Aline Barnsdall Art Park

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Hollyhock House at Aline Barnsdall Art Park.
Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Aline Barnsdall Art Park

4800 Hollywood Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA

Website:  Barnsdall Art Park Foundation

The Treasure:  Located in Barnsdall Art Park, Hollyhock House was Frank Lloyd Wright’s first effort to marry his approach to architecture with the Southern California environment.

Accessibility:  Aline Barnsdall Art Park is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tours of Hollyhock House are offered Wednesday through Sunday. Check their website for tour times.

Background:  A visionary genius of American architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) labored to create buildings that complemented their environment. In the early 1900s, he developed his famous “Prairie Style” that reflected the landscape of the Chicago suburbs and the midwest. But Los Angeles is very different from Chicago…

Wright was approached by Aline Barnsdall, an unconventional and artistically-inclined oil heiress, to build a house in Los Angeles that could form the centerpiece of an art colony and theater complex. Wright’s challenge was to find a style that would satisfy his exacting aesthetic standards while fitting in with the Los Angeles environment and culture. Completed in 1921, Hollyhock House used flowing water, gardens, a central courtyard, roof terraces, and leaded art glass windows to achieve Wright’s vision. Additionally, it incorporated a visual hollyhock theme in tribute to Aline Barnsdall’s favorite flower.

Barnsdall gave the house to the city of Los Angeles in 1927 under the stipulation that the home could be used by the California Art Club under a 15-year lease. Over the years, other organizations leased the house, altering it to meet their needs. Conscientious efforts to restore the house began in 1974. Barnsdall’s dream of an art complex has gradually been realized, with the 11-acre Aline Barnsdall Art Park now accommodating the Barnsdall Art Center, the Barnsdall Junior Art Center, the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, and the 299-seat Barnsdall Gallery Theatre.

The Hollywood sign in Griffith Park.
Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Other Recommended Sites:  The Barnsdall Art Park is located between Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, which should clue you in to the fact that you’re pretty close to the historic heart of Hollywood. You can see the famous HOLLYWOOD sign on Mount Lee in nearby Griffith Park (where you can also find Griffith Observatory). Historic sites along Hollywood Boulevard include Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Egyptian Theatre, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Tour America's History Itinerary

Wednesday’s destination:  Pasadena Playhouse
Monday’s destination:  Campo de Cahuenga

© 2012 Lee Price