Historical Markers
People walking on a path in a vibrant park - historic parks and gardens

On foot · city, California

Historic Parks and Gardens in Santa Monica, CA

Parks, squares, gardens and parkways on the record near you, public ground with a history of its own.

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Photo: Jared Davidson on Unsplash

Architecture is history you can still walk into. Santa Monica has a population of about 92,472. The trick is knowing which doors have a story behind them.

People walking on pathway near body of water during daytime - historic parks and gardens
Photo: Andy on Unsplash
Two people sitting on a park bench under mossy trees - historic parks and gardens
Photo: Jonah Townsley on Unsplash
Grand glasshouse structure overlooks vibrant flowerbeds with people strolling - historic parks and gardens
Photo: Lincoli Xavier on Unsplash

On the record near Santa Monica, CA

The 12 nearest

12 listed sites on the record match historic parks and gardens within 30 miles of Santa Monica, CA, out of 467 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

  1. Los Angeles Pacific Company Ivy Park Substation5.6 miles from the center of Santa Monica · Building · Los Angeles · listed 1981National Register of Historic Places
  2. Vermont Square Branch11 miles from the center of Santa Monica · Building · Los Angeles · listed 1987National Register of Historic Places
  3. Winona Boulevard Mid-Century Modern Historic District12 miles from the center of Santa Monica · District · Los Angeles · listed 2024National Register of Historic Places
  4. Plaza Substation15 miles from the center of Santa Monica · Building · Los Angeles · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
  5. Malaga Cove Plaza16 miles from the center of Santa Monica · District · Palos Verdes Estates · listed 2021National Register of Historic Places
  6. Palos Verdes Public Library and Art Gallery-- Farnham Martin's Park (Boundary Increase)16 miles from the center of Santa Monica · District · Palos Verdes · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
  7. Highland Park Masonic Temple18 miles from the center of Santa Monica · Building · Los Angeles · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
  8. Highland Park Police Station19 miles from the center of Santa Monica · Building · Los Angeles · listed 1984National Register of Historic Places
  9. Storrier--Stearns Japanese Garden21 miles from the center of Santa Monica · Site · Pasadena · listed 2005National Register of Historic Places
  10. Marengo Gardens21 miles from the center of Santa Monica · Building · Pasadena · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
  11. Foothill Boulevard Milestone (Mile 11)23 miles from the center of Santa Monica · Object · Pasadena · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
  12. Farnsworth, Gen. Charles S., County Park24 miles from the center of Santa Monica · District · Altadena · listed 1997National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Santa Monica, CA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Historic Parks in Santa Monica, step by step

  1. 1

    See every listed site of this kind in the area

  2. 2

    Sort by distance and pick the closest few

  3. 3

    Read the record for the year, the builder and the use

  4. 4

    View from the public way and note what has changed

  5. 5

    Collect the set and move on to the next county

What people in Santa Monica, CA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Santa Monica, CA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are these buildings open to the public?

Some are, many are not. Churches, courthouses and libraries usually keep regular hours. Houses, barns and mills are often private and best seen from the road. The record for each site tells you which kind it is.

What does it mean when a site is on the National Register?

It means the property was documented and accepted as historically significant. Listing honors the site, it does not open it to visitors or stop an owner from using it.

How a visit works in Santa Monica

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Santa Monica, CA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Santa Monica, CA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

More ways in around Santa Monica, CA

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Historic Parks near Santa Monica

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