How to Spend 8 Hours in Los Angeles: The Broad and the Arts District
Updated October 3, 2026
Eight hours lets you move from Bunker Hill's art museum east through Little Tokyo to the warehouse streets of the Arts District. Finish with the arches of the new Sixth Street Viaduct glowing over the river.
Downtown's eastern edge has changed quickly in recent decades. Old produce warehouses and rail yards along the Los Angeles River now hold galleries, breweries and restaurants, and a new bridge of white arches crosses the river to Boyle Heights. Start on Bunker Hill at a free museum of contemporary art, then ride the A or E Line two stops to Little Tokyo for a sweet from a mochi maker founded there in 1903. Walk on to the Arts District for lunch and a free gallery set in an old flour mill. Skip Mondays, when The Broad and the gallery are closed.
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The 8 hour plan, stop by stop
Stops and travel: 4 hr 24 min to 6 hr 59 min of 8 hours
Philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad opened this museum in 2015 to show their collection of roughly two thousand works of postwar and contemporary art. The building by Diller Scofidio and Renfro wraps the galleries in a white honeycomb shell. Inside you will find Warhol, Basquiat, Koons and Kusama, in big rooms that are rehung every few years. General admission is free, and reserving a timed slot online is wise. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Tip: Kusama's mirrored room needs its own separate reservation, so book it together with your general entry slot rather than hoping for a spare one at the door.
- Time here
- 1 hr 30 min to 2 hr 30 min
- Website
- thebroad.org
NaviTime to head out from The Broad, Los Angeles for Fugetsu-Do, Little Tokyo. It's a 17 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
Founded in 1903, this confectionery has been run by the Kito family ever since. During World War II, the family was sent to the Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming, and the shop reopened on East First Street in 1946. The glass cases hold soft mochi and manju filled with sweet bean paste, plus a much loved peanut butter mochi and flavors that change with the seasons. Each piece is made fresh, and the shop is open every day. A box makes a light gift to carry home.
Tip: Buy a mixed handful rather than one kind, since the counter staff will happily explain each filling and its season.
- Time here
- 10 to 20 min
- Website
- fugetsu-do.com
NaviTime to head out from Fugetsu-Do, Little Tokyo for Wurstküche, Arts District. It's a 10 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
Set in a brick warehouse on an Arts District corner, this sausage hall has been a neighborhood favorite for years. Order at the front counter, then carry your tray into the long back room with its communal tables and a big list of German and Belgian beers. Beyond the classic bratwurst, the grill turns out game sausages such as rattlesnake with rabbit. Belgian fries come with a choice of dipping sauces. It opens daily from late morning.
Tip: Pair a large order of fries with two contrasting sauces, such as chipotle aioli and curry ketchup, and share it across the table.
- Time here
- 40 min to 1 hr
- Website
- wurstkuche.com
NaviTime to head out from Wurstküche, Arts District for Hauser & Wirth, Arts District. It's a 2 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
The Swiss gallery opened its Los Angeles outpost in 2016 inside a former flour mill, turning old industrial buildings into large exhibition spaces. Shows change several times a year and often feature major international artists. Between the galleries lie an open courtyard, an art bookstore and a garden with a chicken coop and vegetable beds that supply the restaurant, Manuela. Entry is always free with no booking needed, and the gallery is closed on Mondays.
Tip: Check the gallery's website before you go, because one building is sometimes closed between shows while the next installation goes up.
- Time here
- 45 min to 1 hr 30 min
- Website
- hauserwirth.com
NaviTime to head out from Hauser & Wirth, Arts District for Sixth Street Viaduct, Los Angeles. It's a 20 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
Opened in July 2022, this bridge replaced a crumbling 1932 viaduct that had appeared in films such as Grease. Architect Michael Maltzan designed it as ten pairs of leaning white arches that light up at night. The bridge links the Arts District with Boyle Heights across the river and the rail yards, with wide sidewalks and bike lanes in both directions.
Tip: Walk at least to the middle of the bridge for the best skyline view looking back west, especially as the arches light up after sunset.
- Time here
- 30 to 50 min
- Website
- engineering.lacity.gov
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