Tour the Los Angeles Times Building

The historic Los Angeles Times Building, located at 1st and Spring streets in downtown Los Angeles, opened in 1935 and at the time was the largest building in the western U.S. designed and occupied entirely as a daily newspaper publishing operation.

Gordon B. Kaufmann designed the Times Building, which won a gold medal at the 1937 Paris Exposition for its Moderne architectural style. Kaufmannʼs other works include Hoover Dam on the Arizona- Nevada border and, locally, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia and the Athenaeum at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

The Globe Lobby is one of the aesthetic highlights of the Times Building. Its 10-foot-high murals were painted in 1935 by Hugo Ballin, who also painted the Griffith Observatory rotunda, and represent some of the finest murals produced in Los Angeles during the 1930s. The lobby also includes an historical exhibit showcasing the first 100 years of The Times.

Free public tours of the historic Times Building and the newspaper's printing facility in downtown Los Angeles are available twice a month. Reservations are required and participants must be at least 10 years of age. Groups as large as 35 can be accommodated, and the tour runs an hour in length. The Times provides free parking and there is a cafeteria on the premises. All Times facilities are accessible for individuals with disabilities. Please call (213) 237-5757 for current tour information.

Thursdays @ The Globe are monthly lunchtime mini-tours beginning November 17th. They will feature Times reporters, columnists, editors and executives during these one-hour sessions, offering an intimate opportunity for readers to interact with Steve Lopez, Geoff Boucher, "Team Bell" Pulitzer-prize winners Jeff Gottlieb & Ruben Vives, Russ Parsons, or Times Test Kitchen Director Noelle Carter offering food displays and recipe tips. Or "Thursdays" may feature a staffer from The Envelope during Oscar madness, Hoy and Times Community News representatives or a meet & greet with one of The Times popular photojournalists. RSVP to Thursdays @ The Globe.