Gayle Anderson reports the Automobile Club of Southern California is celebrating the centennial of its historic Auto Club building at Figueroa Street and West Adams Boulevard in Los Angeles.
The iconic structure is a showpiece example of the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture style that was a staple of Southern California design in the 1920s and helped define the character of numerous neighborhoods from San Diego to Santa Barbara.
Designed by architects Sumner Hunt and Silas Burns, the three-story building opened as the Auto Club’s new headquarters on January 27, 1923. Its imposing size symbolized the success and growth of the Auto Club since it was founded in 1900. It continues to be used as an Auto Club branch office, serving greater downtown Los Angeles, and also houses Auto Club support staff, AAA’s Automotive Research Center, and Club Labs, the technology and design space that is digitally accelerating the Auto Club and other AAA clubs around the U.S.
In recognition of the building’s architectural and historic significance, the City of Los Angeles designated it as a Historic Cultural Monument in 1971.
Events to celebrate the centennial are planned, including a public “Call of the Open Road” travel show paying tribute to the 1930s Outing Shows, an exhibit in the building’s member branch showcasing its history, and a holiday tree-lighting ceremony for the historic Moreton Bay fig tree in front of the building. Also, there’s the Sunday, April 30th Automobile Club of Southern California Travel Expo happening from Noon until 3 p.m. at Historic Auto Club Building
Details and registration are available at, aaatravelshowlosangeles.aceclub-events.com.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact Gayle Anderson at 323-460-5732, email Gayle at Gayle.Anderson@KTLA.com.
This segment aired on the KTLA 5 News at 1 on April 24, 2023.
