Union Station in Los Angeles

Union Station in Los Angeles

A walk through downtown Los Angeles wouldn't be complete without a visit to the iconic Union Station. Inside the large building, built in 1939, life seems to go on in the rhythm of the forties - the waiting room, restaurant and station interiors are carefully maintained in their original form. The romance of the historic station could not help but attract the attention of Hollywood directors - and Union Station was repeatedly featured in cinema.

Union Station was built in the center of Chinatown. A large number of buildings were destroyed, and Chinatown itself was moved to a new location - where it is located now.

How to Get There

Union Station is located in the heart of Los Angeles. The most convenient way to get from other parts of the city is by metro: three lines intersect here - red, purple and gold. In addition, Union Station is still the main transport hub of the city - in addition to the railways themselves, intercity buses arrive here.

The FlyAway Bus shuttle bus to Los Angeles Airport departs from Union Station.

What to See

First of all, it is worth paying attention to the architecture of the station, created by famous masters John and Donald Parkinson, who also designed the Los Angeles City Hall building and several other city facilities. Thanks to the invited Danish architect Jan van der Linden, the façade of Union Station acquired recognizable features of Danish colonial Renaissance architecture, and the Americans enriched the exterior with ultra-fashionable elements at that time, such as eight-pointed stars.

The interiors of the station are decorated with valuable stone: the lower part of the walls shines with marble and travertine, the upper part with terracotta and ceramic tiles. Be sure to take a stroll out onto Union Station's spacious courtyards—where passengers once passed to the platforms—and grab a bite to eat at the historic Harvey House Restaurant.

Address: 800 N Alameda St, Los Angeles.