Early Los Angeles County Attractions

With the arrival of affordable transcontinental rail travel in the late 1880s, hundreds of thousands of tourists and transplants began making the trip to Los Angeles.

Quickly becoming a haven for Easterners escaping cold winters and crowded cities, Los Angeles and neighboring communities, such as Pasadena and Santa Monica, boasted a sunny Mediterranean climate and the unique situation of both nearby mountain resorts and seaside amusements. The city also developed a bustling shopping and entertainment district downtown. More than 200 vintage postcard images illustrate a greatly diverse range of popular early attractions, including Mount Lowe, Eastlake Park, Hollywood, the Wilshire district, Griffith Park, Cawston's Ostrich Farm, the downtown shopping and theater district, and the expansive beaches, ranging from the turn of the 19th century up until World War II.