Historic Union Station Tour in DTLA, and the Los Angeles Conservancy

After thinking about it for years, I decided to become a member of the Los Angeles Conservancy through an Amazon Local promotion deal that was $20 for an individual membership. (Regular price is $40). As soon as I got the membership, I checked the LA Conservancy website and decided to take tour to see some Los Angeles history. The walking tours cost only $5.00 for members, and I can get two tickets for this price. There are a few tours I can walk on without having to make an advance reservation, and the tour of Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles is one of them.

So last Saturday, my husband and I decided to go on the tour. It was exciting because it's the first time in 17 years that the two of us decided to not bring our teenage girls along to see things with us. They are busy with sleepovers, and were not interested in historic tours at all. (So this tour was kind of a glimpse into our future as empty nesters once the girls go to college).

Grand opening of Union Station in 1939

Union Station is amazing. The land under it used to be Los Angeles' first vineyard, planted by immigrant Jean-Louis Vignes (Hence the Vignes St. behind the Station). Later, in the 1800s, Chinese became squatters on the land and built the first Chinatown in Los Angeles there. However, having no legal rights and encountering discrimination, Chinatown was pushed out to make way for the construction of Union Station. Designed by John and Donald Parkinson, (father and son), Union Station opened in 1939 and was the last great train station built in the United States as the era of train travel started to wain. The architecture of the station is a mixture of Art Deco and mission revival style, with architectural details such as eight-pointed stars.

Just above front entrance of Union Station

As one enters the station, to the left is a great hall with intricate tile floors and soaring ceilings with14 feet wide lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling. Those fixtures have survived despite several earthquakes hitting the area. This is the original ticketing center at Union Station. The ticket counters are made of beautiful wood and is higher than the ticket buying public. The entire space reflects the importance of rail transportation back in the heydays of the trains. However, this room is no longer being used as a ticket office because for some reason, people thought it needs to be preserved for the wonderful architecture that's in it, rather than use the place for what it was constructed for.

Behind the original ticket counters

Nowadays, this great hall is only available to be leased out for private events. It is ironic that despite surviving many earthquakes, some wall tiles only came out during a private heavy metal band event!

Ceiling of ticket room. All steel underneath.

Inside the station you can see the hustle and bustle of travelers and vendors. The MTA has been trying to generate revenue through Union Station, hence you see lots of shops such as Famima's, Starbucks Coffee, Traxx Restaurant, See's Candy, a newstand, etc. The train platforms carry Amtrak trains and Metro Rail Lines that take you to all parts of the country and the State. The back of Union Station is the newly added Patsouras Transit Plaza that hosts bus lines taking travelers to all parts of Los Angeles County and beyond.

Tribute to the geodesic dome at the Patsouras Transit Plaza

Finally, as you double back and leave the Station from Alameda St where you first entered, to your left is one of the last "Harvey Houses."  The Harvey houses were created by Fred Harvey who built an empire of restaurants around train stations that fed legions of hungry travelers in the wild West. The well known 1946 movie The Harvey Girls starring Judy Garland and Angela Lansbury was apparently about women who used to work as waitresses for the Harvey Houses.This particular Harvey House in Los Angeles is now closed except for private events, but you can tour the dining, kitchen and bar area through the Los Angeles Conservancy.

Harvey House at the Los Angeles Union Station

Touring Union Station gives one an appreciation of the history of Los Angeles and the American West, but the lack of use of some of the nicest parts of the station such as the ticketing hall and the Harvey House, makes one feel regretful that these marvelous places where someone put in thought and ingenuity to build for public use are now relegated only to be enjoyed through private events and historic tours.