For everybody who ever drove to the Automobile Club HQ to renew their registration or pick up maps for a road trip, or cruised by at 70 mph on the 110, here’s a chance to slow down and explore an early Los Angeles neighborhood that rewards a pedestrian’s pace.

Join Esotouric for an immersive time travel trip beginning with the Automobile Club of Southern California itself, to admire the mini museum of vintage highway signage and two of the southland’s great trees. Then we’ll stroll along West Adams Boulevard, once the city’s most elegant address for interesting Angelenos like oilman Edward and bookworm Carrie Doheny, screen vamp Theda Bara and tragic comic Fatty Arbuckle. You’ll see early irrigation infrastructure, elegant clubhouses, esoteric faith centers, homeless shelters, gay archives, the surveyor’s edge of Spanish Los Angeles and our first gated community, discover a lost mansion that lives on in Hollywood’s Magic Castle, and take a spin through the elegant St. James Park National Register District to admire gorgeous homes and learn about the ongoing battle to preserve this pocket of 19th century Los Angeles from insensitive development.

This walking tour is illustrated with rare photos and maps you can view on your smartphone.

MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:

Tour begins at 10:30am sharp, with check-in time 10am in the courtyard of the Automobile Club of Southern California at 2601 South Figueroa. 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

Please do not park at the Auto Club. There are several paid lots nearby, including:

• University Gateway at Figueroa & 32nd Street with a daily maximum of $18 that kicks in after 2 hours.
• USC Village at 3301 S Hoover Street, $5/hour and a daily maximum of $30.
• There is also street and metered parking in the neighborhood, especially around St James Park.

If using street parking, please read all signs carefully, as restrictions apply. The nearest Metro station is Grand/LATTC. If using public transit, this link can help you plan your trip.

TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:

Our priority is to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for our guests and guides on these outdoor walking tours. Because guides will not be masked when telling stories, and because different people have different levels of risk tolerance, we have strict mask policies for attendees. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated. These simple rules are being implemented for the benefit of all attending. Anybody not abiding by these rules will be given one chance to shape up, then asked to leave the tour if it happens again. There are no refunds or exchanges for anyone removed from a tour for violating the rules.

BE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 2 1/2 to 3 hours, over level ground moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, a hat and a medical-grade mask. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect, please email us.

MASKS & SOCIAL DISTANCING: Attendees must bring a medical-grade mask (i.e. N95, KN95, KF94) to wear when checking in, during those portions of the tour when the group is gathered together listening to the tour guides (who will not wear masks when telling stories), and when talking with the tour guides one-on-one. If you are more comfortable not wearing a mask while walking between tour stops, you’re free to remove it, while maintaining physical space from anyone not from your household. Masks must be worn properly, covering mouth and nose completely, and not have any exhalation valves, vents or holes of any kind. Thank you for working with us to keep guests and guides healthy, and please let us know if you have any questions about these policies.

ARGH, I FORGOT MY MASK: Wave to us from a healthy distance at the check in table and point to your cute face. We’ve got you.

VACCINATION: We do not require proof of vaccination for outdoor walking tours.

CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:

Emailing is the best way to communicate with us, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone, 213-915-8687.

CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:

If you feel like you’re getting sick, if you test positive for Covid-19, or if you have knowingly been in contact with a suspected or positive case of Covid-19 in the last 14 days, please do not attend the tour. Let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure, we can refund or reschedule your booking. If notified at least 24 hours before departure, we can honor the booking on a future date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name, email address and phone number to make this switch.