I learned of Laura and Architecture Tours LA while a friend was visiting from Paris last summer. We went on the Hollywood tour and had an amazing experience. Laura's knowledge of architecture, architectural history and the history of Los Angeles is unmatched. The tour was relaxed, informative and conversational in nature. My mother has always been fascinated by the Hancock Park and Larchmont Village neighborhoods so this winter I scheduled the Hancock Park-Miracle Mile tour as a Christmas gift. Another great experience. I learned more about the city in two afternoons with Laura than I had in 25 years of living in Los Angeles. The tours are well curated, and Laura adapts content and presentation to the interests and knowledge of the participants skillfully. I highly recommend this experience for locals and visitors, architecture buffs and novices. read more

We took the West Hollywood and Beverly Hills tour on our most recent trip to California. We were recommended to take this tour by a friend and were very pleased with our experience. Laura was very personable and incredibly knowledgeable about the history of LA. You can tell that she really enjoys her work as a Architecture Historian. Laura was wonderful at communicating via email prior to the tour regarding the pricing, what to expect, and where to meet. We arrived early and had first pick of seats in the van which was nice. The ride was very comfortable and we were given bottled water and there was even a restroom stop included in the tour. We drove past several architecturally significant homes and buildings including the Pacific Design Center, Frank Lloyd Wright House and Studio, Beverly Hills City Hall, Schindler House, Gemini GEL, and more. We were able to get out and take photos at the Spadena House and Storer House. I do wish that we had been able to get out at more places to take photos, however we were able to see so much in just a few hours while in the van. If you are looking for an intimate, historical tour of Los Angeles, I recommend booking a tour with Laura! read more

This woman is a terrible ambassador for Los Angeles. I promised her I would post this review of her. We were at Hollyhock House to visit, and she was parked haphazardly taking up two spaces. As my husband was searching for a space, I asked her if she could move her mini van over 2 feet to make room for another car. She was vile! Telling me "this is the way it is here, and no, I can't move my minivan!" I asked why not? And she went on and on with her ugliness, then proceeded to move her van over 2 feet, making room for another car to be able to park. She jumped out of her van saying "There! Are you happy now?!!" Unbelievably rude!! read more

I knew a lot about FLW prior to taking this tour and was surprised at how much I learned. Laura carried a book and would show us the inside of the homes as we were standing outside. I didn't feel like I missed anything by not going in. Many of the homes are occupied so going inside wasn't an option. If you are a history buff and an architect lover this is a tour worth taking. read more

Laura is super knowledgable and in some cases has a connection with property owners such that we could walk onto the grounds. This is someone with a passion for this subject and it shows. Highly recommended! read more

Architecture Tours L A - On the silverlake tour - Tours Near Me

we felt so LUCKY to have met Laura on her fantastically interesting ride around the Silverlake and Los Feliz districts of Los Angeles last Sunday the 16th, September. Weather was perfect for getting out of her comfy minivan and explore the exteriors of several significant buildings and houses. The time passed so quickly with all of her new information on the ground-breaking ;-) mid-century architects who lived, rivaled and worked in the area. She shares her sophisticated point of view in a friendly way. My enthusiastic interruptions were politely shelved by her 'til a bit later and I appreciated that she really has some"in"formation to pass on. She was a lot of fun, I learned much, and never worried a bit about her excellent driving too. A great afternoon; look forward to the next time I can tour with her-thank you, Laura! read more

Architecture Tours L A - Neutra St. - Tours Near Me

On Saturday 12/8/18 my husband, in-laws, and myself took Laura's tour of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. My in-laws are not very familiar with Los Angeles but all four of us have a passion for architecture and I thought this would be a great way to spend a day together. I contacted Laura on 12/3/18 and she responded to me one hour later and we were confirmed by the end of the day. Her communication was clear and quick. We met her at 9:30 AM at the Pacific Design Center. She was there early and was very nice when we were running a little behind. The tour started off and right away I could tell how knowledgeable Laura is. We stopped at so many amazing sites and, as my father-in-law remarked, Laura had answers to every single one of our questions. It was clear that this isn't just a job for her, it is her passion. She was also very easy to talk to and never felt like a stranger to us. Our tour lasted a little over two hours and we spent the rest of the day discussing what we learned and marveling over everything Laura taught and showed us. We are already planning our next tour with Laura and have recommended her to all of our other family members. I cannot recommend Laura and Architecture Tours L.A. highly enough. To say that I was sad when the tour was over is an understatement. Thank you Laura! I can't wait for our next tour together! read more

Thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Downtown LA with Laura! From the moment we stepped inside her spacious van with double sunroof, my husband, sister and I knew we were in for a treat. Laura gave us a thorough overview of so many downtown neighborhoods (Financial, Fashion, Theater & Fashion Districts; Japan & China Towns ; Olvera Street & more). The multiple styles of architecture & design (Art Deco, Renaissance, Spanish, Victorian, Craftsman, etc) were a feast for the eyes. And so many stops included key landmarks (like Bradbury Bldg from Blade Runner and JT/Chris Stapleton "Say Something" video fame) that I ended buying her $10 book as reference guide for future trips back into town. I can't wait to take another tour with Laura! read more

Architecture Tours L A - Bradbury Building - Tours Near Me

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Laura knows her stuff! She made our tour of downtown LA so interesting. We can't wait to go back for another one! It was fun going as locals and we're looking forward to taking visitors in the future, too. read more

My husband and I took a downtown tour this weekend and it's was terrific! Our guide was well versed in architecture, the city of L.A. and how it has changed through the years and continues to evolve. We visited multiple downtown micro neighborhoods and learned more about our great city. Visiting some of the areas I had not seen since I was a young child brought back many memories. We have many new weekend trips now planned on our own as a result of this great overview. We can't wait to go on another with Laura, maybe Hollywood next time! read more

Today I took Architecture Tours LA's Downtown Tour. It was almost 3 hours of LA's most interesting buildings, both oldand new seen from an immaculate and super comfortable luxury minivan. Laura, our tour guide is an architectural historian and seems to know everything about the interesting history of Los Angeles. The amount of information is huge but never feels overwhelming. Laura set a perfect pace so there is plenty of time to absorb everything. Seeing the different districts and learning their history was eye opening. I highly recommend this read more

I hire a professional guide to tour a city or building that I'm visiting about once a year. However, Laura is the first professional guide I have hired to tour me around my own town. I've lived in Los Angeles for 9 years. This summer an old friend of mine who is an architect who lived in New York and Chapel Hill, NC came to visit, I thought it would be fun to have an architectural historian show off my adoptive city to my friend. Laura has designed and executed an excellent overview of downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) conducted from the comfort of a vehicle. Originally, for her long time friends, she drove people around the streets of Los Angeles in a black Cadillac that eventually passed away, but I found her current vehicle, a roomy and flexible min-van quite comfortable. The mini-van has two sun roofs so that you can look up at the tops of the towers you're driving by. The tour is intended to cover a lot of ground. As you turn through the streets of downtown LA and cross into different neigborhoods within it (e.g., Bunker Hill, Arts District, South Park), Laura points out buildings of distinction and lets you know the architect or architectural firm that designed the building and the year and context for when it was built. Fee was $75 per person. read more

A signature and elite architecture car tour! Pros : Service, punctuality, knowledge, professionalism...the list of attributes goes on for the organizer of this tour. Laura is extremely well versed in the world of architecture. She is passionate about her profession and it shows during her tours. She is always early and on time for the start of scheduled tours. She accommodates guests requests while following her scheduled tour routes. Each of the several different tours within Los Angeles that she provides all have unique must see monuments/properties. Upon request she will provide unique site visits at some of her scheduled stopping points. Highly recommend this great service for any casual or avid fan of historic monuments and architecture must sees within Greater Los Angeles. Cons: none worth noting. Novelty: Timeless tours organized and planned at perfection. See Los Angeles in a different lens! read more

This is the third tour we have had with Laura and have made it a must do experience whenever we visit LA. We have been on the West Hollywood/Beverly Hills, Silver Lake and Hollywood tours and they were all equally fantastic. Laura is a wealth of information about architecture (especially Frank Lloyd Wright, but all of the important 20th century architects of the century), history and interesting celebrity trivia, which we love. She does her homework and has visited many of the tour locations/homes, collected verbal history and shares photo's of areas you can't get to either walking or in the van tour. It's a perfect blend of driving and walking, and she often gets to places you either wouldn't think to go or wouldn't have access to yourself. We know so much more about the LA area than we even imagined, even more than some of my relatives who have lived here for decades. We will book a tour with Laura each time we visit LA from our home in Seattle, and she adds locations from time to time or will customize your tour based on your interests. I can't recommend this experience enough if you're in town, or even if you live in LA and would like to learn more. Laura is extremely responsive and communicative if you need to reschedule or want to add guests to the tour, as well. Thank you Laura for making our trips extra fun and special! read more

We took a downtown tour with Laura this morning and it was fantastic. We live part time in LA and go downtown often, but the tour opened whole neighborhoods and buildings which we want to return to and discover again. The friends with us are from Sausalito and knew nothing about downtown. They were thrilled with the tour and Laura's knowledge and energy and good humor. Looking forward to other tours with her and highly recommend Laura. read more

If you thought you knew LA, you just might be wrong. Continuing my newfound passion to discover my city of (gasp) 22 years, I found Laura on the 7 Days in LA website, which is also host to LA Woman Tours, which I also took and reviewed. Let's just say I was shown nooks and crannies of the city that I never knew existed. I took Laura's Hancock Park Tour, which also covered Windsor Square and Koreatown and the Miracle Mile. Not only did I get the story behind all these places I already knew about (Like the gold columned May Company Building at the corner of Fairfax and Wilshire and the Scottish Rites Temple further up Wilshire) but I also got to see some absolutely breathtaking California Craftsman, Tudor and Victorian mansions dating back even past the turn of the century. I was lucky that the day I went, Laura only had one other customer -- a regular customer by the way, who's a frequent visitor to the city and has taken all of Laura's tours. She takes you out in a comfy min-van, and as she shows you what's what she uses a very calm speaking voice and between that and the cushy seats, there's just no better way to see the sights. The best part is that at the end of the tour, she offers for an additional 10 bucks a glossy bound book that shows the tour route with more in-depth detail and photos. Her mistake, cuz you know I'm gonna be taking my friends on my own Hancock Park tour! Oh, I lied -- the best part is that the tour begins and ends in what must be the world's only post-modern Kentucky Fried Chicken on Western Avenue in Koreatown. If you've passed it, you know it. According to Laura, the owner of this particular KFC was an avid art collector and paid a renowned architect to build something special. read more

We LOVED our West Hollywood/Beverly Hills tour with Architecture Tours L.A. this week! Tour guide Laura's knowledge of art, history, culture, and architecture in L.A. is unparalleled -- she's the author of many popular L.A. guidebooks -- so not a minute went by when we weren't being treated to rich stories of the wonderful, wild, and weird. We got up close and personal with West Hollywood's zany city borders and vibrant art and nightlife scenes... tales of L.A.'s old trolley lines that stretched to the Pacific... the glittery excesses of Rodeo Drive... the mini-mansions of Beverly Hills... the witchiest house in all of Los Angeles... the swamps of La Cienega... sweeping lines by Frank & Lloyd Wright and I. M. Pei (designer of the Louvre's glass pyramid).... the winding Hollywood Hills... a deconstructed art studio, turned inside out by Frank Gehry... stunning examples of classical, deco, modern, neomodern, postmodernism, and beyond... and so much more.... If you love art and artists, design, architecture, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and/or Hollywood (both Old and New), this tour does not disappoint! Laura made L.A. come alive, exposing little gems, nuances, back alleys, and secret stories about streets and buildings we pass every day. My wife and I have lived in L.A. for six years, and we left with deepened appreciations for how much unbridled imagination lurks right here under our noses. Driving home from the tour, the City of Angels suddenly seemed deeper and richer, and far more mysterious... Spend some time with Laura and fall in love with L.A. all over again (or, maybe for the first time!). Whether you're visiting or a longtime Angeleno, I highly recommend this tour! P.S. -- The tour van was airy and well air-conditioned with bright windows on the sides and roof. Laura was a very safe driver, and she made plenty of stops for photos! read more

Laura is truly the hostess with the most-ess! She knows LA frontwards and backwards and she is an actual architectural historian so she knows A LOT about the history of some of LA's most famous structures as well as history in general! We had a great time on her WEST HOLLYWOOD tour in her very comfortable minivan with our own personal sunroof. She is a great driver as well so you have nothing to worry about. Just sit back, relax, look at beautiful buildings and learn a lot! Thanks so much for everything, Laura! We'll definitely be back! read more

Architecture Tours L A - The Witch House (side by side: Cher Horowitz in "Clueless" and my photo from Laura's tour). Laura knows a lot about this house! - Tours Near Me

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Great tour if you don't end up in the back seat of their minivan. the visibility is poor and accessibility for the elderly is very difficult

We have used Architecture Tours LA for several years now, and have taken all the tours. These tours is for those who are truly into houses way beyond the cheeeesy "Star line tours" that hang around the the houses of famous people. All they "see" is high fences and 20ft hedges, basically they see little of architectural interest. Los Angeles have so many known houses in an "small" area. You can see example of these Architects, clip from some of my list for LA: - Richard Neutra, (customer wishes) - John Lautner, (Sheats Goldstein Residence, -Chemosphere, etc,) - Rudolf Schindler, (worked for Wright, had a feud, drew most of the Hollyhock House, witch is credited 100% Frank L. Wright.) - Frank Gehry, Walt Disney concert hall (function should follow form = BS. architect!!!) - Frank Loyd Wright, ( 4 Mayan houses in LA etc. Fallingwater PA, Guggenheim NY.) - Richard Meier, Getty center in Bel Air (Le Courbisier copy on anything he does) - Paul Williams, - Wallace Neff, etc,etc The value for your dollar here is good all in all. She have an purpose ordered 2012 Toyota van with BIG seats, your own AC, and dual sunroofs. The van don't have these huge advertisement on the sides so that everybody is gawking at you when you drive around the neighborhoods, you simply slide around more or less un-noticed. Laura is the only one i know of that is recommended by ex. the Lautner foundation, http://www.johnlautner.org/wp/?p=52 for tours daily in LA. As far as i know, this is the best way to see architecture in LA, on the booth here you can ask her questions all thorough the tour, the probability of learning something new on these tours is high. THESE TOURS IS A NO-BRAINIER FOR EVERYONE THAT HAVE HINT OF ARCHITECTURAL INTEREST. read more

My wife and I are pretty hardcore architecture buffs, but even if we weren't, the two tours we took with Laura would have been highlights of out LA trip. She's amazingly knowledgeable and fun. The trips are exhaustively planned and add both depth and nuance to an excursion to this kaleidoscopic berg. read more

We took the three-hour tour of mid-century homes in Silver Lake today with Laura. It was fabulous. She has so much knowledge of both LA and architecture. She told us all the backstories on the homes and the evolution of the area. There wasn't a single question that stumped her. It was a friendly, intimate way to learn and a very comfortable trip. There was another couple with us, and they seemed as happy as we were. We'll definitely be back for her tours of other areas in LA. read more

Chris was welcoming and maintained a high level of energy throughout our tour. His in-depth knowledge of sights on our tour made the buildings come alive with the stories from the past. We could image the pueblo and the distinct Mexican influence that evolved into the thriving metropolis of LA today. Fun fact from Chris:LA has the 2nd largest Mexican population in the world, outside of Mexico City. read more

I can only add my voice to all the positive reviews. As an architecture student, I tried my best to see as much as I could of LA in the few days I was there and this Architecture Tour of Silver Lake was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. There's so much to see in this city that it's overwhelming and Laura's tour has been a tremendous help understanding the city itself and its evolution. She knows the story of every single building she introduces and much more, never stops to have interesting facts and uncovers all the hidden gems along the way. Couldn't have hoped for a better way to spend my money ! If I ever happen to be in LA again, I will take another tour with a single hesitation ! Thank you Laura ! read more

I've done two tours with Laura and they've been so different and both great. Both tours were with my mom, and we both had a great time. Laura's incredibly knowledgeable, and a super patient driver (which is necessary in a car tour of LA). A fantastic way to spend an afternoon and see the city with fresh eyes, even if you've lived here for years. read more

Yes as good as it get. I studied Architecture History in a professional art school and found the tour as good as it gets. The tour consists of the guide/driver and just a few folks in a car. So we all get to ask whatever question we want, and Laura answers. This is a tour that goes outside the normal big bus tour of a city. I attended the Downtown LA Tour, but they offer others. Next time I will try one of the other tours. read more

I'm very interested in architecture, which I discovered is the unsung glory of LA and Pasadena. In the year I lived in SoCal, I tried to see some on my own, using guidebooks, primarily Architecture in Los Angeles by Gebhard and Winter. But it was very frustrating, because most of the homes are blocked from view, the book is somewhat out of date, and driving in the Hills is draining. So I thought to Google [architecture tours los angeles] and found Architecture Tours LA. I went on Laura's trip around Silver Lake, and enjoyed it immensely. She's very knowledgable, which she communicates enthusiastically. She does the driving, so knows the best routes and of course avoids houses that are blocked from the public. Laura has written a number of architecture tour guidebooks by neighborhood. I bought the one for Silver Lake, as well as six others. It's a good idea to buy the relevant book before your tour. read more

My husband and I took Laura's tour yesterday and we're still talking about the hidden gems and the gems in plain view that are in Los Angeles. We chose the Hollywood tour to see Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and we were not disappointed. Laura is a preservationist architect, very knowledgeable and has an easygoing way of telling the history and details not only of the buildings, but the hows and whys of their existence. She's also an excellent driver, which is no small feat in L.A., and it allowed us to be completely focused on the tour. A really enjoyable experience. read more

My sister and I recently took a tour of Disney Hall and the L.A. Cathedral with Architecture Tours L.A.. Laura Massino Smith was our guide - she's amazing! She really imparted a lot of knowledge about both sites and we absolutely loved it. We plan to book another tour with Laura next time we are in L.A. I read a lot of these reviews before booking and I can say we were not disappointed in the least. You can't go wrong with Laura! read more

These tours are great because they are SMALL groups...5 max (unless you are planning an event). Laura really knows her stuff (master's degree in architecture) and explains everything and can answer nearly every question (she should go on Jeopardy)! With the smaller van, she can go down many smaller side streets. I was only in LA for 2 days and her tour was for an entire afternoon...got to see practically all of the city in a very comprehensive way. (I only wish it were the entire day!). LA is a very beautiful city with many cultural attractions which she'll introduce you to in any tour. I do suggest that you bring a camera with a good zoom lens as there are many details on the building you may wish to capture. If you forget your camera, you can buy one (or all) of her guidebooks, very reasonably priced. Laura has an engaging personality which only adds to the pleasure of the tour. This tour is much more comprehensive than the buses with 50 people. read more

The Downtown L.A. tour was fascinating. I can't imagine a more knowledgeable or articulate tour guide than Laura. She knows all sorts of information about not just the buildings, but also the historical and cultural contexts. The tour was very interactive, with plenty of opportunities to ask questions and even get out of the van a couple of times to take a closer look. We had the tour to ourselves in the comfortable minivan with two sunroofs and big windows. Sometimes when we wanted to get a better look at something, Laura would circle around the block to drive past it again. I was impressed with her ability to drive safely while narrating the sights! I highly recommend this tour for locals and tourists alike! read more

If you want to learn more about Los Angeles than the usual tourist sites then you need to take a tour with Architecture Tours LA. These tours are so much more enlightening than taking a bus. I just took my fifth architecture tour, this time to Silver Lake for the neo-modernist architecture. I have taken the Downtown LA twice and it was just as interesting and fresh as the first time. If you get a chance don't miss Hollywood and West Hollywood/Beverly Hills. I get a lot of out-of-town guests and the first thing I do for them is to sign up for one of Laura's tours because I know it will be interesting and my guests will love it. I am already planning my next outing with Architecture Tours LA. read more

I took the Hollywood tour this weekend. Laura was early and her vehicle was clean and spacious. I learned a great deal and recommend.

This woman exudes negativity. A tour should be pleasant and educational. She was neither. Look elsewhere.

I got an architecture tour for my birthday and at first, wasn't expecting very much except to drive around and around I chose the tour of Hancock Park/ Miracle Mile/ Windsor Square which was 3 hours. We met at a KFC and no one else was on our tour. We drove around many residential and commercial districts and focused on the history of the older pre-WW2 buildings. Our tour guide, Laura, was very passionate about everything that she spoke about. She is very knowledgeable about LA history. I highly recommended you take this tour, if you live in LA, or if you are visiting, it is very interesting and fun. read more

What a great experience. I have been on a number of tours in LA and Laura was absolutely fantastic. We went on the West Hollywood-Beverly Hills and the Silver Lake tours, and thoroughly enjoyed both. A lot of tour guides freely provide inaccurate information, and well this is LA, and many are bs artists. Laura is straightforward, knowledgeable, and direct. She clearly has a passion for the history and architecture of the city. Well worth your money and more importantly, your time. read more

Architecture Tours L.A. shows Los Angeles in an entirely different and remarkably fascinating light. Why waste your time packed in with 50 other tourists, looking down a street where a star may or may not have lived 20 years ago when you can immerse yourself in the rich and beautiful architecture Los Angeles has to offer? Most people think L.A. is a city which tears down anything old in favour of the new. Not so: quality endures. Los Angeles has an incredible collection of important buildings, from the founding of the city to the present. Colonial, Victorian, Art Deco, Moderne, Post-Modern and many other styles are well-represented. Tours are conducted by Laura, who is an extremely knowledgable architectural historian and also serves as driver. Tours are limited to six passengers maximum which gives visitors a rare opportunity to interact directly with an expert in this field. I cannot recommend these tours highly enough! read more

My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed the Downtown LA tour. Every aspect of the experience was perfect. During the reservation process, Laura was clear and responsive. On the day of the tour, Laura arrived on time and delivered everything as promised. Laura is extremely knowledgable, funny, personable, and interesting. I am now considering going on the Pasadena and Silver Lake tours. read more

Myself and 'N' love Laura's tours - have done both the West Hollywood/Beverly Hills and more recently the Downtown LA versions. Laura is super friendly and her knowledge is second to none. Her tours are amazing value for money, and she is mega-informative! Can't wait for the next one (which will be Silverlake!) Take at least one of her tours - a really interesting, fun couple of hours! read more

What makes these tours both stimulating and entertaining is looking at Los Angeles, the "city of dreams", from the perspective of the diverse and often peculiar structures built there over time. The writer Nathanial West found the incongruent styles, from different times and places absurd and sad. But nowadays, some seventy years later, it is that curious and surprising incongruity that brings to life the stories of the people who have occupied this city. Not just the movie stars. The seductive appeal of Southern California is presented in a marvelous way by Laura Messina in these architecture tours. They're fact based and far from dry because she presents the human facts as well as the design information. She describes the structures and the people who designed them and how they fit into the place that is Los Angeles. Even those of us who don't live here can understand ourselves as a society better by taking a microcosmic view of Los Angeles. How are we the same? How are we different? Very fun, not at all dry. read more