LA City Hall Observation Deck: One of SoCal’s Most Overlooked Attractions

Los Angeles might be the second most visited city in the US, but that doesn’t mean that all the attractions in this sprawling urban mass get equal attention. Many people often opt to spend their time chasing the glitz & glam of Hollywood and Beverly Hills or soaking up the rays in Santa Monica or on Venice beach. Yet, that is what makes this observation deck even more appealing – few people are aware of its existence (even locals), which means that you can enjoy it at a leisurely pace without competing with flocks of visitors.

Basics

The observation level of city hall is open to the public and can be found on the 27th floor – offering spectacular scenic views of the city and beyond from all 4 sides. Eagle-eyed visitors can spot this floor from the exterior with ease, as it’s the one with the vertically elongated windows near the top of the central tower. Indeed, the observation deck offers some of the best (and highest) viewpoints in the city that are available for public visitations.

Visits to this little slice of history are free to all, though you will have some security to go through first – which I will cover below. Entry is permitted Monday through Friday 8am-5pm, with parking available for a fee.

History & Facts

Los Angeles City Hall is the seat of government for the city and an architectural marvel sporting an art deco design that’s defined as modern American.

Completed in 1928, city hall has since become an enduring symbol of LA – often appearing on the likes of official documents, postcards, and formal seals. The building itself was designed by John Parkinson, John C. Austin, and Albert C. Martin, Sr., who had all made a name for themselves in California, with many of their landmark buildings still standing in the state today.

The structure has 32 floors and, at 454 feet (138 m) high, it is the tallest base-isolated structure in the world, having undergone a seismic retrofit from 1998 to 2001, so that the building will sustain minimal damage and remain functional after a magnitude 8.2 earthquake – which are prone to hit the city as it lies close to the San Andreas fault.

How to Get There

City Hall is in the northernmost portion of downtown, a mere couple of blocks from Union Station – which makes it easily accessible to anyone arriving into the city by bus or train.

Finding the entrance was confusing, though admittedly this was once again the fault of Google Maps (another reason I need to learn to rely less on it). Maps led me to the side of the building on North Spring St., which it claimed was the entrance. I quickly discovered this was not the case as there were barriers surrounding the steps – a clear indication not to enter there. Not deterred, I followed the building around to West Temple Street, only to find that this entrance was for employees only. I wasn’t able to find anyone outside, so I headed around again to North Main Street, where I found the real entrance.

So, make sure you head to the side of the building on North Main Street and the entrance should be easy to spot – as it lies just below an elevated walkway that connects the building across the street.

The Visit

When you visit, you will need to go through a security checkpoint since it is a government building. Fortunately, it’s easy provided you have some form of photographic ID on your person and are not carrying any weapons (which should be a given).

Upon entry, one of the guards will approach you to ask the purpose of your visit. Simply state that you wish to visit the observation level, and they will direct you to security, which functions like it does at any airport. Just put all your bags and the contents of your pockets into a tray and onto the conveyor belt and head through the metal detector. This was followed by a quick pat down for me, like airport security. This will not be the case for everyone. You will then be directed to a desk to share your ID, after which you will be handed a visitors’ badge. The guard then gave me some brief instructions as to how to reach the deck, which I personally found simple enough to follow along. Though, you could ask to write them down if you struggle with directions.

You will need to take the express elevator just along the hallway which goes up to the 22^nd floor. From here you need to take the next set of elevators, which go to the 26th floor. This level is also open to explore and includes paintings of the mayors of LA throughout history hung on its walls. They also have bathrooms on this floor if you need them. You will then need to walk up the double staircase to the 27th floor, where the observation deck is.

This will lead you into a huge hall with a podium, large flag stands, long draped velvet curtains and art deco lamps. There wasn’t anything here in the way of information, but it looked like the room was used for press conferences, or the likes of.

No doubt your eyes will be drawn to the massive floor to ceiling windows surrounding the room. This is the observation deck. Head out and you can start taking in the breathtaking views.

It is easy to spend 30 minutes just taking it all in, and it really gives you a sense of being amongst one of the world’s most populated areas. Visibility is a key factor in relation to what you might see (LA is notorious for smog). I was able to discern the Pacific Coast areas, the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, Disney Music Hall, and, of course, the skyscrapers of downtown.

There is an upper portion which hosts some donated artifacts and features a beautiful grand rotunda ceiling. Sadly, it was closed during my visit.

Things to Keep in Mind

As mentioned, visibility plays a key factor here. So, make sure to plan your visit on a clear day to avoid any disappointment.

If you liked this article and would like to support my work, then please consider clicking on one of the buttons above to donate a little to either buy me a coffee or support my business initiative. Your generous support enables me to keep creating new and better content, as well as cover business development costs. Please only do this if you are financially able to do so, as these are challenging times for us all – Thank you!