Well, it’s believed to be anyway…
You may have spotted a mysterious city-based railway as the backdrop of ‘influencers’ pics or even a few of your favorite films like La La Land or The Muppets. That’s not a Hollywood lot prop you’re looking at; it’s one of the city’s oldest historical landmarks.
It’s easy to walk right past them if you don’t know what (or who) you’re looking for. But once you know about Sinai and Olivet – the twin counterbalanced cars coated in bright orange and black – they’re quite hard to miss.
The vintage transportation vessel is built right into the hillside of DTLA and has been trecking Angelenos and visitors alike up and down the steep slope between Bunker Hill and Grand Avenue since 1901. Though the ride only lasts about thirty seconds, it sure does beat having to make the 298-foot journey on your own.
The 118-year old funicular has given over 100 million rides to Angelenos and visitors alike since it opened for operation, however, things didn’t always run smoothly. The original railway (which was located two blocks over) was forced to shut down in order to build up the city around it. After collecting dust in storage for nearly three decades, the infamous trolly line reopened for service in 1996. A few more manufactural hiccups happened after it’s reopening, causing the trams to go on a mini-hiatus – past forward to now and the carts are moderately updated and fully functional.
Today, the Angeles Flight shutters locals to and fro for only $1 a trip; if you use your Metro tap card it’ll only cost you a few cents.
Location: 350 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90071. See it on Google maps.
Hours: Daily from 6:45a to 10p, including weekends and holidays.
Featured photo: @angelsflightrailway