You indeed need a car to get around L.A., but that’s not always the case. I’m an enthusiastic commuter of the L.A. Metro, especially when I go downtown. I’ve also taken the Amtrak train to destinations beyond, such as San Diego and Santa Barbara. It’s always a thrill to get off at Los Angeles Union Station because it’s still the on-ground transportation hub for our vast city.
The station is a historical and iconic landmark that opened in 1939 and was designed in stunning Mission Revival and Art Deco style. The interior was renovated for the 2021 Academy Awards, reviving its vibrantly painted ceiling.
The set of many memorable films
Union Station Los Angeles is a popular filming location, especially its historic Ticket Concourse, which is closed to the public and used only for banquets, special events, and movie shoots. Films that have been shot there include Catch Me if You Can with Elizabeth Banks and Leonardo DiCaprio, The Way We Were with Barbra Streisand, Blade Runner, Charlie’s Angels, Can Hardly Wait, The Dark Knight Rises, Pearl Harbor, and Best Picture nominee Sea Biscuit.
Everything Everywhere All at Once, which won Best Picture at the Oscars in 2023, was also filmed there.
The history of Los Angeles Union Station
When it opened in 1939, Los Angeles Union Station became the largest railroad passenger terminal in the Western United States. Before Amtrak took over, the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe companies all rolled into Los Angeles along its tracks.
The building’s architects were the father and son team of John and Donald Parkinson, who designed it in Mission Moderne. It is a combination of Spanish Colonial, Mission Revival, and Art Deco. The design expresses a vision of the California lifestyle by paying homage to Los Angeles’s Spanish heritage as well as the splendor of the film industry, which was at its zenith when it opened.
It was the center of transportation from the East Coast to the West for decades until airplanes and cars gained popularity, and train travel diminished. The station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The station is located in the oldest section of downtown L.A. on land that was once the original Chinatown. An odd mound can be found in the rotunda area that contains artifacts from the demolition of Old Chinatown.
The train station today
Union Station Los Angeles has evolved with the times but still retains its historic charm. Trains are still running up and down the coastline to Albuquerque, Klamath Falls, Eugene, Oregon, and Seattle.
Fine dining is available at the station. Traxx is located near the waiting room, where you can enjoy a craft cocktail at the bar and classic New American cuisine in the dining area. Often, you can enjoy a piano concert near the bar.
The building next to the South Patio used to be a Fred Harvey Restaurant. You may remember the film The Harvey Girls with Judy Garland. There were many Harvey House depots along rail routes in the Western United States.
Mary Colter was the original architect, best known for her work on buildings at the Grand Canyon. She was chief architect and decorator for the Fred Harvey Company from 1902 to 1948.
The Harvey restaurant closed in 1967, but the building is used for filming and events.
Fast food and Starbucks are also available in the terminal for travelers who want a quick bite.
Read this Amtrak Guide for 15 Great Train Trips from Los Angeles.
The station today is the main gateway for the Los Angeles Metro Transportation System, which includes the L.A. Metro Rail system and Metro Link trains. Bus transportation is located adjacent to the station, including the LAX Flyaway bus, which takes passengers to the Los Angeles International Airport.
Special events at the Station
The magnificent venue of Los Angeles Union Station is often used for events, concerts, art exhibits, and cultural programs. It also goes all out to celebrate the holidays, hosting street markets, lighting ceremonies, and entertainment.
The lovely outdoor North and South patios are often rented out for corporate and social events, weddings, and other occasions.
For current Happenings at Union Station, click here.
Take a walk outside the train station
If you cross the street from the main entrance of Union Station, you will walk directly to Olvera Street and the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument. Shop, eat a yummy Mexican lunch, or visit the Italian and Chinese American museums and LA Plaza De Culturas y Artes.
Chinatown is less than a mile away. The L.A. Metro A Line from Union Station heads West toward Azusa, and the first stop is Chinatown, but it’s also a fairly easy walk. The train also continues East from Union Station to Long Beach.
Philippe the Restaurant is famous for its original French Dipped Sandwiches. The restaurant opened in 1908 and is a quick walk from Union Station. Their sandwiches are to die for, and they even have a sawdust floor.
Jump on the L.A. Metro
You can pick up the L.A. Metro B Line at Union Station and get off at Pershing Square to see the Los Angeles Central Library, The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Grand Central Market, the Old Theatre District, The Last Bookstore, Angel’s Flight, the Bradbury Building, and much more.
The B Line stop puts you within a block or two of the Disney Concert Hall, The Music Center, City Hall, Grand Park, and the Broad Museum. It ends in North Hollywood with stops at Hollywood and Vine and the Walk of Fame, Highland and Hollywood, and Universal Studios.
The E Line (formerly known as the Expo line) can be picked up at 7th St. and Metro, off the B and Purple lines. It ends at Santa Monica and stops near USC, Exposition Park, and Culver City along the way.
The D Line is a 5.1-mile (8.2 km) line that begins at Wilshire/Western station in Koreatown. The line continues east for a mile to Wilshire/Vermont station, where the line merges with the B Line.
The new LAX/Metro Transit Center connects Metro’s C and K Lines directly to LAX via a free airport shuttle.
The Los Angeles Metrolink, from Union Station, takes you into Perris Valley, San Bernardino, Antelope Valley, Ventura County, Orange County, and Riverside.
Los Angeles Union Station
800 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Where to stay
Click on the map below.
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