Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Grotte de Glace
Sinquerim Beach Bastion
Port Tobacco Schoolhouse
Barracks / munitions storage.
Vloethemveld
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving
about 11 hours ago
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?
about 18 hours ago
A woman peering into the cave of Sarah Bishop c. 1900.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism
about 23 hours ago
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California Los Angeles Heritage Square Museum

Heritage Square Museum

Beautiful Victorian buildings from L.A.'s forgotten architectural past.

Los Angeles, California

Added By
muriel
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Hale House   Codera23 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Hale House   Codera23 / CC BY-SA 4.0
The Longfellow-Hastings Octagon House.   Sgerbic / CC BY-SA 3.0
The Lincoln Avenue Methodist Church.   Sgerbic / CC BY-SA 3.0
The Valley Knudsen Garden Residence (Shaw House).   Cbl62 / CC BY-SA 3.0
The Palms Depot.   Floyd B. Bariscale / CC BY 2.0
The Mount Pleasant House.   Los Angeles / CC BY-SA 3.0
The carriage barn.   Sgerbic / CC BY-SA 3.0
2018_05_26_ Heritage Square Museum_Ghoula Ghost Tour   Keri Kilgo / Atlas Obscura User
  Sandi Hemmerlein, Avoiding Regret
  Sandi Hemmerlein, Avoiding Regret
  hibbibi / Atlas Obscura User
  hibbibi / Atlas Obscura User
The front facade of the Hale House.   Los Angeles / CC BY-SA 3.0
Perry Mansion at twilight   Sandi Hemmerlein, Avoiding Regret
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Wandering around this cluster of Victorian buildings, visitors are able to glimpse a forgotten chapter in the history of Los Angeles, back before it became the bustling city it is today.

The open-air Heritage Square Museum features architecture from the 100-year period between 1850 and 1950. As L.A.'s population boomed in the 1960s, many of its 19th-century buildings were demolished with the rapid urbanization that took hold. Thankfully, some of the historic structures were saved.

The beautiful buildings at Heritage Square now preserve pieces of the city's history that would have otherwise been destroyed. In the late 1960s, a group of citizens who were dedicated to protecting these architectural remnants of the past formed the Cultural Heritage Foundation of Southern California, a nonprofit which then created the Heritage Square Museum as a safe haven for otherwise doomed structures.

One of the most eye-catching houses at the museum is the Hale House, a home that is covered in rather garish green and orange paint. The colors were reproduced from the original paint chips found within the house while it was being restored. Other noteworthy sites include an octagon house, an adorable carriage house, and a historic train depot. Tour guides dressed in period clothing add an extra touch of authenticity to experiencing these architectural treasures.

Related Tags

Architecture Architectural Oddities Victorian Museums 19th Century History Preservation Discover Los Angeles

Community Contributors

Added By

frenchbot

Edited By

Avoiding Regret, Kerry Wolfe, Keri Kilgo, hibbibi...

  • Avoiding Regret
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Keri Kilgo
  • hibbibi
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

March 2, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Heritage Square Museum
3800 Homer St
Los Angeles, California
United States
34.088295, -118.207745
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Lummis Home ("El Alisal")

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens

Los Angeles, California

miles away

The Adventurers' Club of Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Los Angeles

Los Angeles

California

Places 237
Stories 62

Nearby Places

Lummis Home ("El Alisal")

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens

Los Angeles, California

miles away

The Adventurers' Club of Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Los Angeles

Los Angeles

California

Places 237
Stories 62

Related Stories and Lists

15 Surprisingly Romantic Places in Los Angeles

List

By Michelle Cassidy

Related Places

  • Pomerode’s German architecture on display at the Carl Weege house museum.

    Pomerode, Brazil

    Carl Weege Immigrant House Museum

    The preserved home of the first settler of "the most German town in Brazil."

  • Hereford, England

    Black and White House Museum

    This iconic Tudor home-turned-museum offers a unique glimpse into the everyday life of a prosperous family during the early modern period.

  • Court Barn from Lee-on-Solent.

    Chichester, England

    Weald and Downland Living Museum

    This open-air heritage museum illuminates centuries of historic English life from a West Sussex village.

  • John Knox House.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    John Knox House

    This charming old building's loose connection with the Scottish Reformer is what saved it from demolition after it split apart.

  • The temple.

    Atherton, Australia

    Hou Wang Temple

    The last timber and iron Chinese temple in Australia.

  • Aerial view of Lyveden New Bield.

    Northamptonshire, England

    Lyveden New Bield

    The intended purpose of this unfinished Elizabethan building remains a mystery.

  • Washington, D.C.

    Old Stone House

    The oldest building in the District of Columbia was preserved because of a mistaken connection to George Washington.

  • Re-chiseled swastika

    Copenhagen, Denmark

    Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Ghost Swastikas

    The art museum is decorated with creatively remodeled pre-Nazi swastikas.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.