Page 658 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

656  C ALIFORNIA

e Exposition Park
& University of
Southern California
Map E4. @ DASH Shuttle C from
Business District. @ 81. Natural
History Museum of LA County:
Tel (213) 763-3466. ∑ nhm.org
LA Memorial Coliseum: Tel (213) 747-
7111. ∑ lacoliseum.com University
of Southern California: Tel (213) 740-
5371. 8 ∑ usc.edu
Located southwest of down-
town, Exposition Park began
life in the 1880s as an area of Rotunda of Los Angeles City Hall
open-air markets, carnivals, and
horseracing. By the end of the r Los Angeles is still one of LA’s most familiar
century, the district was rife Central Library landmarks. It served as the
with drinking, gambling, and Daily Planet building in the
prostitution. When Judge Map E4. 630 W 5th St. Tel (213) 228- television series Superman.
William Miller Bowen’s Sunday- 7000. Open 10am–8pm Mon–Thu, Inside, the rotunda has a inlaid-
school pupils began skipping 10am–5:30pm Fri & Sat, 1–5pm Sun. tile dome and great acoustics.
Closed public hols. 7 ∑ lapl.org
church to enjoy local temp- The Los Angeles Children’s
tations, he pushed for the Museum across the street has
transformation of the area into Built in 1926, this civic treasure some 20 hands-on activities
a cultural landmark that today was struck by an arson attack linked by a series of ramps.
includes three museums. The in 1986. Seven years later, after Called the Discovery Maze, it
Natural History Museum a $213.9 million renovation was designed by Frank Gehry.
of Los Angeles County, at the program sympathetic to the
heart of the park, displays a original architecture, the
variety of specimens and library’s capacity was doubled y Music Center
artifacts, alongside an insect to more than 2.1 million books. Map E4. 135 N Grand Ave. Tel (213)
zoo and a hands-on Discovery The original building 972-7211. & 7 Dorothy Chandler
Center. A short drive southeast combines Beaux Arts grandeur Pavilion box office: Open 10am–
leads to the California Museum with Byzantine, Egyptian, 6pm Tue–Sat. Mark Taper Forum &
of Science and Industry, with and Roman architectural Ahmanson Theater box offices:
its interactive exhibits aiming to elements. The library Open noon–6pm Tue–Sun.
make science accessible to all. also hosts prose and ∑ musiccenter.org
Farther east lies the California poetry readings,
African-American Museum that and concerts. This performing arts
is a record of Afro-American The First Interstate complex is situated at
achievements in various fields. World Center across the the northern end of
The park is also home to the Los street is a 73-story office Bunker Hill. The Dorothy
Angeles Memorial Coliseum, block designed by I.M. Chandler Pavilion is
which was the site of the 1932 Pei. At 1,017 ft (310 m), named after the wife of
and 1984 Olympics, and was it is the tallest building the former publisher
also home to the University’s in the city. of the Los Angeles Times.
Trojan football team. Across the Music Center Plaza It is home to the Center
street stands the 152-acre (62-ha) theatre group, the
University of Southern t Los Angeles and Fountain Los Angeles Opera,
California, which houses City Hall the Los Angeles Master
about 28,000 students. Chorale, and, from fall to spring,
Map E4. 200 N Spring St. Tel (213) the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
485-2121. Open 8am–5pm Mon–Fri. The Ahmanson Theater has
Closed public hols. 7 from Main St. movable walls to adjust the
8 advance reservations required. auditorium size, and it stages
∑ lacity.org
Broadway plays. The Mark
Taper Forum has won almost
When it was built in 1928, sand every theatrical prize in the
from every county in California US. It presents first-class plays.
and water from each of the The Walt Disney Concert Hall
state’s 21 missions was added is the home of one of the
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles to the City Hall’s mortar. The world’s leading choirs, the LA
County at Exposition Park tower of this 28-story structure Philharmonic Master Chorale.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp710–12 and pp713–15

656-657_EW_USA.indd 656 11/2/16 2:49 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm