Posted by Los Angeles City Hall is no longer the tallest building that L.A. has to offer, but for awhile there it was the only game in town.
Because of a city charter (approved in the name of harmonious architecture) that stayed in effect until the late 1950’s, our City Hall was tallest building in Los Angeles from 1928 until 1964.
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Though it’s now been supplanted many times over for the title of tallest in L.A., City Hall remains (at 454 feet high) the tallest base-isolated structure in the world. From a visitor’s perspective the standout feature is an observation deck on the 27th floor that offers a perfect perspective to enjoy the rest of our beautiful skyline and views all over the county.
And it’s FREE to the public!
Yesterday my nephew and I took at trip to the hall to have a look for ourselves.
Photos and some details below.
[RELATED: 57 Fun & Free Things to Do in Los Angeles Every Angeleno Should Try Once]
A Visit to the City Hall Observation Deck
The toughest (and costliest) thing about visiting the Observation Deck will be parking around City Hall.
For those planning a super quick trip there are some $4-per-hour meters scattered in the blocks surrounding the building, but if you don’t get there super early in the morning (and you’re a bit lucky) it’ll be a miracle if you snag a spot.
Our plan involved making more of a day from it so we ended up parking in an outdoor lot closer to Grand Central Market and walking over. Some lots that I saw have $9 per day maximums, others can be much higher (it just depends where you park).
That said, here are some additional tips for planning your own visit:
- The public entrance is on the Main Street side.
- You have to pass through a metal detector (just good to know if you want to carry less stuff inside)
- We were there around noon on a Monday, and there was no line or wait time to get in (I imagine it’s much busier depending on the time of day).
- You need a valid I.D. to check-in.
- Take express elevator to 22nd floor. Take another elevator up to 26th floor. Take stairway up to 27th floor.
- In addition to the 360 degree views of Los Angeles, there’s a lectern inside the observation deck perfect for a cheeky photo op (see pic below).
- Open Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Here are a few quick photos from our visit:
Los Angeles City Hall is located at 200 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012. For more information visit lacity.org.
Enjoy!
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