Join Esotouric on a stroll through the National Register Broadway Theatre District, the largest collection of historic motion picture palaces in the country, on an architectural, cultural and public policy history tour of a great street that needs a lot of help. How did Broadway take shape in the early 20th Century, why did the entertainment and retail district decline, and who are the personalities who have sought to preserve, reactivate and profit from it—not always successfully?

Starting from Grand Central Market, we’ll honor the visionary developer Ira Yellin, who believed that there was a second life possible for empty early 20th century office buildings, and changed city law so that Angelenos could live in them.

Along the way, we’ll talk about what it means to be National Register District, how the Jewelry District used old buildings in fresh new ways and how the lessons of Wilshire’s Wiltern Theatre could be used to reactivate downtown’s dark venues, while pointing out the sites of lost landmarks, hidden details, ghost signs and magic carpets of terrazzo that make up this beautiful, magical mess at the heart of the city.

On our return to Grand Central Market at the end of the walk, we’ll have a rare opportunity to explore the interior of Sid Grauman’s Million Dollar Theater (1918), the city’s first purpose-built motion picture palace.

MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:

Tour begins at 10:30am sharp, with check-in time 10am at the patio outside Grand Central Market in front of Maple Block BBQ at 324 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations.

Parking & Public Transit:

There are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit, this link can help you plan your trip: