Los Angeles State Historic Park (LASHP) is a 32-acre green space carved out on the edge of Chinatown, serving as a kind of urban meadow with great views of the DTLA skyline.
Just a short walk from Union Station, the park offers wide-open lawns perfect for picnicking, art installations, and even a weekly farmers market.
About Los Angeles State Historic Park
Los Angeles State Historic Park was originally the site of a major Tongva/Gabrielino village until the arrival of Spanish settlers. In 1791, settlers and Indigenous laborers built the “Zanja Madre,” or mother ditch, which carried water from the L.A. River to the original El Pueblo settlement. You can see exposed brick segments of the Zanja Madre today.
Eventually, the Southern Pacific Railroad established the River Station rail yard at the site in the 1870s. It for nearly a century before it was decommissioned in the 1980s, and you can still see original pavers integrated into the park landscape.
The railyard sat fenced off from the public before community activists saved it from warehouse development in the early 2000s. The reimagined 32-acre space that we know today finally opened on Earth Day 2017.
Today, visitors can enjoy a mile-long walking/jogging loop; massive lawns for picnics, kite-flying, and pickup games; and interesting art and landscape design that nod to the site’s old rail history.
The park also hosts special events every month, including big-name concerts, Thursday farmers markets, and Art in the Park painting sessions on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays.
Visiting Los Angeles State Historic Park
Check the forecast and bring a hat and sunscreen, because the park has very little shade on its giant green meadows. The Cargo Snack Shack by the main entrance serves burgers and quick bites, but you can also buy some to-go eats in nearby Chinatown.
The park is family- and dog-friendly (leashes required), with big flat paths that are easy for strollers. There are also multiple restrooms available, and even a public “ParkWiFi” network.
There’s no fee to enter LASHP, but it costs $2 per hour or $8 per day to park in the parking lot.
🕜 Hours: Open daily from 8am to sunset
📍 Location: 1245 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
🌐 Website: LAStateHistoricPark.org
