Skip to content
BusinessesGrow
Watts Towers, Los Angeles, CA

Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicQuirky FunHistory Buff

Watts Towers

10624 Graham Ave · Los Angeles, CA

Why you should go…

Italian immigrant Simon Rodia built the Watts Towers by himself between 1921 and 1954, raising 17 interconnected sculptural towers, the tallest 99.5 feet high, on his own residential lot. The surfaces are set with tile, glass and other found materials. The only way inside the gates is a 30-minute guided tour sold first come, first served at the Watts Towers Arts Center, which also shows rotating exhibitions of contemporary art. Tours do not run on rainy days.

  • #folk art
  • #guided tour
  • #landmark
  • #sculpture
  • #state historic park

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Watts Towers, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Iconic

    SoFi Stadium

    $50+

    Take a guided tour of the home of the Rams and Chargers, from the locker rooms and player tunnel to the premium suites.

    5.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Shopping
    Quirky Fun

    Citadel Outlets

    Free

    Shop discount fashion outlets inside a landmark building modeled on an ancient Assyrian citadel.

    6.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Crypto.com Arena

    $50+

    Watch the Lakers, Kings and Sparks, catch a concert, or walk Star Plaza's statues of Los Angeles sports figures.

    7.4 mi awayMore like this

  • Eat & Drink
    Foodie Favorite

    Grand Central Market

    Under $25

    A century-old downtown food hall packing dozens of stalls from tacos to ramen under one roof.

    7.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Angels Flight Railway

    Under $25

    Ride a 1901 funicular one short block up Bunker Hill, from Hill Street to California Plaza on Grand Avenue.

    7.8 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Los Angeles

    Free

    Official Los Angeles tourism site with trip planning, neighborhood guides and a visitor perk pass.

    7.9 mi awayMore like this