My dear friend was visiting from out of town and I decided to book the Haunted Tales walking tour…read moreto kill a few hours in DTLA before his flight home. I'm so happy I did that, as we ended up having a great time! I have already recommended this walking tour to several friends and am happy to do so with anyone else thinking about checking it out. My one suggestion is this: Ask for Brandon! Our guide, Brandon, was simply fabulous. He was knowledgeable and passionate about the macabre, as well as the general, history of Los Angeles. I was surprised to hear that he had only done about 20 tours ... anyone would believe he's been doing this for decades! Brandon was very organized, told us interesting stories and shared personal anecdotes and photos throughout the tour. He was laid back and was able to answer all questions ... it was like exploring downtown with an old friend. Thanks for a great experience!

These walking tours are awesome. I have been to a few. You meet lots of great people. You also…read morelearn a lot about the city. I remember that my favorite was an evening walking tour in the summer. We went around DTLA to look at the art installations around town. I highly recommend these walking tours. You can definitely enjoy them even if you go alone because everyone is so nice.

I just took the Haunted History Walking Tour with my two friends, we all absolutely loved it and…read morecant wait to go back to Pasadena Walking Tours for the History of Pasadena tour! Heather was our guide, we were amazed at all the info and history she shared with us! We never would have seen Pasadena's many treasures on our own! Thank you Heather! I highly recommend this experience! Karen Nosala 4/30/23

The host was somewhat engaging, if hard to hear. The Pasadena ghost tour was maybe 15% ghost…read morestories. The one hour tour turned into two hours by the time we took ourselves back to the starting point. Correct, the tour ended 1/2 mile away from the starting point. No, I would not recommend this tour.

I'm totally into anything paranormal. Ghost, aliens, Bigfoot, La Llorona.....I like! Don't get me…read morewrong I will sleep with my night light on. After watching stuff on TV I decided to Google, not expecting to find a group in my backyard! (practically) So I jumped at the chance to go on a local History & Haunt Tour with them. We walked around the Mission museum (behind the Playhouse), HS, church, cemetery and ending at the doors of the Playhouse. As we were walking up to the doors of the Playhouse their was a strong floral scent. As the organizers thanked everyone for attending they walked towards the sidewalk. My daughter, Michelle (organizer), and myself stayed behind. I love old buildings so I asked my daughter to take a few pictures. As we walked away we heard the Playhouse doors open and slam shut!! Now these doors are huge. So you can imagine how loud that was. Before the tour ended Michelle had pulled on the doors and they were locked. We stood still for a second, turned around expecting/wishing someone to be standing there. The 3 of us ran up to the doors, we tried pulling on the doors again and they were locked and now the inside lights were on. My daughter and I stared at each other and then at Michelle. It was the weirdest feeling. We eventually caught up with everyone else and told them what they missed. We've also attended their Scary Movie Night at Savannah Cemetery. That was cool. We also made it to Paranormal Night II which I convinced my husband to attend. We're planning on going to the meet-up at Devils Gate Dam. I listened to Michelle's GB session on Facebook, can't wait! On the car ride home from their events I always tell my daughter...."we found our people"! So believers and non-believers attend one of their local events. You may never know what you'll see/hear/experience.

From the owner: Ghost Tour Dates: Sept 28, October 5, October 12, October 19, and October 26…read more This tour is centered around the Historic Mission San Gabriel Ditrict. This is a two hour tour that is designed to amaze you. Fisrt, you will see actual photos of ghosts on a big screen. This presentation takes place in one of the historic buildings that is actually haunted. After this you will walk through the Historic Ditrict to the most haunted buildings where some of the ghosts still reside. Most guests capture orbs, mists and other unexplained phenomena! Keep that camera handy! Book early. We only take about 20 guests at a time. San Gabriel Ghost Seekers Private tours upon request.

Pasadena Heritage lecture "Tribute to Julia Morgan, Architect", was held January 21, 2012 in honor…read moreof Julie Morgan's 140th birthday, the 35th anniversary of the founding of PH and to raise awareness for the possible preservation, renovation and restoration of JM's YWCA (1921) located at Marengo and Holly in Pasadena which has been listed on PH's most endangered list for many years. This was a very informative, well attended presentation on the City's historic civic center plan, JM's bio and body of work, architecture and construction of the YWCA as well as the past and present function of the structure and possibilities for reuse. The second part of this program may be scheduled in the Fall of 2012. Julia Morgan, California's first licensed woman architect, is known for her work at Hearst Castle, in addition to her work in SF, Oakland, No. California and for the design and construction of YWCA buildings throughout California, Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii including 14 structures at the Asilomar Conference Grounds (originally YWCA) in Pacific Grove. Bernard Maybeck was her mentor.

For the past 16 years, Pasadena Heritage has been hosting the annual Craftsman weekend, which…read moreaccording to their website is "the largest and most comprehensive celebration in the Western United States." Throughout this weekend, you can take both bus and/or walking tours of historic neighborhoods, but the highlight of the weekend is the Craftsman House Tour where you get to visit six distinctive period homes, Not only do you get to see the interiors of these beautiful homes, you'll also have trained docents inside who will give you historical facts and architectural info about the home itself. So if you have a love of the American Arts & Craftsman movement, than why not take advantage of being local to a part of the country where you can see beautiful examples of this distinct architectural and design style. I certainly did last year and with Annual Craftsman Weekend coming around again in October, you can too. To see the pics I took while on the 2006 Craftsman House Tour, check out the link below: http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594566541113/

I had so much fun walking this path. So peaceful. So clean. And very close to everything…read more We even took the free trolley back and forth. Great day date

I love Laguna Beach! Yes, it is always super crowded but it's a small city so that's what you…read moreshould expect. I would say parking is a hassle, which it is, but I've been through much worse. I never get lucky enough to find street parking although most of it is metered and that's always annoying, but they have plenty of affordable parking lots so definitely just pay up. We didn't spend more than $5 for parking so for a beach day that is totally worth it. There are lots of shops and restaurants to visit while you are in the area. I definitely recommend walking along the beach cliffside. There is a paved trailed and the view is gorgeous. To me, it's just as pretty as Hawaii! We chose to eat at Urth Cafe during our most recent visit but the other restaurants I have visited have also been very pleasent. They have good quality food and the prices are expensive but definitely affordable for an ocean view. I would recommend to arrive early. Maybe the crowds wont be as bad plus you need to plan for traffic when you leave Laguna Beach. We were caught in a traffic jam when we left in the afternoon and it seemed like it was backed up the entire day. But like I said, I have been through much worse and Laguna Beach is still always worth the visit. Will be back soon!

I am so glad I stumbled upon this charming tour on Groupon. Even without the deal I found on…read moreGroupon I would have booked this tour just for the experience of meeting Tom and learning from all of his experiences in Naples. Tom is a lovely man who is just as genuine as he is kind and knowledgeable of Naples. He is a local at heart as he grew up in one of the houses along the canal which is continuously being supplemented by research and inquiries he makes of the other locals he has met in the community. His love for the history of Naples exudes from him and his excitement is contagious. I do not know how many times he has done this tour but it truly sounded as if he was just as invested and excited as if it were his first. The Huell Howser of Naples, this tour is worth the money solely based on Tom. It is an experience well worth the time and money and I look forward to coming to visit Naples again.

We had a wonderful time with Tom. He was obviously a nostalgic local who knew the area. He seemed…read moreto know every person we saw on our tour. Thank you, bro!

My family and I came to take the studio tour on 7/2 after a recommendation from a friend. I didn't…read moreexpect much, but I absolutely loved the experience. We got to see the sets from so many different shows that I love, like Gilmore Girls, Friends, Abbott Elementary, and even movies. Our tour guide Philippe was exceptional. He was super knowledgeable, friendly, and insightful throughout the tour. He had so much joy and enthusiasm for the studio, and he made the experience amazing for me and my family. The museums had some really cool stuff like the Batman cars, the Friends set, and Sinners costumes. The only letdown was the very limited Harry Potter section, but overall it was a great experience. I see myself coming back again; I feel like there's still more to see.

We purchased the 10:30 am Studio Plus tour for $160 but used our local resident discount for…read moreadditional savings. A full Two hour guided tour riding around the back lot on a 15 passenger electric cart. Super knowledgeable driver / tour guide (Zack) talks you through the various backlot sets and sound stages with video presentations on the monitors mounted in the cart. There are several stops where you can get off to experience and hear details about shows and movies that used these specific sets. Very interesting seeing the building facades and landscaped grounds and the history of the studio. Our tour included a snack / continental breakfast and a lunch at the Friends Central Perk cafe restaurant. Both offered a decent selection of food and drink items. In the morning they served juices, coffee, tea, water, chips, cookies, danish to munch on before the tour started. Caveat is you only have 15 minutes to relax and enjoy before leaving for the tour. Lunch break happened at the end of our two hour guided tour. The tour package lunch included a hot or cold entree, side dish and drink. We were surprised at the selection and quality of the food. Various hot and cold sandwiches, salads, chips and a full selection of hot or cold, large or small coffee drinks. Even some blended coffee drinks. We ordered the hot Cuban sandwich, Cobb salad and a large iced coffee latte drink. The Cuban was hot but a little bit soggy but still tasty. Cobb salad super fresh and healthy. Coffee drink was solid with creamy topping. After lunch you begin the self guided portion of the tour which is inside stage 48? Where the restaurant was located. Film technology and costumes on display with various interactive display to participate. Harry Potter, Batman, Superman and other blockbuster movies artwork, costumes and videos on display. So much to discover. Easily spent 2 hours in there. Surprisingly they told us we also had entry into the Superman Experience. We did not know this was part of the tour. It is not mentioned in the marketing online. Unfortunately we ran out of time and had to skip this. Too bad as I think it is super popular. Regardless the tour was unexpectedly very entertaining and enjoyable. Weather was great not too hot. Highly recommended for folks looking for a break from the theme parks. Totally different in a good way from Universal Studio tour.

I heard about the Walking Tours on NPR and decided to check them out this month since it piqued my…read moreinterest. I've been trying to do more local things just to get more acquainted with the IE. I sent out an email to uplandwalkingtours@gmail.com to get more info and Ann (she's the guide) responded very promptly. All I had to do was show up at the steps of the Cooper Museum by 10 am on the day of the tour (which is usually the 2nd Saturday of every month). The day of the tour I arrived 20 minutes beforehand because I was worried about parking, but there was no need to worry, there is plenty of parking there. There is street parking and a lot next to the Museum. You can also bike (it is near the Electric Trail), or take the Metrolink (the station is across the street from the Museum). Getting there is very convenient. The weather was slightly overcast, so it was a perfect day. We walked for about a mile making stops at various locations to get historical information and for some minor reenactments that we all got to participate in. What I loved the most was learning about all of the people. Ann had put together some quotes with a picture of a person. We each picked one out and read them aloud. It really brought the history to life. The stops included a very beautiful Victorian house, the Carnegie Library, a historical fire department building, a bakery (where there is time to grab a snack), and various other locations. I enjoyed all of the gardens and architecture I saw while walking. Ann pointed out a beautiful stained glass window in an empty location that just screams for restoration. After the tour I enjoyed walking around the Cooper Museum. It's small, but has a lot of good exhibits. They had a comic book superhero one that was pretty awesome. I'm definitely going back again and explore some more.

My mother, my dog and I attended the Historic Upland Walking Tour last Saturday at 10 am hosted by…read moreAnn Lara. Ann Lara has done a lot of historical research to put this on, she is amazing. The tour lasted about 2 hours and I was intrigued the whole way. I would love to go on the tour again. Loved it and would highly recommend this tour.

I found out about Jill's walking tour from a friend. She took me to a spot with the best views in…read moreDana Point that I had never seen before, even from visiting here many times. Her tour was interesting, fun, and very educational. Dana Point has a remarkably colorful past! The best part was Jill herself; she is a fun and engaging guide who will keep you laughing and smiling. I highly recommend this tour for anyone who wants a fun few hours to see, hear and experience this beautiful and unique city, Dana Point.

We went on a walking tour of Dana Point and we were so impressed by our tour guide's (Jill)…read moreknowledge and the beauty of the harbor and headlands. We've lived here for 10 years and I had no idea of the history of the place. Pirates, priests, sailors and surfers! So much fun! Highly recommend this tour.

UPDATE: A day after I wrote to the Conservancy regarding them canceling my scheduled tour without…read morenotice, one of their staff reached out to me and expressed their apologies without making any excuses. They have also said they are going to mail me a refund and other travel-related expenses. I wasn't expecting that but it was nonetheless a thoughtful gesture to correct a wrong. All businesses go through ups and downs and in this case, I am glad to see that this business is willing to admit its mistake and to try to make amends to a disgruntled customer. That is what great customer service should be about. I definitely felt less upset with my experience.

I recently gathered a small group for a private walking tour led by a docent with the Santa Monica…read moreConservancy. We were lucky enough to have Thomasine "Tomi" Rogas as our guide for the 2.5 hours. She shared so much history, architecture and background on key players in Santa Monica's founding. Her stories and photos really helped paint a picture of Santa Monica in the early days. Tomi's depth of knowledge and passion for the area's history really shone through. Great experience!