Skip to main content

Highland Theatre

Support Provided By

Designed by prominent theater architect Lewis A. Smith, the Highland Park Theater opened in 1925 as one of the few historic institutions in the neighborhood still in use today. The theater was once part of a vibrant entertainment hub of the neighborhood, along with the nearby Figueroa and Sunbeam Theaters. The Highland Theater had a Moorish interior and much of the decor still remains.

The recently (2011) restored Highland Park Theatre sign.

Today the theater is a triplex and the 502 light bulbs of the iconic rooftop sign were relit in May 2011 after a long campaign by local organizations, businesses, and the National Park Service to raise money for the sign to serve as a glowing beacon for Figueroa Street. Catch first-run feature films at bargain prices: only $3 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays! For dinner before a flick, check one of many new restaurants along Figueroa including Vietnamese/American cuisine at Good Girl Dinette, Vegetarian Mexican at Cinamon, or Italian at Folliero's.

For showtimes, visit their website.

DIRECTIONS TO START
strong>TRANSIT: The Highland Park Theater is located right off the
Metro Gold Line Highland Park Station. Make a right onto Ave 57 and then another right on Figueroa Street. Walk to 5604 Figueroa Street.

CAR: Take the 110 North toward Pasadena and exit for Ave 52. Turn left onto Ave 52 and then make a right onto Figueroa Street. The theater will be on your right.

SIGHTSEEING
Heritage Square Museum
This site in Montecito Heights provides a home for many Victorian-era structures that have been saved from demolition, thanks to the work of preservationists and historians.
3800 Homer Street
Los Angeles, CA 90031
(323) 225-270

Heritage Square Museum

NEARBY PARKS
Hermon Park
This small park in the Arroyo offers barbecue pits, a children's play area, picnic tables, and lighted tennis courts. The adjacent dog park was named one of Top 10 dog parks in the country by Dog Fancy Magazine.
5566 Via Marisol
Los Angeles, CA 90042
(323) 255-0370

Tierra de la Culebra Park
La Tierra de la Culebra is a two-acre art park with a sculptural 500 foot long serpent, La Culebra, as its centerpiece. The park has numerous sculptural landscape components and is often used for youth arts and cultural programs.
240 S. Avenue 57
Los Angeles, CA 90042

DINING
>Good Girl Dinette
Good Girl Dinette puts Vietnamese comfort food in the diner setting. The chicken curry pot pie is a specialty, combining an American food with Vietnamese flavors.110 N Avenue 56
Los Angeles, CA 90042<
(323) 257-8980

Las Cazuelas Restaurant & Pupuseria
Pupusas, along with other Mexican and Salvadoran items, are served at this friendly restaurant.
5707 North Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90042
(323) 255-4719

Support Provided By
Read More
A black and white photo of an adult dressed as the easter bunny with a giant costumed head, holding a little girl on their left who gives it a kiss on the cheek and, with his right arm, holding a little boy who brings his hands to his eyes as though wiping away tears.

Behold the Bunnies and Bonnets of L.A.'s Past Easter Celebrations

The onset of the spring season heralds the arrival of fragrant flowers in bloom — and all the critters that enjoy them, including the Easter bunny and families who anticipate his arrival with egg hunts, parades and questionable fashion choices.
A black and white image of an elephant holding a broom with its trunk. A man is seen near the elephant, walking towards the animal.

Lions and Tigers and Cameras! How the Movies Gave Los Angeles a Zoo

The early days of the movies in Los Angeles inadvertently allowed visitors to experience the largest collection of animals in the western United States. When animals weren't appearing in a movie, they were rented out to other film companies, performed for studio visitors, or in the case of filmmaker William Selig's collection — an opportunity to create one of Los Angeles' first zoos.
A vertical, black and white portrait of a blonde woman wearing a sparkly four-leaf clover costume as she holds her arms out and extends a leg as though in a curtsy.

Irish for a Day: L.A.'s History of 'Going Green' on St. Patrick's Day

Whether it was a parade, dance, tea party, home celebration or just enjoying a good ol' wee dram of whisky, here's a photo essay of how Los Angeles donned its green apparel to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and embrace the luck o' the Irish over the years.