LA History Resources

Learn more about Los Angeles from these organizations, publications and assorted weirdos.

History, Preservation & Landmarks

National Register of Historic Places

Historic Los Angeles blog (deep dive histories on historic houses in various LA neighborhoods)

HistoricPlacesLA (database of LA’s significant historic resources, managed by the City of Los Angeles)

The Living New Deal

Los Angeles Almanac

Los Angeles Conservancy

California Missions Foundation

The South LA Recap

Great American Stations (Amtrak site about US train stations)

Oddity Odysseys (video explorations in and around LA)

Route 66 Travel Guide

Santa Monica Conservancy

Atlas Obscura Guide to LA

Weird CA

Local Historical Societies

Altadena Historical Society

Arcadia Historical Society

Beverly Hills Historical Society

Boyle Heights Historical Society

Burbank Historical Society

Calabasas Historical Society

Historical Society of Centinela Valley

Chatsworth Historical Society

Claremont Heritage

Covina Valley Historical Society

Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley

Culver City Historical Society

Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society

Echo Park Historical Society

Glendale Historical Society

Hollywood Heritage

Little Landers Historical Society

Little Tokyo Historical Society

Historical Society of Long Beach

Los Angeles City Historical Society

Marina Del Rey Historical Society

Monrovia Historical Society

Mount Lowe Preservation Society

Pacific Palisades Historical Society

Pacoima Historical Society

Pasadena Heritage

Philosophical Research Society

Historical Society of Pomona Valley

San Fernando Valley Historical Society

San Marino Historical Society

San Pedro Bay Historical Society

Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society

Santa Monica History Museum

Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society

Signal Hill Historical Society

South Pasadena Preservation Foundation

Topanga Historical Society

Torrance Historical Society

Venice Historical Society

West Adams Heritage Association

Westchester/Playa Historical Society

Whittier Historical Society

Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society

Arts & Architecture

Arch Daily (articles on architecture preservation)

Arts & Architecture Magazine: Case Study House program

Building Biographer (this guy writes some of the most comprehensive imaginable bios of buildings)

Cahuenga Past

Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Friends of Residential Treasures: LA (FORT: LA)

GambleHouse.org (in-depth background on Greene & Greene)

John Lautner Foundation

Legacies of LA (realtor site with in-depth histories of landmark properties)

Los Angeles Theatres blog

Public Art in LA

Unlocking History with Brett Waterman (excellent video series on historic properties)

News Sites

Curbed Los Angeles (defunct, but worthwhile archives)

Discover Los Angeles

KCET (terrific articles on history & society)

Podcasts

Hidden History of Los Angeles

LA Meekly

Research Resources

Calisphere (free digital access to artifacts for research, teaching and curious exploration)

Critical Mission Studies (UC researchers offer indigenous perspectives on the California colonial missions and their aftermath)

Huntington Digital Library

LA as Subject (USC Libraries project – “collectively preserving, archiving, and sharing the history and culture of the Los Angeles region”)

Los Angeles Public Library digital collections (aka TESSA)

Los Angeles Times archives

Social Media

Victoria Bernal: @LAHistory (TW) | @VBinLA (IG)

Cahuenga Past (IG)

Forgotten Madness LA (IG) | (FB)

LA Explained (IG)

LA in a Minute (TikTok) | (IG)

Dan Lopez: @FlyingShips (IG) (art photography of LA locations)

Lost Angeles (public FB group)

Save Iconic Architecture (IG)

Valley Haunts (IG)