In approximately two hours and six blocks, the walk traverses more than 130 years of Santa Monica history, from its Wild West frontier beginnings to the sophisticated metropolis of today. You'll learn about the civic leaders whose vision built the growing city, and experience downtown's diverse architectural heritage, including:

- The 1875 Rapp Saloon, opened the year the city was founded, later served as the first city hall. Having passed through many adaptive reuses in its long life, today it is incorporated into the Hostelling International facility.
- The Majestic Theatre, later the Mayfair, the city's first theater built to showcase the nascent film industry, which used the city for film locations.
- The Keller Block, a splendid example of Romanesque Revival architecture.
- The Builders Exchange, a restored Churrigueresque/Spanish Revival building, with intact decorative interiors.
- The Bay Cities Guaranty Building, the city's first skyscraper, a soaring Art Deco landmark with its signature clock tower.
- The El Miro theater, an exuberant Art Deco/Streamline Moderne creation that became the centerpiece for the revitalization of the old mall into the Third Street Promenade.

THREE WAYS TO TOUR DOWNTOWN

Docent-guided walking tours at 10AM every Saturday morning.
Reservations are suggested.

Walking tour gift certificates are now available. See our Downtown Walking Tour gift certificate page for details.

Self-guided Tour Booklets providing a map and detailed information on the city's history and the historic buildings featured on the tour, are available for $3 at the
Visitors Center, 1920 Main Street and the Hostelling International Travel Store, 1434 Second Street.

Group Tours may be booked by special appointment. Call 310-496-3146 or send email to dwt@smconservancy.org.

CLICK HERE TO MAKE RESERVATIONS ONLINE, BY PHONE OR EMAIL.

The Santa Monica Conservancy invites our members and friends to the Red Bull North America Headquarters. Red Bull is the recipient of our 2010 Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse of a Commercial Building.

Sustainability & Reuse of Existing Buildings
Wednesday, September 08, 2010 at 7:00 PM

This networking event and tour is hosted by the US Green Building Council, Los Angeles Chapter, the Santa Monica Conservancy and the California Preservation Foundation.

Preserving buildings is a sustainable practice. It not only reduces waste and sprawl, but also leads to economic and social sustainability. However, in the effort to achieve sustainable certification for a building, two major environmental benefits intrinsic to preservation are frequently overlooked: the building's embodied energy and its total life cycle. In California, the lack of seismic design and detailing in older buildings can pose significant challenges to preservation. And it is in these areas where structural engineers have the greatest potential to contribute to sustainability through preservation.

David Cocke, SE, Structural Focus, will give a guided tour of the adaptive reuse of this 1950's former brick factory building as a corporate headquarters for Red Bull North American.

Lance Williams, Executive Director of USGBC-LA; Carol Lemlein, President, Board of Directors of Santa Monica Conservancy; Tom Neary, Board of Directors California Preservation Foundation and Kaitlin Drisko, President and Architect from Drisko Studio Architects will discuss upcoming events and how their respective organizations are working together to advance the relationship of sustainability and preservation.

Location:
Red Bull Red Bull North America, Inc.
1740 Stewart St., Santa Monica 90404

Registration Fee:
$10 for Santa Monica Conservancy, USGBC-LA or CPF Members
$15 for the general public

To register, click here to go to the registration page of the US Green Building Council – Los Angeles.