High on Olive Hill in Barnsdall Art Park stands one of Los Angeles’ true treasures: Hollyhock House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for arts patron Aline Barnsdall and named for her favorite flower, whose stylized motif repeats across the house.
In 2019 Hollyhock House joined the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of ‘The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright’ — one of eight Wright structures so honored, and Los Angeles’ first and only UNESCO World Heritage site. Wright conceived it as a ‘garden house,’ blurring indoors and outdoors with terraces, pergolas and a central courtyard that frame views over the city.
The house anchors Barnsdall Art Park at 4800 Hollywood Blvd, a city-owned cultural hilltop with lawns, picnic spots and skyline views. Self-guided tours welcome visitors, with docents on site, and the house also offers a Virtual Accessibility Experience and an archive of 81 digitized drawings and blueprints for anyone who wants to explore from home.
Advance tickets are recommended for tours. Whether you come for the architecture or simply for a peaceful hour above Hollywood, Hollyhock House is Los Angeles heritage at its happiest.
Photo: Hollyhock House
