Ávila Adobe

Considered the oldest existing house in Los Angeles, the Avila Adobe was the residence of the ranchero Don Francisco Abela (Avila), a native of Sinaloa, Mexico, who arrived in LA right around 1794.
This house was visited by many merchants and rancheros who were interested in the Avila’s family business: loyal to their origins, they traded cowhides and tallows for furnishings from all over the world and had a blooming business.
Known for its generosity and hospitality, the Avila family inhabited this building for several decades until the Mexican-​American war, when Commodore Robert F. Stockton and his troops decided to make their headquarters while they negotiated peace between the Californian and the US authorities.
Many families lived in this house until it became a boardinghouse and, eventually, started to deteriorate with the rest of the area.
Thanks to Mrs. Christine Sterling’s dedication and campaign, this historical landmark was restored to its former glory and became a museum.
Mrs. Sterling herself lived in this house until her death in 1963 and worked as an enthusiastic guide for the many groups that visited this place over the years.
This place is a must-​go for all those who are interested in LA’s history and seek more during thyeir visit than the lights of the movie industry.
It is a poignant witness to the hard labor and dedication of the many Mexican families who contributed to build this city.

How many have gone to Olvera Street and for years, passed this place by without even giving it a second thought? I did the same for many years, until I decided to drop in and take a self guided tour of Avila Adobe back in the 1990s. And all for free!
This place takes you back in time, and is one of those historic LA landmarks not done away with. The walls have been rebuilt after one of the major earthquakes we suffered several years ago, but basically, minus maybe another wing, still an historic gem.
A few years ago, I brought a couple of my coworkers over to see it, one of them interested in supposedly haunted places as Avila Adobe is rumored to be. Her and her husband love to visit such places. Well this lady in question, on entering the front door, nearly leaped into my arms on seeing someone standing behind the barrier, dressed in old period clothing. She questioned whether I saw it too, along with the other individual with us. I soon calmed her nerves by answering «she’s what you call a docent and conducts tours here, not a ghost». Much to the relief of my dear friend.

This is a sweet little museum. The house and garden are interesting. I really liked the whole idea of the exhibit on the history of water and its distribution in LA — there were some fascinating little tidbits in there. I do wish that they would update the water exhibit though — it’s a bit hard to read, very old fashioned placards, and some of the most interesting parts are in an inaccessible stairway.

Loved this place,
First time in Los Angeles and had to check La placita Olvera. Walking around came across this place. Made the trip to this hood worth it.
Walked in and started to look around. Not that small if you consider that this was somebody’s home and constructed on 1818. According to them this was the first house in LA.
Anyway, cool place, you get a feel of how life used to be at the time (if you were a wealthy rancher, and I’m assuming most people were not) Super cool to see the furniture and clothing of the era.
A must see if you get a chance and admission is free, so no excuses. Not day on itself, but if you walk around on Olvera St. and grab lunch or dinner on some local restaurant makes up for a great time.

The Admission: FREE! Very small museum, displaying the home/​furniture in the past. You get to see the life style as well.
The Museum: It is a historic site built in 1818. It is right on Olvera Street. If you are in the neighborhood, check it out. It is free and informative. Besides the museum, there are small shops and restaurants nearby. You can definitely spend an hour or so on Olvera Street. It is one of LA Landmark.

Historic house right in the middle of the market off of Olvera and the plaza. It’s easy to miss the entrance on a crowded day. It’s not a huge museum, you could budget 30 minutes and have spent enough time to visit each room and read the signs. Interesting architecture and the staff has done a nice job recreating what an early– mid-​1820s home might look like. It is free to tour, and there is a donations bin in the main house on a table with other pamphlets.

The Avila Adobe located on Oliver Street on the edge of Los Angeles’s Chinatown near Union Station is historic home definitely worth seeing. Local historians peg as having been erected in 1818. Though that may be true, my gut tells me that actual completion would have been somewhere around the mid 1820’s. However, the issue is of little import. What is important is that it offers a free (yes, the viewing and tours are free… only donations accepted) tour and look into what is one the earliest remaining dwelling in Los Angeles and Southern California.
A self-​guided tour only takes about 20 minutes or so, but there are a number of very helpful docents on hand to answer and questions or offer any explanations as to the history of the structure or of the Avila family.
The structural walls are composed of sun baked adobe brick with a thickness of approximately 2 ½ feet and though the roof appears slanted it was original flat, tarred over with tar from the nearby La Brea Tar Pits. As the Avila’s were a family of extreme wealth for the area, the structure isn’t typical of what would have been the norm, having been enhanced with lavish imports Mexico as well as from Boston and the New England areas of America which is interesting in that such would have predated the Mexican-​American War of 1846 and were transported great distances by ships having to travel all the way around furthest South American points of Cape Horn.
Due to damaging earthquakes the home has been restored on several occasions, but faithfully so. Also, it should be noted that thanks to Christine Sterling, Harry Chandler and others of vision was saved from the developers and the wrecking ball in order to give the people today an upfront first had view of their past, history and heritage.

Great place to visit when in Olvera Street. Did not know about the place, so very happy that I found it. The lady that was in the entrence, was very nice and informative, and answered all the questions I had. Pretty good place to take the kids and show them a little history.

How cool to be able to walk around Olvera Street and go into one of the houses and see/​imagine how life was back in the 19^th century in this neighborhood, especially since most other houses have turned into shops and restaurants.
If you walk around, you can see the whole place in 10 minutes but if you read the description on the wall, its very fascinating.
Plus, its FREE, so definitely check it out!

One of the oldest homes in LA! It is almost 200 years old. We walked around the house and were given a nice history lesson. We got to walk through and see each room and see what it was like to be «rich» back in the early 1800s in LA!

It’s the oldest house in LA.
It’s a nice, quick, 5-​minute walkthrough. It’s free, what can you say? However, there isn’t much. I mean, it is simply a house. Marvel at its history.

Such rich history as being the oldest home in Los Angeles! This place is referred as the «birthplace of Los Angeles.» There are daily free tours led by volunteers, 10am to 4pm. Lots of interactive rooms with different information, including a room where you can watch a historical video. If you want to learn about the history of LA w/​o consulting a book, just go on a free tour!

Oldest house in Los Angeles

Three visits to Olvera Street in the last few weeks led me to this place that I finally noticed over the weekend. I was hosting some friends from out of town, and so between the sign that said «Oldest home in Los Angeles» and «Free entry» we had to duck in.
It’s a small home that was apparently the summer home for a wealthy ranch owner back in the early 1800s. The walk-​through takes you through a few rooms, like a parlor, bedroom, and kitchen, and showcases items from that era’s Los Angeles. You get a small glimpse of what life was like nearly 200 years ago, with folks there to answer any questions. There’s also an outdoor courtyard that I didn’t see much of, but this is a place where 20 minutes would allow you to see pretty much the whole thing (take the time to read the history, it’s pretty interesting!). Closes at 4 pm.

Before Christine Sterling dreamed up the colorful, Mexican fantasy marketplace that is Olvera Street, the alleyway once known as Wine Street had pretty much fallen into disrepair.
Among the few things originally there was the Avila Adobe, the oldest home in L.A., built nearly 200 years ago. Really, it’s made out of Los Angeles, composed of mud and straw from the area with tar from the La Brea pits to seal the roof.
The adobe house had lived through the Mexican-​American War, where it had become (without the owners’ permission) a headquarters for American troops. It was later condemned following an earthquake in 1870.
Then Christine Sterling came along and saved the Avila Adobe from being plowed down by staying in it herself, overseeing the restoration of Olvera, and grabbing the attention of the press and people alike. This strong-​willed, English woman lived there the rest of her life.
Avila Adobe is the beating heart of Los Angeles, and most people don’t notice or bother with it.
It’s free to visit the house, which closes in the early afternoon (3 or 4 p.m., I think). It’s like going through one of the Ranchos (Los Alamitos, Los Cerritos, etc).
You’re able to walk through the courtyard, which is filled with various types of cacti as well as a large wooden cart, and you can peruse some of the house’s rooms, furnished with Latin American antiques.
There aren’t really tours for it. It’s self-​guided with people there to field your questions, and it doesn’t take long to see everything.

If you’re ever in Olvera Street during the day, drop by and take a look at the Avila Adobe Museum. They’re open everyday from 9am to 4pm and it’s FREE to enter.
When people say that Olvera street has a lot of history in it, well Avila Adobe is the original place where it all started. It is the oldest standing landmark in Los Angeles that was built in 1818 and is part of the California State Historic Park and is a national landmark.
You look at this home and you’re actually looking at real adobe. You know that’s the stuff you only see in movies, but this is an actual adobe made home.
Throughout the years, they have done a good job in maintaining and preserving this home and a lot of the furniture, beds, tables are original stuff that dates back in the mid 19^th century.
So if you really want to be a part of history, just take a stroll here and check out each individual rooms and through the patio with the various succulents they have. They also have a really big wooden cart that dates back in the 1850s.