Historic Italian Hall Foundation

Unfortunately this historic site, located on Olvera Street, is not open to the public (yet). But I’ve had a great opportunity to walk around the Historic Italian Hall for a private event and it’s exciting to learn about the history of the place as well as the potential for it’s future use. It’d be a great space to throw a party in (once renovations are done) and was actually used for dances and weddings and such in it’s heyday. The Hall, like the nearby Garnier Building (not Garnier Block) where the Chinese American Museum is housed in, is the last historical site remaining of the early Italian American community in El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. Another bonus to the Hall is a famous Siqueiros mural, «La América Tropical», which was painted on the side of the upper floor of the Hall.
The Historic Italian Hall is run in part by the El Pueblo Historical Monument & the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA). IAMLA & the folks of Historic Italian Hall Foundation are in the works to fundraise to restore the Hall one day. If you’re interested in what they’re up to now you can check out their site at:
IAMLA
*Disclaimer: I don’t work for them, but I’ve met alot of the IAMLA staff at El Pueblo. It’s exciting to see all the changes at the Monument and I hope one day all the communities will be represented at there — the birthplace of Los Angeles. Btw, I’m becoming quite the history geek now.