Heritage Square Museum is located alongside the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River in downtown LA. The museum houses a collection of structures from the late 1800s that were saved from demolition and moved to Heritage Square.
The museum is home to a historic Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, a corner drug store, a church, a carriage barn, and six unique Victorian-era houses.
Depending on your visit, different buildings are open to the public. Visitors can also wander around Heritage Square on their own but can not enter the buildings other than the drugstore unless they are on a guided tour.
The most popular home was James and Bessie Hale House, built in 1887. The mansion is painted in the original colors, and the interior is complete with period furniture. Hale House is a fantastic example of a Queen Ann-style home.
The Hale House was saved from the wrecking ball in 1970 and moved to the Heritage Square Museum, which was restored for more than $300,000. Hale House is a Historic-Cultural Monument listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Perry Residence, built in 1888, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. William Hayes Perry, one of the largest lumber dealers in Los Angeles and president of the Los Angeles Water Company for over 25 years. His home was one of the most extensive and most elaborate homes built in Los Angeles for the period.
Perry House was initially located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. By 1975, the home had changed owners several times and was in a state of severe disrepair. The Colonial Dames Society of America saved the home from the wrecking ball and moved the house to the museum, where it has been lovingly restored.
The Palms-Southern Pacific Railroad Depot was saved from demolition in 1976 and moved from its original location at the corner of National Boulevard and Vinton Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. The station was a stopping point on a fifteen-mile Red Car line route between Los Angeles and Santa Monica.
Southern Pacific named the station Palms, and it served the surrounding area adopted the name. Today, the Railroad Depot is the ticket booth for the Heritage Square Museum.
There are numerous historic structures and artifacts from early Los Angeles on display at the Heritage Square Museum. We highly recommend visiting this exceptional museum to learn more about the city’s rich history.
Guided tours depart hourly between 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. from the museum’s Southern Pacific Railroad Depot. Heritage Square Museum 3800 Homer St Los Angeles, CA 90031 Phone: (323) 225-2700 Hours 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
I’m visiting today. I hope the octagon house is open for a tour.