BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Esotouric - ECPv6.18.0//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://esotouric.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Esotouric REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20240310T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20241103T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20250309T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20251102T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20260308T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20261101T090000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251206T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251206T133000 DTSTAMP:20251205T191640Z CREATED:20250708T173606Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T191640Z UID:10000686-1765017000-1765027800@esotouric.com SUMMARY:HOTEL HORRORS & MAIN STREET VICE DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES WALKING TOUR DESCRIPTION:From the founding of the city through the mid-20th century\, downtown was the true center of Los Angeles\, a lively\, densely populated\, exciting and sometimes dangerous place. After many quiet decades\, downtown again became a destination. But while the historic buildings remain\, their stories got lost. \nBlending true crime\, architecture\, theatrical\, documentary and social history\, this tour aims to revive the ghosts that cling to the bricks and alleyways and inside some time capsule buildings where the past is present. \nThis is a tour of the ribald\, racy\, raunchy old promenade where the better people simply did not travel\, but kicks were had by all who did. Burlesque babes and tattoo artists\, weird wax museums\, sword swallowers\, fake and real freaks\, taxi dancers and B-girl hustlers\, elegant hotels and dirty magazine stands\, sophisticated steak houses and nickel donut dives\, even Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones — these were the pleasures and the people to be found along Main Street during the 20th century. \nWe’ll visit the scenes of some more unforgettable debaucheries and share stories of bloodshed\, smut\, passion and commerce that bring a lost world to life. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting approximately 3 hours\, over level ground moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. 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 at the end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine.\n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour 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. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n About Our Guest Host\nJoan Renner is a true crime author and commentator. Her blog\, Deranged L.A. Crimes\, covers 20th century crimes and scandals. The L.A. Weekly called her book The First with the latest: Aggie Underwood\, the Los Angeles Herald\, and the Sordid Crimes of a City\, “A great introduction to some long-forgotten L.A. crimes.” Over the past decade\, she has appeared in over sixty TV shows and podcasts such as City of Angels\, City of Death; Deadly Women; Buried in the Backyard; and Hollywood & Crime. She is currently working on a book for University Press Kentucky about Los Angeles during the Prohibition era. When she’s not writing about or researching crime\, Joan volunteers as an archivist at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Museum. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere 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: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing 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. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/main-st-vice-fall-2025/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Hotel-Horrors-Main-St-Featured.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251213T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251213T133000 DTSTAMP:20250714T214920Z CREATED:20250708T174705Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250714T214920Z UID:10000687-1765621800-1765632600@esotouric.com SUMMARY:WESTLAKE PARK TIME TRAVEL TRIP WALKING TOUR DESCRIPTION:When Los Angeles was young\, Westlake was a favorite pleasure park\, with boating\, a mini-zoo and exotic trees for lovers to spoon under\, surrounded by grand mansions and elegant hotels. Then in 1934\, Wilshire Boulevard punched through the lake\, marking the ascendency of the automobile. Westlake would never be the same. \nEsotouric invites you to take an immersive trip back in time exploring the layers of history hiding in plain sight in and around Westlake (MacArthur) Park. \nStarting from the tropical garden courtyard of the elegant William Penn Hotel—now called The Sinclair LA—we’ll set out to discover the rich and compelling cultural\, architectural and true crime history of this fascinating L.A. neighborhood. \nOn this walk\, you’ll learn about the legendary booksellers and influential art academies that thrived here\, see where cult leader Jim Jones lost his cool\, visit a little known monument to detective novelist Raymond Chandler\, learn where a bomb was set for the publisher of the Los Angeles Times\, thrill to the offbeat goings on at the Elks’ Lodge\, plus enjoy early pleasure park lore\, silent film locations\, mysteriously mummified infants\, and a stop to admire the only art nouveau castle home in Los Angeles\, a rare domestic commission by master architect John Parkinson. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 10:30am sharp\, with check-in time 10am at The Sinclair LA at 2200 W 8th St\, Los Angeles\, CA 90057. Please arrive on time and proceed through the lobby to the central courtyard check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThe nearest paid public parking lot is at 730 S Lake St 90057. This lot has an attendant to take your $10 payment (cash only). \nThe nearest Metro station is Westlake/MacArthur Park station on the B and D lines. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting approximately 3 hours\, over level ground moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. 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. \nMASK POLICY: Masks are welcome\, but not required\, with the exception of on tours that visit unventilated historic spaces\, when we will provide masks for your safety. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing 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. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/westlake-time-travel-fall-2025/ LOCATION:The Sinclair LA\, 2200 W 8th St\, Los Angeles\, 90057\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/WESTALKE-FEATURED-USE.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251220T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251220T133000 DTSTAMP:20251218T024036Z CREATED:20251013T220238Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251218T024036Z UID:10000692-1766226600-1766237400@esotouric.com SUMMARY:KNOW YOUR DOWNTOWN LA: BRADBURY BUILDING\, BASEMENTS OF YORE AND THE DUTCH CHOCOLATE SHOP DESCRIPTION:As the historic heart of Los Angeles\, Downtown is a complex and confusing ecosystem\, where the old town and the new city collide and the past is always present. Join Esotouric for an immersive time travel trip as you explore Victorian time capsule interiors\, Prohibition-era speakeasy tunnels\, early public spaces and the richly layered streetscape\, all on a three hour tour like no other. \nStarting from Grand Central Market\, a culinary destination for more than a century\, we’ll set out to explore prominent Broadway Theater District and Main Street landmarks\, learn the lesser known history of the astonishing Bradbury Building\, explore the sprawling basement of the Van Nuys / Barclay Hotel (Morgan\, Walls and Morgan\, 1896) with its\, bookie stand\, sidewalk prisms and freight elevators and pay tribute to architect John Parkinson in his own King Edward Hotel\, including the basement King Edward Saloon speakeasy tunnels. Also on this tour\, we’ll make a rare interior visit to Arts & Crafts tile master Ernest Batchelder’s Dutch Chocolate Shop\, a remarkable 1914 time capsule that’s been in the news with recent efforts by Altadena’s Save the Tiles volunteers to rescue his work from fire damaged properties. \nThis walking tour draws on original research to tell the real stories of Downtown Los Angeles and is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour 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. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere 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: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. 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\, the middle\, and at the end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect\, please email us. \nMASK POLICY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours\, with the exception of when we visit cramped and unventilated basement tunnels and the Dutch Chocolate Shop space. Please bring a mask to wear for this portion of the tour. If you forget your mask\, we can provide one on check in. \nCAMERA POLICY: If you’d like to share about the tour on social media\, please tag Esotouric in your posts. We ask you don’t record long portions of your hosts’ tour presentations. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing 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. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/know-your-downtown-winter-2025/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DCS-4.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251221T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251221T150000 DTSTAMP:20250714T214820Z CREATED:20250710T195140Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250714T214820Z UID:10000688-1766318400-1766329200@esotouric.com SUMMARY:MIRACLE MILE MARVELS & MADNESS WALKING TOUR (A Sunday) DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric for an immersive excursion all around Wilshire and Fairfax\, the western terminus of the Miracle Mile. We’re on the trail of a layered history that leads from Columbian mammoths foraging in the last Ice Age to today’s construction cranes\, with some fascinating detours along the way. We’ll explore the La Brea Tar Pits as a zone of pre-colonial commerce and Victorian scientific discovery\, revealing the fossil hoard’s role in east coast theatrical spiritualism and a deathless romance. Then on to Wilshire Boulevard\, where bean fields turned almost overnight to an ultramodern Jazz Age canyon of car culture commerce\, including the magnificent Art Deco May Company (and yes\, it’s a crime scene). And as the county’s art museum struggles to remake itself with a controversial new building and curatorial vision\, we’ll honor the institution that was\, and sneaky artists who got their work displayed without curatorial review\, all seen through the candid lens of your guides’ advocacy for preserving the 1965 William Pereira campus. Plus\, a stroll through the immediate neighborhood on an architectural treasure hunt\, including some sweet echoes of the lost LACMA. \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. And next time some silly person tries to tell you Los Angeles doesn’t have any history\, having taken this tour will give you everything you need to set them straight. \n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour begins at 12 noon sharp\, with check-in time 11:30am at the picnic tables near the restrooms in the southeast corner of the La Brea Tar Pits park\, at the Wilshire & Curson Avenue entrance. 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. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n PARKING & PUBLIC TRANSIT:\nThere is street parking in the neighborhood\, on Sixth Street\, Orange Street\, Crescent Heights Boulevard\, Eighth Street\, and Hauser Boulevard. As the tour is on a Sunday\, there are no restrictions on street parking. The nearest Metro station is Wilshire/Vermont. If using public transit\, this link can help you plan your trip. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting about 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. 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. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing 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. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/miracle-mile-fall-2025/ LOCATION:La Brea Tar Pits\, Wilshire Blvd & S Curson Ave\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90036\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/miracle-mile-featured-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251227T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251227T133000 DTSTAMP:20250718T024935Z CREATED:20250710T195941Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250718T024935Z UID:10000689-1766831400-1766842200@esotouric.com SUMMARY:HUMAN SACRIFICE: THE BLACK DAHLIA\, ELISA LAM\, HEIDI PLANCK & SKID ROW SLASHER CASES DESCRIPTION:Join Esotouric’s Kim Cooper and Richard Schave\, the Skid Row historians featured in “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel\,” and their special guest Joan Renner\, on a true crime and cultural history walking tour that explores the terrifying intersection of real estate speculation\, housing insecurity and death in Downtown Los Angeles from the 1940s to the present. \nStarting from Grand Central Market\, we’ll fan out over the historic core to visit significant sites in the investigations of three notorious and heartbreaking cases: the kidnapping and murder of Beth Short in 1947\, the serial killing of seven poor or homeless men by Vaughn Greenwood between December 1974 and January 1975\, and Elisa Lam’s disappearance and drowning while staying at the Stay on Main hostel inside the single room occupancy Hotel Cecil in 2013. We’ll also talk about the October 2021 disappearance of Heidi Planck\, although we won’t trek as far as the Hope + Flower apartments where she was last seen. \nYou’ll learn about the importance of newspaper reporting to 20th century crime investigations\, and the role of internet communities today\, hear about how previous generations slept rough in all-night movie theaters\, alleys and under bushes\, how the high cost or lack of housing options make victims more vulnerable\, and about property developers who bend the rules to transform low-income residency hotels and market rate apartments into profitable blind spots where people can vanish. \nAlong the way\, you’ll get to know the victims as sympathetic and relatable people who serve as fascinating windows into real life and death in Los Angeles over the decades and learn how public policy choices can set the stage for avoidable tragedy. \nCan understanding why true crimes happened help Los Angeles finally solve its housing crisis? We think it can! \nThis walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n About Our Guest Host\nJoan Renner is a true crime author and commentator. Her blog\, Deranged L.A. Crimes\, covers 20th century crimes and scandals. The L.A. Weekly called her book The First with the latest: Aggie Underwood\, the Los Angeles Herald\, and the Sordid Crimes of a City\, “A great introduction to some long-forgotten L.A. crimes.” Over the past decade\, she has appeared in over sixty TV shows and podcasts such as City of Angels\, City of Death; Deadly Women; Buried in the Backyard; and Hollywood & Crime. She is currently working on a book for University Press Kentucky about Los Angeles during the Prohibition era. When she’s not writing about or researching crime\, Joan volunteers as an archivist at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Museum. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:\nTour 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. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Parking & Public Transit:\nThere 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: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:\nBE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 3 hours\, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes\, sunscreen and a hat. 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. \nCOVID SAFETY: At this time\, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours. \nCAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us\, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine. \n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:\nEmailing 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. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:\nIf you’re sick\, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest\, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure\, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins\, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name\, email address and phone number to make this switch. URL:https://esotouric.com/event/human-sacrifice-winter-2025/ LOCATION:Grand Central Market\, 308 South Hill Street\, Los Angeles\, CA\, 90013\, United States CATEGORIES:walking tour ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://esotouric.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Hotel-Cecil-WP.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Esotouric":MAILTO:tours@esotouric.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR