Heritage Square
Southwest Museum, Highland Park
Highland Park’s formula for its appeal is simple: Architecture + Art = Cultural Destination. In a city that has culture in its genes, it’s a given that art districts and hip neighborhoods would crop up, but Highland Park was one of LA’s earliest bohemias and still thrives on its artistic consciousness.
It’d be impossible to talk about Highland Park without mentioning Charles Lummis, one of the West’s most famous writers and one of the neighborhood’s earliest bohemians. His former house, now the Charles F. Lummis Home and Garden, was built between 1898 and 1910. Lummis himself worked on the eccentric stone structure and designed it to preserve the native chaparral vegetation. Architecturally, it co-exists with its peaceful surroundings, providing a quaint solace from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Lummis’ home isn’t the only residential architectural wonder of Highland Park. On the east side of the Arroyo Seco, a watercourse that runs through the neighborhood, Heritage Square hosts eight of LA’s landmark mansions. Once designated for demolition, the houses were rebuilt on this site. Two of the most notable are the Hale House and the Longfellow house, both of which are restored to pre-1900s condition.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Historical Society Museum features Renaissance Revival architecture, recognizable from films and television shows. Affectionately nicknamed “Old Number 11,” the museum showcases the history of the LAPD, its uniforms and its weapons, giving visitors an inside look into the nation’s famous police force.
Lummis also had a strong interest in American Indian culture. His acquisitions became the foundation for the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, now part of the Autry National Center. Today, the museum has become one of LA’s most revered institutions by creating one of the world’s most important collections related to American Indian history. The museum is currently undergoing a major renovation and the galleries are closed for the time being, but the lower lobby is open on weekends and admission is free to view temporary exhibitions.
Highland Park’s attractions aren’t all about preserving the past. At the southeast end of Highland Park, The Audubon Center at Debs Park is LA’s first building to function “off-the-grid,” using renewable energy rather than public utilities. The surrounding park, part of the Audubon Society’s first urban nature center, features paths winding through natural vegetation.
Today, Highland Park has boomed into a new era, a change that was triggered by a collective of new art galleries. Together, they’ve heralded a new wave of hip artists who arrive via Metro’s Gold Line. Many feature Latino art, providing a new voice for the demographic, while others push the boundaries of art with various installations and exhibits. Among the best are:
Clustered around Figueroa Street, this showcase collection also holds tours and open houses on the second Saturday of each month.
