7 special experiences on the train network

Aquarium of the Pacific
Station: Downtown Long Beach

The Aquarium of the Pacific houses 500 species of sea animal, drawing around 1.5 million visitors annually. While in Long Beach, you can also visit the Queen Mary, an ocean liner that has been docked nearby since she retired in 1967.

Angels Flight Funicular
Station: Pershing Square

Built in 1901 and reopened in 2017, the so-called World’s Shortest Railway runs just 90 metres from Grand Central Market in LA’s city centre to the top of Bunker Hill.

Langer's Delicatessen
Station: MacArthur Park

Open since 1947 on the corner of MacArthur Park in the Westlake district, Langer’s was on the verge of going out of business before the Red Line opened in 1993. Since then, it’s been rejuvenated by diners making the short (five-stop) train ride from central LA.

Santa Monica Pier
Station: Downtown Santa Monica

One of the last amusement piers in Southern California, this iconic location features food stalls, a video arcade, the small but wonderful Heal the Bay Aquarium and an amusement park with a vintage 1920s carousel.

Universal Studios Hollywood
Station: Universal City/Studio City

One of the oldest studio lots in Southern California, Universal began offering tours in 1964 and opened its first theme park attraction the following year. Now, it is a fully-fledged amusement park, with rides based on popular films such as the Harry Potter franchise and TV shows like The Simpsons, and the outdoor Citywalk mall.

Watts Towers
Station: 103rd Street/ Watts Towers

One of Los Angeles’ most iconic landmarks, the Watts Towers were constructed by local homeowner Simon Rodia on his property. After Rodia completed the towers, he left Los Angeles but the towers – constructed out of concrete and found objects (tiles, bottle caps, porcelain) – continue to stand over the neighbourhood.

The Wiltern
Station: Wilshire/Western

Opened in 1931, The Wiltern theatre is one of the art deco jewels of Los Angeles, a blue-green terracotta-tiled building angling back from the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue in Koreatown. It’s a prime venue for live music, but also worth visiting as an architectural masterpiece.