How to Spend 4 Hours in Los Angeles: Union Station and Olvera Street
Updated October 3, 2026
Four hours lets you explore where Los Angeles began. Take the subway to Union Station's grand hall, shop the stalls of Olvera Street, tour the oldest house in town and finish with a dipped beef sandwich.
The city was founded in 1781 near the spot where Union Station now stands, and the few blocks around it hold the oldest layers of Los Angeles. The station itself is a 1939 blend of Spanish Colonial, Mission Revival and Art Deco styles. Across Alameda Street, the old plaza and its market lane keep Mexican traditions alive. A short stroll north, a sawdust floored deli has fed train travelers and office workers for generations. The B and D Line subway gets you there in a couple of stops from Pershing Square. The Avila Adobe is closed on Mondays.
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The 4 hour plan, stop by stop
Stops and travel: 1 hr 54 min to 2 hr 59 min of 4 hours
Opened in 1939 and designed by the father and son team of John and Donald Parkinson, Union Station is often called the last of the great American train stations. It blends Spanish Colonial, Mission Revival and Art Deco design into a style often called Mission Moderne. The waiting room has rows of heavy leather armchairs, a patterned tile floor and a beamed ceiling. Two garden courtyards with fountains sit off the main halls. It is free to wander and open daily.
Tip: Peek into the old ticket concourse beside the waiting room, where the long original wooden counter still stands, though the hall sometimes closes for private events.
- Time here
- 25 to 40 min
- Website
- unionstationla.com
NaviTime to head out from Union Station, Los Angeles for Olvera Street, Los Angeles. It's an 8 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
Christine Sterling, a civic activist determined to save the area's old buildings, opened this brick lane as a Mexican marketplace on Easter Sunday in 1930. It lies within El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument, next to the plaza that grew from the 1781 settlement. Stalls sell embroidered blouses, leather goods, pottery and candy, and restaurants serve Mexican plates under shady trees. On weekends, dancers and mariachis often perform in the plaza. The lane is open daily.
Tip: At the north end, Cielito Lindo has been rolling taquitos since 1934, and its thin avocado sauce poured on top is the whole point.
- Time here
- 30 to 50 min
- Website
- elpueblo.lacity.gov
NaviTime to head out from Olvera Street, Los Angeles for Avila Adobe, Los Angeles. It's a 1 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
Built in 1818 by Francisco Avila, a rancher who had served as alcalde, or mayor, in 1810, this low adobe is the oldest standing house in Los Angeles. Thick sun dried brick walls keep it cool even in summer. Its rooms are furnished as a well off family home of the 1840s, with a kitchen, parlor and bedrooms opening onto a shady rear courtyard. During the Mexican American War, US troops briefly used it as a headquarters. Entry is free, and it is closed on Mondays.
Tip: Visit early in the day, before the crowds, when the quiet rooms and rear courtyard feel closest to the family home they recreate.
- Time here
- 15 to 25 min
- Website
- elpueblo.lacity.gov
NaviTime to head out from Avila Adobe, Los Angeles for Philippe the Original, Los Angeles. It's a 5 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
Philippe Mathieu opened his deli in 1908, and the restaurant says he created the French dipped sandwich. A rival downtown restaurant makes the same claim, and the debate is half the fun. Since 1951, it has been at this spot near Union Station, where you order from carvers at the counter and eat at long shared tables over a sawdust strewn floor. It is open every day, from early morning until late evening.
Tip: Add a dab of the house hot mustard, set out in jars on every table, and use it sparingly at first, because it bites like horseradish.
- Time here
- 30 to 50 min
- Website
- philippes.com
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