Placita Olvera is a famous historic location in Los Angeles, California. It is called Olvera street, or El Pueblo Historic Monument, and the entire street is full of tourist destinations. A field trip to Placita Olvera has a few available options, such as visiting the street itself or visiting specific buildings and locations.
La Placita Church is a Catholic church on Olvera Street which marks the start of the street and the historic locations. The church is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors can go into the church at any time during the open hours and take time to enjoy the experience of the church setting.
La Placita Church
535 N. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-629-3101
laplacita.org
The Old Plaza is located across the street from Union Station. The plaza has a plaque on the Olvera street side which memorializes the first settlers to the area. The Old Plaza hosts celebrations ranging from Mexican Independence Day to Cinco de Mayo to the city of Los Angeles' birthday.
The Old Plaza Firehouse dates back to 1884. The firehouse was originally used for a volunteer firefighter's group called the Volunteers 38, but it later became part of the city fire department which prevented the volunteers from fighting.
The Plaza Fire House
126 Plaza Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-485-6855
olvera-street.com
According to Olvera Street's website, Masonic Hall is the oldest building in Los Angeles. It was built in 1858 and was designed as a secret meeting place for Masons. The building is slightly south of the historic plaza.
The Garnier Building, otherwise known as the Chinese American Museum, is located south of the plaza. It was built in 1890 by Philippe Garnier and later leased to the Chinese. Though it is the Chinese American Museum, it is still a part of Olvera Street. Though the Chinese were forcibly removed from the area during the building of Union Station, and freeway construction leveled many buildings, the Garnier Building still stands and now houses the museum.
Chinese American Museum
425 N. Los Angeles St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-485-8567
camla.org
