Los Angeles Plaza Historic District

The Los Angeles Plaza Historic District is a district in downtown Los Angeles that covers several city blocks around the central square where the city first began. The area includes colonial adobe buildings, an early church with chapel, and low commercial structures arranged along paved pathways and courtyards.

A group of Catholic families from Mexico founded a small settlement here in 1781 under the direction of Felipe de Neve, governor of California. The square became the political and religious center during Spanish and Mexican rule before the city came under American control after 1848.

The area takes its name from the original Mexican village square, now bordered by red brick and used as a gathering spot for festivals and concerts. Nearby Olvera Street turns into a lively Mexican-style market where vendors sell handcrafted goods and traditional foods.

Access to most buildings and exhibition spaces is free, with visitors able to move between different sections at their own pace. The streets are mostly level and easy to walk, making it comfortable to explore on foot even during warm weather.

Some of the original founding families came from African and mixed backgrounds, reflecting the early colonial makeup of Spanish settlement. This mixed ancestry was part of Spain's strategy to quickly establish settlements in remote areas.