. Herr hopes to makeover the house’s forecourt next, which has become a pretty unattractive parking lot.

Hours for self guided tours of the house are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. A 20-minute docent-led exterior tour is offered at 11:15 a.m., 12 p.m. and 12:45 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. A 40-minute docent-led exterior and interior tour is offered Tuesday and Wednesday at 11 a.m. and 12:30 pm. Admission for all tours is $7 for adults.

Barnsdall Art Park

The beginner’s guide to los angeles.

• Should you move to LA?
• How to pick a neighborhood
• Locals’ guides to their LA neighborhoods
• Quiz: Which neighborhood should you live in?
• Which LA neighborhood do you really live in?
• Why I moved from New York to LA
• 16 comparisons to show exactly how enormous Los Angeles is
• Is it better to buy or rent?
• What you can buy, what you can rent
• The Los Angeles renters’ guide
• A guide to rent control
• 10 renters’ rights your landlord doesn’t want you to know
• 13 glamorous apartments from Hollywood’s Golden Age
• The best rental apps for LA apartment hunting
• Feast your eyes on Curbed’s best LA home tours
• The Los Angeles homebuying guide
• What it’s like to buy a house in Los Angeles
• Buying vacant lots in LA: 6 things to know
• Will your building hold up in a major earthquake?
• 9 tips for riding Metro like a pro
• Why we can’t rely on Metro’s countdown clocks
• Metro’s declining ridership, explained
• The most anticipated transit projects opening in time for the 2028 LA Olympics
• Metro’s Regional Connector, explained
• A quick guide to LAX
• Four LA bike rides: Explore the city on two wheels
• 8 secrets you learn being an Uber driver in Los Angeles
• LA’s most beautiful bike path: The Strand through Santa Monica
• LA’s worst commute: The hellish drive from East Hollywood to Santa Monica
• Old photos show the evolution of transportation in LA
• 26 must-do things in LA this summer
• The 11 best hotel pools, mapped
• The best things to do with kids that aren’t Disneyland
• Dodger Stadium: The ultimate guide to LA’s ballpark
• The Hollywood Sign: The 7 best hikes and viewing options
• 12 of the city’s most glorious movie theaters
• A guide to surviving—and enjoying—The Grove
• Los Angeles heatwave hangouts: 24 free and air conditioned places to beat the heat
• LA’s coolest ride: Angels Flight is a trip back in time
• An illustrated guide to Los Angeles architecture
• The ultimate guide to Los Angeles movie and television filming locations
• The 20 most iconic buildings in the city, mapped
• The Case Study houses that made Los Angeles a modernist mecca
• An introduction to Googie, SoCal's signature architectural style
• The 10 best Art Deco buildings
• A complete guide to Grand Central Market 
• 18 places where black architects left their mark
• Mapped: The historic, stately homes of West Adams Boulevard
• Take a video tour through Pasadena’s iconic Gamble House
• Inside the iconic John Lautner Residence
• The sordid and possibly murderous secrets of the Sowden House
• Take a tour through LA’s Art Deco City Hall
• Hikes in Los Angeles: 9 trails with spectacular endings
• 7 hikes off the Gold Line
• 10 questions with LA’s hiking guru Casey Schreiner of Modern Hiker
• 29 secret gardens and green spaces hidden around LA
• Los Angeles picnic spots: 20 of the best places to lay out a blanket
• The city’s enchanting jacaranda trees are key to its future
• Who Will Save LA’s Trees?
• The myth and truth behind the Los Angeles ‘Devil Winds’
• Is the city losing its marine layer?
• The 18 cleanest beaches
• 101 things to love about Los Angeles
• A video primer on the unique, shimmery light of Los Angeles
• Building a Downtown for everyone
• Seize the Hollywood Sign
• LA history 101
• The thrill of Sugar Hill
• How ’80s pop culture typecast the Valley
• 14 must-follow Instagram accounts for LA lovers
• 7 Ways to Help L.A.’s Homeless Residents
• 19 small towns around LA you should absolutely visit
• Ghost towns of the desert
• The best places to stay on a road trip from Los Angeles
• 23 things to do in the California desert
• The best hotels in Palm Springs
• California’s best midcentury motels, mapped
• The West Coast's 15 must-see midcentury modern buildings
• 6 awesome campsites within about an hour of Los Angeles
• Where to find fall colors near Los Angeles

Loading comments...

Share this story.

You’re in the Wright Place!

California , Film Site , Mayan Revival , Tours , UNESCO

Hollyhock house (1921).

Hollyhock House added to World Heritage List

On July 7, 2019, UNESCO announced the addition of the Barnsdall Hollyhock House along with seven other Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings to the United Nations’ list of the world’s most significant cultural and natural sites.

(This page may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure about affiliate links here .)

Photo Credit: “Hollyhock House west facade” photo by Paul Cozzi, 2021 

Please use the link below for more information about tour options, rates & to book online.

• Official Website - Tours
• Online Virtual Tour
• Visit all FLWsites on a Google Map

4808 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, California

Movies Filmed on Site

Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989) Bill Maher, Shannon Tweed, Adrienne Barbeau

Places to Stay in Los Angeles

• Best Western Plus LA Mid-Town Hotel – 
• InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown – located on Wilshire Blvd

Resources, Links & Products

Browse these resources for more information about this FLW Building, it’s history and information about the region.

• Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House: The Illustrated Story of an Architectural Masterpiece
• Frank Lloyd Wright - Hollyhock House and Olive Hill
• Bulova Men's Frank Lloyd Wright Hollyhock House Stainless Steel 3-Hand Quartz Watch
• Burpee Hollyhock Seeds, Country Romance Mix

Share This FLW Site

Related articles.

Unity Temple (1906)

Photo Credit: “Unity Temple” by Teemu008 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. During the very late 1800s, Frank Lloyd Wright became increasingly innovative in terms of his architectural style;

Walter Boat House (1948)

The tour guide didn’t accompany us, but encouraged us to walk down to the boathouse designed by Wright to hold Lowell Walter’s boat. It was

Cornwell House (1995)

The Cornwell House was originally designed for the Cornwell family of Pennsylvania in 1954. The home was built in 1995 in Hawaii using Wright’s original

Thomas P. Hardy House (1905)

It may be quite difficult to imagine what Racine Wisconsin looked like in 1905. But a Google Maps search for the city at that time

Auldbrass Plantation

O’Connor House (1916)

McCartney House (1949)

Don Erickson Estate

For your home.

Yvonne Carpenter-Ross

Flw enthusiast & webmaster.

Architecture and home design have always fascinated me. As a young girl I enjoyed drawing floor plans, rearranging my parent’s furniture and playing with Lincoln Logs and Legos.  My passion has always been the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Since I have been old enough to drive a car, I have visited Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the Chicagoland area and attended the Wright Plus house walks. Now, as co-owners of Northern Sky Designs , my husband & I are able to combine our website design skills and FLW travels to bring you this website! Enjoy!

Follow me on Instagram

Combined Shape .st0{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#fff} .st0{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#fff} SMS Main navigation Things to Do Attractions & Tours Arts & Culture Outdoors & Wellness Shopping Budget Family Hidden Gems Luxury Pet-Friendly Eat & Drink Bars Clubs Dine LA Restaurant Week Restaurants Business Spotlight Find Events Itineraries Where to Stay Celebrate LA Heritage AAPI Heritage Black LA Latino Heritage LGBTQ+ Tourist Information Meetings About LA Tourism Travel Trade Membership Business Spotlight Media Research Careers Today's must read Hidden Gems of Los Angeles Log in Search Search Things to Do Arts & Culture Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House: The Story of an LA Icon The architectural masterpiece is LA's first UNESCO World Heritage Site

Herr said his favorite area of Hollyhock House is the colonnade along the north side of the inner courtyard . "It's lovely in the afternoon with the sunlight streaming through the columns and equally beautiful at night with the restored lighting."

With so many interesting details throughout the house, there are bound to be a few hidden gems. Herr said, "I think most people forget to look up and consequently miss the exquisitely crafted ceiling mouldings in the loggia."

Rather than highlighting a particular aspect of the restoration for visitors to seek out, Herr said, "Perhaps it is what visitors will not notice that is most important. Our goal has been to recreate the 1921 appearance without making the re-creation obvious. What visitors will experience is the opportunity to step back in time."

Hollyhock House is open for self-guided tours Thursday to Saturday from 11am to 4pm. Pricing is $7 for Adults, and $3 for Seniors (65+) and Students with valid ID. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by a paying adult. Docents are on hand to provide information and answer questions. Guidebooks are available to visitors for onsite use.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Hollyhock House website .

Hollyhock House Barnsdall Art Park 4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles 90027 (323) 988-0516

Discover LA Newsletter

Search the Site

Popular pages.

• Historic Places of Los Angeles
• Important Issues
• Events Calendar

Hollyhock House

Frank Lloyd Wright's first Los Angeles project thrives as the centerpiece of a civic arts complex.

Place Details

• Frank Lloyd Wright

Designation

• Preservation Award Recipient

Property Type

• Single-Family Residential
• Los Angeles

On July 7, 2019, the Hollyhock House and seven other U.S. sites designed by Frank Lloyd Wright joined the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list . This is the only Los Angeles site that has attained this level of international cultural heritage recognition.  

Built between 1919 and 1921, Hollyhock House was the first Los Angeles commission for the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. He designed it for Aline Barnsdall, a wealthy iconoclast and patron of the arts ( learn more about her here ). Barnsdall envisioned the house as the centerpiece of an artists’ colony on Olive Hill in the neighborhood of Los Feliz.

Construction was supervised by Wright’s son Lloyd Wright, and the project brought a young Rudolf Schindler to Los Angeles.  Due to intense differences between Wright and Barnsdall, only three buildings were constructed, and Barnsdall rarely occupied her residence. In 1927, she donated the property to the City of Los Angeles for use as an art park.

Featuring a decorative motif inspired by Barnsdall’s favorite flower, Hollyhock House is an extraordinary and early expression of Southern California architecture.

Wright referred to his design for the house as “California Romanza,” from a musical term meaning “freedom to make one’s own form.”

The house is monumental in form, yet it seamlessly integrates the indoors with outdoor gardens and living spaces. Its structural system predates the textile-block system Wright would use in his other Los Angeles houses.

While the interior is remarkable throughout, the living-room hearth—topped by a skylight and integrating a seemingly floating hearthstone, bas-relief stone mural, and wood-slat screen—provides a particularly dramatic focal point.

The house was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2007 and has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Regular maintenance kept the house in good condition over the years. Yet it was renovated several times, had long suffered from water intrusion, and was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. In 2007, the City and Project Restore, a public-private partnership, began planning a project to address structural needs and restoration. In 2010, the project team began four years of work to repair and prevent water damage, seismically strengthen the house, restore historic elements, and reverse past alterations.

Hollyhock House reopened to the public in February 2015, and the meticulous project earned a 2015 Conservancy Preservation Award. This project was a major achievement for the City of Los Angeles, as well as clear evidence of the value of civic investment in historic places.

Related Content

Glendale County Building

Casa de Cadillac

Fred C. Nelles Youth Correctional Facility Campus/Historic District

Hollyhock House

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

• Vermont/Sunset • 4 min walk

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travelers

Hollyhock House - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Tue - Wed 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Tue - Wed 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
• Thu - Sun 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
• (0.25 mi) Hotel Covell
• (0.51 mi) Hollywood Hotel
• (0.22 mi) Hudson Apartel
• (0.87 mi) Silver Lake Pool and Inn
• (1.89 mi) The Aster
• (0.10 mi) Golden Dragon Express
• (0.13 mi) Oi Asian Fusion
• (0.12 mi) Yai on Vermont
• (0.12 mi) Sea Salt
• (0.12 mi) Dos Burritos

Watch CBS News

Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House reopens for public tours

By Darleene Powells

Updated on: August 16, 2022 / 12:02 PM PDT / KCAL News

Hollyhock House, the first and only UNESCO World Heritage site in Los Angeles, reopens for public tours on Thursday after being shut down by the pandemic.

Starting on Aug. 18, Hollyhock House will again be open for in-person, self-guided tours for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Tours will be offered Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"When Hollyhock House was restored in 2015, we reopened this priceless cultural landmark to the public, and I can still remember the excitement felt by so many Angelenos," Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch O'Farrell said. "We've now weathered the storm of COVID-19, and I can't wait to welcome people back to this iconic place – the only UNESCO World Heritage site in the City of Los Angeles."

The Frank Lloyd Wright landmark, which is located in Barnsdall Park, was built in 1921 for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall. It is now owned by the City of Los Angeles and operated by the Department of Cultural Affairs. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019 .

During the pandemic closure, the Department of Cultural Affairs staff undertook critical restoration projects and enhanced interpretation of the site that will be visible at Hollyhock House and Residence A, according to interim General Manager Daniel Tarica. Restoration of the interior and landscape are currently underway.

The Department of Cultural Affairs is also hosting a free Hollyhock House Lawn Party on Aug. 20 from 4 to 8 p.m. The event will include performances from Bob Baker Marionette Theater.

Tour capacity of Hollyhock house is limited, and advanced ticket purchase is required. 

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

Woman shot and killed at Anaheim apartment complex

Reggie Bush gets back Heisman Trophy

Little Tokyo seniors unite for exercise and friendship

$50k reward offered for information on fatal hit-and-run from October

Frank Lloyd Wright Houses and Buildings in Los Angeles

TripSavvy / Christian Hundley

Frank Lloyd Wright's Los Angeles houses are must-see gems in the famous metropolis of Los Angeles. You can tour only one of them. The rest are private homes not open to the public, but that won't stop you from driving by and admiring the architecture from the street. You can see all of Frank Lloyd Wright's Los Angeles houses in a well-planned day.

Some of the homes perch atop the Hollywood Hills with magnificent views of the city below. Others are in an elegant area of Pasadena that any architecture lover will enjoy visiting.

Hollyhock House

TripSavvy / Christian Hundley

If you only have a couple of hours to spare and you want to see a Frank Lloyd Wright home, opt for the Hollyhock House where you can take a guided tour. Built between 1919 and 1921, it represents Wright's efforts to develop a style of architecture for Southern California. 

Named after original owner Aline Barnsdall's favorite flower, Hollyhock House was just part of a living and arts complex set on 36 acres. It was Wright's first commission in Los Angeles and one of his first open floor plans.

Today, the house recognized by the American Institute of Architects as one of the seventeen Wright buildings that are representative of his contribution to American culture. The main house is open for tours, and three other buildings still stand on the site: the main house, the garage and chauffeur's quarters, and the so-called Residence A, which was built for artists' living quarters. 

Anderton Court Shops

Betsy Malloy Photography

The Rodeo Drive shops called Anderton Court are a little-known Wright design and not widely recognized as one of his better works. Multiple modifications obscure the original facade, but you can still see hints of the tower designs he repeated in other structures.

Decorative elements include piers that taper downward and chevron patterns on the central spire and edges of the roofline. Today it is home to a few small offices and a salon.

Ennis House

 Natalie Tepper/ArcaidImages/Getty Images

Ennis House is located at 2607 Glendower Ave, Los Angeles. This large and lovely home is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Monument and a California State Landmark. After some devastating damage and a long search for the right buyer, the house was sold and was under renovation.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House, which served as a location for films such as “Blade Runner,” has was sold to billionaire Ron Burkle, founder of the Burkle Foundation and a trustee of the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy.

After the project is complete, Ennis House is expected to be open to the public a few days per year.

Samuel Freeman House

 Los Angeles/Wikimedia Commons

The Freeman House located at 1962 Glencoe Way in Los Angeles is one of three textile block houses Wright designed in the Hollywood Hills in the 1920s.

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and has been listed as a California Historical Landmark and as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

The textile block design homes are examples of Wright's pre-Columbian inspired or early Modernist architecture. In 1986, the Freeman House was bequeathed to the USC School of Architecture. After the completion of renovations, the university plans to use it as a residence for distinguished visitors, as well as a setting for seminars and meetings. It is not open to the public.

John Storer House

Farrell Grehan/Getty Images 

The Storer House found at 8161 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles is known for its drama. Although Wright believed in designing structures that blended seamlessly into their natural surroundings, this 3,000-square-foot house does anything but. 

One of the four textile block Wright houses in this pre-Columbian-inspired style in the Los Angeles area, the Storer House is unique because of its four-block designs.

The Storer House was built on a steep hillside in the Hollywood Hills. Dramatic for the era, the house was compared to a Pompeiian villa. It was surrounded by jungle-like lush landscaping which gave the illusion of a hidden Mayan ruin. The Storer house is a private residence and not open to the public.

Arch Oboler Gatehouse and Eleanor's Retreat

Located at 32436 West Mulholland Highway in Malibu, this complex was badly damaged during the Woolsey Fire in late 2018. Its fate is uncertain.

Its started as the grand "Eagle Feather" project that included a studio, house, stables and more designed for a radio personality, movie and early television director/producer Arch Oboler and his wife Eleanor.

However, only a gatehouse and a small studio were actually built. The Arch Oboler Gatehouse and Eleanor's Retreat buildings are the only example of desert rubblestone construction, the same style Wright used at Taliesin West in Scottsdale Arizona. The builders sourced materials from the surrounding area to make it feel as if the buildings were an extension of the desert floor thus the "rubblestone" moniker. 

Sturges House

Bobak Ha'Eri/Wikimedia Commons/CC-By-SA-3.0 

The Sturges House located at 449 N. Skyewiay Road in Brentwood Heights, is considered a masterpiece of American design, often compared to Wright's legendary Fallingwater in southwest Pennsylvania.

This was Wright's first Usonian-style structure on the West Coast with a design that seems to grow out of the side of the hill. Usonian was a term Wright coined for more modest, middle-American homes.

The one-story home is fairly small, 1,200 square feet, but the outdoor space more than makes up for it. The concrete, steel, brick and redwood home features a 21-foot panoramic deck.

The home is not open to the public.

Millard House

Jeremy Levine/Flickr 

The Millard House, also known as La Miniatura, located at 645 Prospect Crescent in Pasadena, sits on an acre of gardens and offers beautiful views. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is the first of the textile block house designed by Wright who was, at the time, experimenting with concrete building materials and using Mayan and Aztec symbols and designs to decorate them.

Wright was commissioned to build Millard House by Alice Millard, a rare-book dealer after he built a home for her in Illinois twenty years prior.

The home was built in 1923 and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It is not open to the public.

Freeman House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Anderton Court Shops by Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright's Houses and Buildings in California

Millard House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Ennis House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Marin Civic Center by Frank Lloyd Wright

Hanna House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Maynard Buehler House by Frank Lloyd Wright

House Museums in Los Angeles

Mrs. Clinton Walker House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright Houses in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Minnesota

Dr. George Ablin House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Bazett House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Venice Canals in Los Angeles: The Complete Guide

Top Architectural Sights to See in Los Angeles

Nakoma Clubhouse by Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House will soon reopen to the public

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

More than a century after its completion and three years after being recognized as a cultural world treasure, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House will soon reopen to the public.

The landmark home in East Hollywood’s Barnsdall Art Park was closed for more than two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs used the hiatus to complete a series of restoration and improvement projects at the home, which was commissioned in 1918 by oil heiress Aline Barnsdall.

Hollyhock House will reopen Aug. 18 and show off a series of “significant transformations,’’ said Daniel Tarica, interim general manager of the cultural affairs agency.

The home’s monumental fireplace, which brings together the four classical elements of earth, air, fire and water, has been restored, as have the art-glass balcony doors in the master bedroom.

Two Wright-designed sofa tables, which the architect had said he considered “part of the house design itself,” have been reinstalled.

The improvements also included a major restoration of a guest house, known as “Residence A.” A cantilevered balcony on the north side of the structure, which had fallen away, has been fully re-created, with a steel frame to ensure its longevity. Exterior finishes long covered by multiple layers of paint have been restored to Wright’s original vision, including art stone that wraps around the building.

The Chicago-based architect increased his visits to Los Angeles as he traveled to Tokyo, where he designed the Imperial Hotel. Along the way, he met Barnsdall, a philanthropist, theater producer, political progressive, world traveler and lover of the hollyhock flower. Wright agreed to incorporate the floral element into his design for the house.

The result, Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne wrote in 2017, “is a transitional work in many respects — a bridge between the scores of charismatic Prairie Style houses he’d designed in the Midwest and the starker architecture he’d turn to once he was fully established in Los Angeles.” Hawthorne and other critics also noted the nods to Mayan and Spanish Revival architecture.

Barnsdall and Wright famously feuded over the construction of the home and what she perceived as design flaws. The architect later said Barnsdall was his “most difficult client.” She never lived in the Hollyhock House and donated it to the city of Los Angeles in 1927.

Over the decades, it saw periods of disrepair. In 1946, the architect’s son, Lloyd Wright, helped lead an earlier restoration, redesigning and modernizing the kitchen — changes that later restorations left in place.

The city worked with the nonprofit Project Restore to make some of the more recent improvements. Said one former curator: “For people who are revisiting the house, it’s a revelation. They come in the house and literally their jaws drop.”

In 2019, UNESCO declared the home a World Heritage Site — the only location in Los Angeles to achieve that international status symbol.

Less than a year later, the home became one of many cultural institutions to close with the onset of the pandemic.

With the reopening, self-guided tours will be available Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The city says the reopening “will offer unprecedented access to Hollyhock House’s restored outdoor spaces, showcasing new aspects of Wright’s self-proclaimed ‘garden house.’ ” Advanced ticket purchases are required at hollyhockhouse.org .

Other facilities in Barnsdall Park are also reopening, including the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, the Barnsdall Arts Center and the Barnsdall Junior Arts Center.

The Cultural Affairs Department is hosting a free reopening party for the community on Saturday, Aug. 20, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

More to Read

Chris Pratt, Katherine Schwarzenegger could’ve given Craig Ellwood teardown ‘some honor,’ architect’s daughter says

April 22, 2024

This gorgeous Craftsman-inspired ADU in Hollywood was once a rickety garage

April 9, 2024

Owners of Marilyn Monroe’s home fight landmark status. L.A.’s Cultural Heritage Commission votes to save it

Jan. 22, 2024

Start your day right

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

James Rainey has covered multiple presidential elections, the media and the environment, mostly at the Los Angeles Times, which he first joined in 1984. He was part of Times teams that won three Pulitzer Prizes.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Photos: Tensions grow as pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses continue

Mel Opotowsky, newspaper editor and 1st Amendment advocate, dies at 92

Henry Cervantes, Mexican American farmworker turned WWII bomber pilot, dies at 100

Six California House races that could help determine control of Congress

April 26, 2024

11 Best Museums In Los Angeles If You Aren’t An Art Lover

T he Golden State’s largest metro area is known for many things, including its vibrant arts scene. But what if you aren’t an art lover? LA still has plenty to offer!

Here are the 11 best museums in Los Angeles for those who aren’t into art.

1. Hollyhock House

In the picturesque Barnsdall Art Park , Hollyhock House is one of the best Frank Lloyd Wright sites in the United States. Designed by the legendary architect and completed in the early 1920s, Hollyhock House showcases Wright’s signature style of geometric shapes, open spaces, and seamless integration with nature.

The house gets its name from the hollyhock flower, which inspired the distinctive motifs and patterns found throughout the property. Whether you are an architecture enthusiast or simply looking to explore something new, Hollyhock House is a testament to the enduring legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic designs.

Fun Fact: On July 7, 2019, Hollyhock House became Los Angeles’s first UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the 20th-century architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.

2. Japanese American National Museum

For those interested in learning about the Japanese-American experience, the Japanese American National Museum is a must-visit in Los Angeles. Through various enriching experiences that include permanent collections, rotating exhibits, and traveling displays, this unique institution focuses on increasing awareness and understanding of the history and contributions of Japanese Americans. From everyday objects to personal mementos, this museum offers a rich tapestry of stories that will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the Japanese-American community.

3. Chinese American Museum

Located within El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument , considered the historic heart and birthplace of LA, the Chinese American Museum is a captivating tribute to the history and contributions of Chinese Americans. Symbolically housed in the oldest and last surviving structure of Los Angeles’s original Chinatown, the museum provides a cultural and physical link to the past while also shining a spotlight on the city’s multicultural future.

One of the highlights of the Chinese American Museum is the Sun Wing Wo general store and herb shop . This unique display is a recreation of a store in the Garnier Building in the late 1800s. It showcases a traditional Chinese herb shop and demonstrates how self-sufficient Chinese Americans were and had to be due to racism and discrimination. Although the store catered to ethnically Chinese customers, an increasing number of European, Japanese, and Mexican Americans visited to purchase Chinese merchandise over time.

4. California African American Museum

Located in Exposition Park along with several other can’t-miss museums, the California African American Museum (CAAM) is a cultural gem that celebrates African Americans. The museum’s permanent collection contains more than 5,000 objects that showcase African Americans’ extraordinary talent and creativity throughout history. In addition to its impressive collection, CAAM hosts educational programs and workshops providing a deeper understanding of African American culture, history, and art. 

Pro Tip: Continue to immerse yourself in LA’s Black community by supporting these Black-owned businesses in Los Angeles .

5. Natural History Museum Of Los Angeles

To explore the wonders of the natural world, check out the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles . With an extensive collection of over 35 million objects, this museum offers a wealth of knowledge and excitement for visitors of all ages. One of the highlights of the Natural History Museum is its renowned Dinosaur Hall , featuring skeletons of a baby, juvenile, and sub-adult Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Beyond its indoor exhibits, the Natural History Museum also offers the opportunity to explore its outdoor Nature Gardens . These beautifully landscaped gardens are home to a wide variety of native plants and wildlife, providing a serene and immersive experience in nature. Visitors can also take advantage of guided tours and live theater shows to enhance their visit further.

6. La Brea Tar Pits And Museum

The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is a must-visit if you’re looking for a unique and captivating museum experience in Los Angeles. This paleontological site is considered one of the world’s most fascinating, with over 3.5 million fossils discovered here.

Start at the museum, where you can explore a wide variety of exhibits and experiences. Then, head to the Fossil Lab, where you can get a front-row seat to the ongoing research and preparation of fossils found at the tar pits. You can also visit the excavation sites and observe fossil excavations in real time. Learn more about what it’s like to see the La Brea Tar Pits here .

7. California Science Center

Science lovers will also enjoy the California Science Center . The museum’s permanent exhibits allow visitors to journey through the history of fire safety, explore the beginnings of life on Earth, and delve into the intricate workings of different ecosystems. The California Science Center also houses the Apollo command module flown by American astronauts Tom Stafford, Deke Slayton, and Vance Brand to rendezvous with a Russian Soyuz orbiting Earth.

Pro Tip: Looking for the best way to get around Los Angeles? This article has everything you need to know.

8. Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures

Located next to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art , the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is a must-visit for movie buffs. This museum celebrates the rich history and art of motion pictures, showcasing iconic costumes from classic movies, gowns worn by famous stars, and even Oscar statuettes. And if you’ve ever dreamed of attending the Oscars, The Oscar Experience provides a behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood’s most prestigious award ceremony. With over 13 million items in its extensive collection, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures offers a comprehensive look into the magic of cinema, from the glamor of the red carpet to the innovation of filmmaking techniques.

9. Hollywood Wax Museum

Visiting the Hollywood Wax Museum on Hollywood Boulevard is a fun experience that allows you to take selfies with incredibly life-like wax figures from your favorite TV shows and movies. The museum also provides props and costumes, allowing you to immerse yourself in the experience and helping you capture unforgettable memories. Whether you’re a movie buff or just looking for a light-hearted and entertaining experience, the Hollywood Wax Museum is a must-visit museum in a city known for its motion picture and television industries.

Pro Tip: Is taking a selfie with the iconic Hollywood sign on your LA bucket list? Here are 10 tips for the best views of the Hollywood sign .

10. GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live

If music is more your jam, you’ll dig the GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live . Dedicated to the history and significance of music, it showcases a wide range of award-winning musical artists. The museum’s permanent exhibits allow you to explore how music has reflected and influenced history. But it also features a rich assortment of special exhibitions that spotlight artists like Peggy Lee, The Rolling Stones, and Shakira. 

Pro Tip: Is exploring the City of Angels making you hungry? These are 15 Los Angeles-area restaurants loved by locals .

11. Petersen Automotive Museum

Motorheads will love the Petersen Automotive Museum with its extensive collection of over 250 rare cars, motorcycles, and trucks, spanning 120 years of motoring history. Marvel at iconic vehicles that have left a lasting impact on popular culture, from the famous Batmobile to the time-traveling DeLorean from Back to the Future . You can also admire classic cars from renowned manufacturers like Porsche and Ferrari, appreciating the timeless elegance and craftsmanship that these vehicles embody.

Los Angeles is more than just a hub for art enthusiasts. It’s a city that celebrates diversity, history, and innovation in many forms. Whether you’re a movie buff, a history enthusiast, a science lover, or just someone looking for a unique experience, LA’s museums have you covered. So, next time you find yourself in the City of Angels, don’t limit yourself to its art galleries. Be sure to experience these fascinating museums, as well!

But, if you are an art lover and want to explore Los Angeles’s best art museums, here’s what you need to know .

This article originally appeared on TravelAwaits

CANOGA PARK WEEKLY FARMERS MARKET

Upcoming Events

Film Series: Beware the Elements! Natural Disasters on Film

The Acadmy Museum presents the Film Series Beware the Elements! Natural Disasters on Film Following a summer of record-breaking heatwaves, extreme wildfires, historic floods, and a truly unprecedented “hurriquake,” we find the perilous realities of climate change increasingly impacting our daily lives. This screening series considers natural disasters through our planet’s primary elements—earth, wind, water, and fire—and seeks to highlight key moments in the history of the disaster film genre as a source of entertainment and portrayal of science, and…

Kairos is the story of two people falling in love during a tectonic societal shift. Their nascent relationship is tested by the advent of a procedure that grants immortality to a select few. What happens to commitment, meaning, and care when linear time breaks? Both dystopian science fiction and a darkly comedic love story, Kairos is a compassionate investigation of two humans whose ideal “happily-ever-after” is terrifyingly outpaced by relentless technological and societal upheaval.   Check the website for ticket…

Paula Cole has never been afraid of speaking complex truths. With a musical catalog defined by honest and deeply personal lyrics carried by her powerful, radiant voice, Cole has always had a gift for discerning the underlying humanity in stories from her own life as well as those around her, and channeling those emotional elements into captivating music. On her latest record, Cole has applied this natural insight to American history and musical roots traditions by interpreting a selection of…

Stories of Sugar Hill

Stories of Sugar Hill presented by Friends Of Residential Treasures: Los Angeles Map and guidebook available for download on February 13, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. for FREE! Stories of Sugar Hill is a seven-stop self-guided Trail map accompanied by  in-depth research that celebrates the influential legends, icons, and trailblazers of West Adams’ Black history. This project supports the neighborhood’s efforts in collecting, archiving, and sharing the stories of West Adams by working with residents of the area. The experience is…

Stories and Voices from L.A. Chinatown

Stories and Voices from L.A. Chinatown is the first in the series Archive Alive, a new collaboration between The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; the Library Foundation of Los Angeles; and the Los Angeles Public Library. Archive Alive activates historic photographs, documents, and maps drawn from the Huntington’s and LAPL’s vast collections through online exhibitions, site-specific installations and displays, and interviews with community members, whose personal reflections and connections bring the archives to life. You can explore these…

View All Events

Be in the Loop!

Receive notes about art, culture, and creativity in LA!

Your Email *

Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Department of Cultural Affairs. (You can unsubscribe anytime)