Watts Towers Arts Center

I've seen these on TV and movies for years and didn't really know anything about them. We took the tour, learned the history, and I sincerely appreciate the art and the effort in what was created here. I would recommend if you like art of any kind.

Iconic, sculptural towers built in the 70s by outsider artist Simon Rodia, an Italian construction worker. They have become symbolic of the Watts neighborhood and the City of Los Angeles. It is totally worth the visit.

An off the beaten path destination with an interesting story about the how and why these towers were built. There is a small parking lot adjacent to the towers and an even smaller museum where you can pay for a tour into the gated area if you have the time. The tours are closed for lunch so be sure to check the times. I got there at lunch and ended up taking in the views from outside the gates. Visually interesting but I didn’t spend more than 20-30 minutes there.

Great experience at the Watts Towers. Enthusiastic staff who made experience phenomenal. It has been many years since my last visit. We learned great deal about the towers and the artist who built them. It's definitely worth a visit. Challenge to locate adequate parking on grounds. Small museum exhibiting local artist work. Inexpensive fee to enter facilities. Can only enter t Towers via a guided tour. Call to confirm.

If you've never seen the Watts Towers I highly recommend it, nothing like it in the world. Made by Simon Rodia over 34 years he called it "Nuestro Pueblo" or "Our Town" as a tribute to his adopted country, and possibly as a testament of the power of unity and individual creativity.

Great staff, friendly, knowledgeable. The Watts Towers are definitely a must visit if you're ever around the area. Art exhibits. They offer guided tours. There's a garden with turtles and a tortoise. And again, a great friendly staff.

We took a 30 minute tour with Marty who did an excellent job as a guide. (We booked the tour ahead of time for our group of 13.) It was fun to hear Marty tell how he used to play at the Watts Towers when he was little. I wish we could have had another 15 minutes to wander inside since there was so much detail to see. The Watts Tower Art Center's exhibition "Paint Cans and Paint Brushes" was excellent.

This place is MAGICAL 😍 Every time I'm here the Magic happens! From the food to the vendors to the Art all the way to the Live Music!!! Medusa was the featured Headliner & I couldn't be more pleased! GANGSTA GODDESS.....Mone Smith

Super bummed that it was closed when I visited, but a really cool hidden gem. You can see a lot even when it's closed, and the placards have plenty of info. It's a quiet, peaceful place in the middle of a neighborhood, worth the drive from LA.

This is a really interesting and amazing structure. In order to really get the full impression you have to take the tour inside. It is not enough to see it from the outside. And for that you need to go to the website and find out when the tours are. Currently it's just $7.00 to take the tour, $3.00 for those 62 and over. Cheap. Inside there are so many details to this that you need to take time to look at it and admire Mr. Rodia's artwork. It's neat b/c it's "immersive"'; you stand in it and it completely surrounds you. Mr. Rodia was a pretty eccentric guy and the Watts Towers are a standing testimony to one man's obsession. Because he was obsessed w/ it and it cost him relationships etc. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is that the tour is far too short. It's only a half hour and it is just not enough time to really examine everything. I felt rushed and this is a shame. Nobody should feel rushed when looking at artwork as unique as this. The guide kept looking at his watch too, which added to the feeling that time was strictly limited. There is really no reason for this. There were only seven people in our group and nobody behind us. I think Mr. Rodia wouldn't like how rushed it all is. I think he'd want us to experience his masterpiece one broken bottle at a time.

I wasn't quite sure what the Watts Towers and the history of them were about until I walked over there from the light rail station (just a 5-10 minute walk). I stumbled upon the Arts Center and while the people were friendly there, they told me I wasn't able to get a tour of the actual Watts Towers unless I was part of a school or group. What kind of bogus stuff is this?! I would've paid anything for a private tour but hell no, it doesn't work that way with them. Those jerks don't even allow cameras on the property. But I did take a selfie...better than nothing I suppose.

It's open again! Be sure to book a tour of this magnificent Los Angeles landmark! Our tour guide Lucy was incredibly knowledgeable about Simon Rodia and how and why he built Watts Towers. After we donned our booties over our shoes, we enjoyed a very close-up tour of the towers and surrounding sculptures. I've seen them from the outside, but seeing them from the inside is a whole different experience. There is so much more color, and so much more detail. Every Angeleno should see these! After your tour, be sure to visit the nearby garden and galleries. We especially enjoyed seeing Sheldon, the big tortoise in the garden. Parking in the gallery parking lot was easy. I think you can also get here via Metro.

The Watts Towers Arts Center was closed when I brought my daughters and my brother visiting from out-of-town on April 15, 2022. Still, I was thrilled to view the magnificent towers that stand tall above a low-income neighborhood. Over the course of 33 years, Italian immigrant Sabato aka Simon "Sam" Rodina built the Watts Towers in Watts, CA, with his own bare hands in complete solitude. "I'mma gonna do sumting," Rodina declared as to his reason for building the SoCal masterpiece. The mere question of "why" by news reporters befuddles me. The reason for expressing art much less a dream should not be at the forefront of anyone's minds. He built his high-rise dream of rustic mystique with the memories of his past and those who sealed their fate in history long ago (Galileo, Michelangelo, etc.). Seashells, broken bottles, mirrors, tiles, ceramic plates, coffee mugs, wire... all discarded, unwanted pieces of trash before Rodina acquired them. Watching him on the 2010 remastered "The Towers Documentary" by Billy (William) Hale, I was in awe. The old footage shows Rodina climbing up the towers with the ease of a chimpanzee in their native tropical forest. The tallest tower reaches towards the sky at ninety-nine and a half feet tall. The iron-gated towers are still under what seems extensive restoration. According to my research, this has been a constant theme even while Rodina was still constructing and designing it. This may be attributed to the natural environment. The SoCal sun beating down. Earthquakes. The wind (especially this year. Smh.) But then I read that it is set in foundation of only fourteen inches. Whaaaaat? My adoration of Rodina's craft runs deep... not only did embed reused and recycled items that he found in his neighborhood and along the railroad tracks, but he cleverly created designs in the cement plaster with his tools. Today, it is a state historic park and is managed by the City of Los Angeles with potential of becoming a World Heritage site. Watts up, y'all? Lol. Watch this Reading Rainbow film circa 1995: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WAGBKFXb9o There is a small park including a cultural crescent. Walk around. View the towers from different angles. Check out the dedication tiles throughout history... because in order to understand the present, we must examine the past. My art history professor at Fort Lewis College would say this repeatedly. Hope y'all never let this remarkable place fall into the wrong hands such as a developer... SOURCES (have fun going down these rabbit holes): https://www.ibuildthetower.com https://www.wattstowers.org https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=613 CONS - street parking is minimal & quite crammed - the Arts Center seems fairly inactive since the COVID-19 pandemic

Take the tour!!! Patrick was knowledgeable and funny too. It is worth it to get the guided tour, go inside the towers, and learn all about Simon Rodia. Check the days and hours for the tours, and be mindful of the time they close for lunch. You do not want to miss the tour.

Watts Towers will always hold a special place in my heart. When I was a kid, we would all hang out at Skateland. No one had wheels so we would meet up with everybody at "The Towers" to be picked up so we could roll in Skateland together. We were just kids. Looking back, this place inspired many of our conversations. It's a pretty crazy story about the gentleman who made these. The history is pretty inspiring. These "Towers" have seen and heard so much over the last 100 years. A landmark for sure. Skateland is gone and the music that made us all friends is history. The Towers are still here. I brought the little one and shared the history of the Towers. If you can't make it here in person, spend a few minutes on line and read about it. I think for most people familiar with the towers, they are a symbol of much much more.

We only walked around the gated towers and decided to skip the tour, just reading the signs,which was interesting and good enough for us. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area. The style reminded me a little of Gaudy with the colorful mosaics.

Wonderful place beautiful people, beautiful place I love Watts to enjoy and live never forget a place to learn growth

Unconventional Life Unconventional Art... Unfortunately due to thee pandemic this is still closed. Although it has been closed since moving here 2-2020 the Watts Tower had a netting over the towers. Today to my amazement it was uncovered. Took the liberty of taking photos of the watts tower and surroundings. There is street parking available. Be careful in area as there is foot traffic from time to time. Looking forward to coming back when Los Angeles opens after Pandemic

The guide from the Arts Center told us when Sabato Rodia was shown a picture of Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familias, he said, "He didn't finish that? And he had help?" Sabato definitely had moxie and a vision he held onto for 33 years from 1921 to 1954. He was a 4'10" Italian immigrant laborer who single-handedly designed and built the interconnected towers and structures that make up the unique complex here. I always thought it was an urban project that required a village to build, but no, it was just Sabato (photo: http://bit.ly/2HOFb9j). It was on his property, so he didn't tell anybody what he was doing because he made it up as he went along. He used steel rebar and concrete wrapped in wire mesh as his foundation and took advantage of local railroad tracks to bend his materials. Broken pieces of porcelain, tile, and glass were used to decorate the primary supports, and he used whatever objects he found for the walls like soft drink bottles, seashells, and mirrors (photo: http://bit.ly/2HOFb9j). Sabato suffered a stroke at 75, later fell off a tower, and left the property for good afterward. The city was going to demolish it, but like The High Line, it took a band of dedicated supporters to preserve it to this day. An arts center was built next door though it was mostly vacant when Jamie W. and I visited. The staff is a very warm crew and showed us a ten-minute video of a vintage documentary about Sabato who was s most unassuming man. Currently the towers themselves are going through a major three-year renovation, so we couldn't look inside, but there is definitely enough to look at even through a chain-link fence. RELATED - Lost in L.A.? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2TWT63v

The Watts Towers Arts Center really bring out the expression and real piece of work and history of Los Angeles, California. We used to come down here and come take pictures and look at them when we were kids. My kids will get to come here someday and enjoy them. Its just a good feeling and educational to come down here and learn and engage in some history.

The center was closed but the towers themselves are a must see! It feels like LA's own Sagrada Familia, and as you gaze at the larger structure you start to see smaller stories in the stone.

I chose to visit that Watts Towers as part of a cultural engagement assignment at California State University Long Beach. I was always intrigued by the towers and decided to find out more about them by making them the subject of my assignment. You can easily google "Watts Towers Arts Center" and find articles and videos but you really need to visit the location to get a sense of the craftsmanship that Sam Rodia instilled in these mammoth structures. One of the facts I learned was that Sam Rodia called the towers "Nuestro Pueblo" which is Spanish for "Our Village". Sadly, the Towers are not accessible beyond a rod iron gate due to renovations but you can walk around them and get look through the bars to get a closer look at the artwork. There is also a small museum that has a contiguously running documentary on the towers. My visit was on a recent Sunday morning and there were quite a few tourists marveling at how one quiet individual could create this magnificent landmark. Make sure you take the time to walk around the small park to read the stones that explain the history of the area. CONS: Parking is very limited as the towers are located in a residential neighborhood with narrow streets. Definitely worth a visit!

SO mentioned before our trip to SoCal that he had always wanted to visit the Watts Towers. Not knowing what they were, I bookmarked it and added a visit to our itinerary. We came on at Sunday afternoon. Entering the arts center, we are greeted by a man who told us the walking tours are free and occur every 30 min. He directed us to the next room to wait. In this next room were a bunch of artwork that we perused while we waited for the tour to start. Our tour guide was Marty, a charismatic dude full of information about the Watts Towers and how they came to fruition. We both learned a lot as we did a walking tour just outside the towers. Totally check this place out if you're ever visiting the area. Super cool!

This is a really neat art feature in Watts that can almost be seen from the metro that has a stop here. Currently under renovation/construction you can't go inside the structure, but you can view it from all sides and read about it. When I was here there were several school groups here where a teacher was giving a tour of the sculptures. It was really neat to be a fly on the wall and hear how excited the kids were to learn about this public art that exists in their neighborhood. Adjacent to the structure is a park and garden where you can relax and revel in the art and nature together in the middle of a bustling city. There are tortoises and turtles who live here and bask in the warm sunshine completely unaware that they are thousands of miles away from their natural habitats and just steps away from urban art that draws huge crowds!

Watts Towers is one of those classic Los Angeles landmarks. It was created by the artistic vision and crafted by a single man Simon Rodia, several decades ago. Whereas many artistic creations, of this caliber, are lost to the hands of time, the city and the people of Los Angeles have caused this creation to remain. Now, there are a few things to keep in mind about Watts Towers before you make the trek to visit this location. First of all, it is fairly small. Many photographs lead one to believe that it is very enormous. Though it is truly great in it's own uniqueness, the actual space that it inhabits is a very small area. Moreover, it is essential to note that there is a fence around the actual Watts Towers. There are periodic daily tours where you can actually move in and among the towers but other than that you cannot come in close and get touchy-feely with the creation other than at those time periods. Also, it is important to note, for tourists who are not from Los Angeles, this is a very downtrodden area of the city. (This is not a criticism, it is simply a fact). Some people may actually be scared to visit this location. There is a security guard who watches over the property but be advised you are traveling to a very sketchy area of the city when you visit Watts Towers. In fact, driving to this historic landmark may make some people very nervous. All this being said, this is truly one of the most interesting and artistic creations that was born out of the community of Los Angeles, California. For this and many other reasons, Watts Towers is one of those locations that you must see.

The sculpture is located in the middle of a residential area, between houses, so there is plenty of free street parking. The art piece itself is completely surrounded by a tall, white iron fence. In order to get a closer look inside the fence, guided tours are available. I came on a Sunday morning, before any guided tours, when one other couple was leaving. It is a pretty cool sculpture; I am glad I had a look at it in person. You can tell the artist put a lot of time into his creation. Beautiful tile work. It would have been better to actually walk through the artwork because it is an interactive piece, but it is understandable why it is not. There is a small amphitheater next to it, so you can sit, admire, and take pictures. I would recommend everyone to visit this historical work of art, just to say you did.

Historic Towers musuem in South central (watts) has been here in the same location since I was born. It has changed alot on inside but always and still a pillar in the community. When i was a young girl my aunt use to come here for the African dance class and we would be in arts and craft class. This is a museum to expect to learn some facts. They alsohost yearly the drum and jazz festival for 41 years. This event brings alot of unity amongst everyone. People who wouldn't normally be seen in Watts come for this event. It is a fantastic place to see

What a shame that so little thought was given to the design of the scaffolding for a three-year restoration of one of the great icons of the city of Los Angeles. Couldn't they at least have used a transparent mesh instead of black cloth that basically makes the towers invisible? The beautiful creation of Simon Rodia is a place I frequently take visitors from out of town. I totally understand the need for restoration, but this seems to have been handled in an insensitive manner. If you decide to visit, you can see parts of the mosaic fence that Rodia built and a few of the low elements. There are plaques with some information about his process in single-handedly making this piece. Unfortunately, until the black curtain is removed I don't see much point in visiting.

Guided tour was very informative, and you get to get up close and personal with the sculpture (but you can't touch anything). Photography is allowed, but you have to snap those pictures during the tour only. Parking can be tricky on the weekends, and most importantly, the entire structure will be under scaffolding starting in November of 2017 for at least 5 years for a complete restoration.

I feel bad that I only gave the Towers 4 stars the first time around. This time I took the tour and my appreciation for the Towers went through the roof. Quite simply, you MUST do the tour or you are selling your visit way short. It's that simple. Keep in mind the funky tour hours. Do your homework before you go. The tour gets you up close and personal with the Towers so you can really appreciate all of the many details. Plus, the history of this incredible structure simply must be told by a guide who is passionate about this giant work of art. I also stand corrected about potential vandalism: apparently, the Towers are so beloved in the neighborhood that they have never been subjected to graffiti or vandalism. If that is true, bravo. Go see the Towers. Take the tour. Just do it.

Random towers in the middle of a sketchy neighborhood in LA? Yes, basically. The actual towers area isn't that big, but the twelve towering spires are surrounded by a small area of mosaic, and it's really quite impressive. You can come at set times for a guided tour, or go the DIY route using the posted panels covering the history and creation of the towers and their creator, Simon Rodia. As an added bonus, the area has a park with the history of the Watts area as well as a garden area behind the art center with a turtle pond. This is a unique, artsy attraction off the beaten path if you're visiting or living in LA.

Watts Towers Arts Center is worth visiting. The towers have levels of meaning that are only obvious when explained by the tour guide, the artwork that is displayed in the Center's gallery is evocative, and the collection of musical instruments is fascinating. It is however, tucked away in Watts, so you need a map or GPS to find it. Simon/ Sam Rodia was dedicated to his vision, and the staff who take care of it, and offer art and jazz programs for kids, are also dedicated and valuable. This attraction is really life affirming and inspirational!

One must appreciate the towers for what they are, a symbol of hard work and achieving a dream. In order to truly get a feel for the history behind the towers, do yourself a favor and spend 7 dollars to get a private guided tour and learn about the magnificent history behind them. The tour is short and the space is small, but the information gained is unsurpassed. When you put yourself back in time and realize the work and dedication that was placed into each section of these towers, you well then appreciate its magnitude. Built by one man over the span of 30plus years, using only a handful of tools is simply overwhelming. We took the metro down and exited at 103rd/Watts Towers. It's a short walk to the towers, but the area is not the best, so walk smart and keep your belongings close at hand. The people who work in the museum are absolutely lovely and truly care about the towers. Watch the short film, it is free with the tour. Enjoy a bit of history that was started by an Italian immigrant and confirms the thought that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

Nestled in a small neighborhood with some eccentric and decorative houses you will find a small park with a towering structure standing sentinel beside it. The Pueblo Nuestros (Our Town), more formerly known as the Watts tower was created by Mr. Rodia, a small old man from Italy who just had the need to create. Along the gate surrounding the watts tower, you can read little fun facts and delve deeper into the history of how it became a Historic Monument. The cultural arts center next door sells tickets to guests and provides tours every 30 minutes. The cultural center features work from local artists and the pieces on display are rotated out like a normal art gallery. They also offer art classes and host special events for the public and the community. In the room filled with instruments, there is a TV that plays the Reading Rainbow episode where they talk about Watts and regale you with a story about the origin of the Watts Tower. I recommend you watch the short video, just for the nostalgia and because it's a nice story. Had a wonderful time learning more about the history of the towers and seeing it in person. I have yet to enter the white gates, and marvel at the structures from inside... so I will be back!

The Watts Towers, aka Towers of Simon Rodia or Nuestro Pueblo, are the collection of 17 sculptural towers, which were built over a period of more than thirty years. The Towers are breathtakingly beautiful and spiritually inspiring, and its most recent movie appearance is in La La Land. There's small exhibit in the community arts center, and they offer complimentary guided tour outside the towers and documentary in the show room. Voluntary donation near the entrance, and I highly encourage visitors to do so, not only just show the appreciation to their speech, but also support the local arts non profit committee.

Simon Rodia, the creator of the Watts Towers, single-handedly built the entire towers over the span of 33 years (from 1921 to 1954). I have been wanting to visit this National Historic Landmark for a very long time, but it wasn't until the movie "La La Land" (the Watts Towers briefly showed up in the movie scene) that really got me motivated to come here. The Watts Towers Arts Center offers public guided tours every 30 minutes and the admission is $7 per adult ($3 for seniors and youth between 13 ~ 17 year & free for kids under 12). Our tour guide was very friendly and informative. Simon Rodia used broken glass bottles (e.g. 7 Up) , ceramic tiles, seashells, scrap metals, other miscellaneous items to build his sculptures and walls. When I asked about why the Watts Towers remains intact after the Watts Riots, the tour guide mentioned that residents treated this place as a sanctuary. In addition, he also immediately corrected me and said technically it was an uprising and not a riot. After the tour ended 30 minutes later, I explored the gallery and watched a 10-minute documentary about the Watts Towers inside the art center. Now I think about it, the Watts Towers feels somewhat similar to the Salvation Mountain @ Niland - this idea that one man can create a great artwork from scratch with enough perseverance. It is a neat place to check out for out-of-town & local visitors.

One of the many beauties of South Central. It is astounding how they've been maintained and preserved after decades. This national historic landmark is constantly restored and has welcomed people from all backgrounds. It is amazing how these sculptures have stood the test of time and brought people together over the years.

Watts towers! What's not to like about art in the middle of somewhere you'd least expect?! Watts has some serious history in LA. There's a short documentary on the tower on YouTube and has some interesting facts about this place. It is under construction so all the views you get to see are from below. There's also an art gallery in the park. Overall, not a bad spot to see if you're in the hood!

This is another great Icon of Los Angeles but it does get the attention it deserves due to its location. It is off the beaten path in Watts with very few attractions in its vicinity. Parts of Watts is still very impoverished, a startling contrast to Beverly Hills and the Westside of L.A. The streets around Watts Towers are nicer but I heard it is a little scary driving around in Watts at night. But it appears to be quite safe during the day. This great monument is a testament to the free spirit of Los Angeles and the genius of Simon Rodia. It's feet is tied to the ground and yet appear to fly in the air. Adventurous and soaring to great heights, its design respects the laws of structure but defies the bounds of gravity. You must see this for yourself to appreciate its beauty. It does have a slight resemblance to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona by Antony Gaudi.

No one seemed interested in going to view this masterpiece, so I flew solo! Yes, I went by myself and didn't feel scared. There was another car of tourists nearby, but no sketchy people. I only learned about this artwork by Simon Rodia, an Italian immigrant, through the Yelp.com website. Looking at Los Angeles Landmarks, the Watts Towers Arts Center popped up! It is a National Historical Landmark! It took 33 years to build! Unfortunately, the hours listed are incorrect, so I wasn't able to go inside the fenced area. Here are the Hours of Operation: Thursday and Friday 1030 - 1500 Saturday 1030 - 1500 Sunday 1230 - 1500 For just $7, the tour is every half an hour! I will return for a tour - and maybe for the Annual Jazz Festival at the end of September!!

Center was closed but the area is amazing and worth seeing. Parking is available. Check the website before heading down if you are definitely wanting to see the arts center.

There is absolutely nothing that can be added to what's already been said about Watts Towers. They're historical, iconic and a monument to the human spirit. To learn the details, go here: http://www.wattstowers.us/ or check out the pics. And go.

Def closed and covered , probably working on it or something but It's still cool to see ..... if stop by any way if I were you

The Watts Art Center is a publicly supported organization preserving the gorgeous, colorful Watts Towers in eastern Watts. These towering structures were built over more than three decades in the early 20th century at the hands of Italian immigrant Simon Rodia. They are in process of conserving the towers, so the tours (conducted every 30 minutes) are now around the exterior rather than within the tower enclosure. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and a deep appreciation for their grandeur. (FYI: The interiors should be open again in 2021.) Not only do you get to see the towers and view a USC doctorate project documentary from the 1970s, but there are multiple art galleries featuring Southern California artists. The docent knows so much about the pieces and is eager to share with others. I particularly enjoyed the Bernard Hoyes pieces. As a native Angeleno, I can't believe it took me so long to get here. Not only are the Towers beautiful, but this is an incredible complex dedicated local artists with knowledgeable, passionate staff sharing that passion with others. Don't forget to check out the garden in the back with turtles and a huge tortoise. Notes: There is a generous parking lot on the north side of the Center. Also, while the towers are under conservation and you cannot go in, the admission is entirely donation based.

Magnificent. Created in the 50s by a single man with his own bare two hands and some simple tools, this breathtaking art is one of the most beautiful thing I've seen. The creator came from Europe, and the watts tower was built in his backyard to commemorate where he came from. Everything that he built in this tower had meaning, from a little fountain that has the soles of his and former love's shoes, a dome that he let the church conduct mass in, to the actual shape of the walls surrounding it (it's a huge ship facing Italy). This was a work of passion and obsession, and am just blown away that one man actually built this by himself. The tour was also a really good addition to the experience, as the tour guide was very knowledgable and respectful to everyone. Very affordable ($7) and gives you stories and information that otherwise you wouldn't be able to get. This place is a little gem in Watts, and I would whole heartedly recommend a visit.

Beautiful details in every corner. The tour guide pointed out a lot of details we could've easily missed. I read that there's a student discount so I brought my student ID there but they still charged me regular adult ticket price $7. My ticket says senior/student $3...

After church my handsome decided this would be a nice place to explore. They had a lot of amazing live music and food trucks. It seemed like everyone was truly happy and enjoying listening to the history of Watts Towers. I didn't know that that this was their 20th year of celebrating. They also paid honors to Nipsey Hussle and recognition of him attending Watts Towers School of Art.

Went to Watts Towers to check it out. They have 30 min tours that cost $7 per person Cash or Check, no Credit Cards. You buy the tickets at the Watts Towers Arts Center and you can see the small exhibit room they have there and if you want a video on Simon Rodia (before or after the tour). We had a private tour just the 2 of us and the tour guide Lucy. She was nice and talked a lot about Simon Rodia and the towers outside. Bring a hat because it's all in the sun and gets HOT over there especially in the summer. Back at the Arts Center there is bathrooms and drinking fountains. If you don't want to pay you can just take pics outside the gated area and just read about it on a self-guided tour.

Like all things that are portrayed in various circles of the media..."They look a lot bigger on television". The Watts Towers and the art center for that matter is something that every curious human being should come and check out while living or just visiting Los Angeles. Guided tours are offered for a $7 donation to the center. You are taken inside the tower garden and told all about the history of the towers etc. These towers are super detailed with mosaic tiles and simply need to be seen up close to truly be appreciated. So come on out of shell and stop by "Good'ol Watts" to see these amazing works of art that exist in my one of a kind city Los Angeles! Ay los Watcho!

Sit down my friends. Relax and I'll tell you a story about a little boy, magic and how sometimes a book can touch your heart. I was about 7 years old when I wandered into my school library and stumbled across a book about a nutty, old dude who would scrounge through his neighbor's trash and pick out interesting things. Decorative doo-dads, broken bottles, shells, dishes. Then this guy takes the stuff home and sticks them to the outside of the scrounged, homemade, purloined concrete that he's affixed to his scrounged, discovered, re-purposed rebar. It starts to sound kind o' shabby until you see a photo. I was awed! It seemed impossible. The irregularly curving towers, the twisting, sinewy concrete. It looked like something someone had drawn. It was too fantastic to be real. And he decorated the walls too? They're covered with pieces of mirror and tile and imprints of the tools he used? I wanted to go. I had to see it. I was seven and at the time we lived half a state away but there was a photo of this genius working near one of the tops of the towers with little more than a leather belt as a safety harness. I wanted to see what a guy with that level of fearlessness and that creative power could dream up. Fast forward a couple decades. I live within driving distance now but the towers are being refurbished. There's a chain link fence around the property and tours or entry inside is impossible. I admire from the outside thrilled even to see at a distance an item that was such a wonderful part my boyhood. Well the refurbishment is done and you can enjoy the full wonder of this beautiful, little oddity. Take a tour, read up on the history, linger. Sit and soak in the uniqueness of a landmark that gives an unusual, quirky charm to a poor neighborhood. And may I gently offer an appeal to the white, middle class parents with young kids that hear "Watts" and immediately imagine gunfire and riots. You may want to step out a little bit. To stretch a little beyond what you know. I suspect there is some remarkable beauty and maybe more than just a little insight just beyond your comfort zone. My 200th review.

I absolutely LOVE this place! I love everything about it: The story, the accessibility, the history, the inspiration, the culture! It's a MUST SEE on every Angelino's local tourist sites!

The historic Watts Towers. An amazing story of an amazing artist, Simon Rodia. The towers are awesome. There is a fence around them and you have to pay to 'tour' the towers behind the fence for like $7 / person. However, you can see the art behind the fence and there are signs giving history of the art and artist. Its cool but maybe not that cool.

Love, love, love this place. Utterly magical. You do have to pay $7 for a tour to get behind the gate for a close up look. Wish you could just be in there but there must have been too much vandalism to let people do that Went on a scorching day but it was thrilling nonetheless. My third time here and first time inside. Well worth the trip. Don't miss the houses on the block with mosaics or that are painted creatively. There is a good movie you can watch in the art center we also enjoy let's the show in the gallery.

I had always seen photographs of these towers growing up in LA, but never got a chance to see them in person, until now. The neighborhood around the towers is what I expected it to be which was quite dangerous. I took the Blue Line and walked to the Towers. I would discourage anyone from walking towards the towers. If you had to go visit the towers, drive a direct route towards the towers and bring a friend along for the ride as a safety precaution. The worst part was seeing the towers closed considering I had observed the operational schedule posted on their website. In fact, there was caution tape all over the tower site. It reminded me of some crime scene instead of a historical landmark. I managed to still view the towers although the interesting part about the towers is seeing how the structures are composed. Instead, because it was closed, I could not see very much detail. The towers seems to be rapidly deteriorating hence probably why it was closed with yellow tape around the structures. I would recommend calling ahead to see whether in fact they are truly open instead of relying on the outdated information posted on their website.

This is my new favorite not-the-ordinary-outing for our out-of-town visitors. The towers are right there in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and the entire visit, including an informative tour, can be accomplished in under an hour (actually around 40 minutes if you timed it right--30 min's for the tour, and 10 minutes to watch the video on the tower creator, Simon Rodia. Everything about this attraction is quirky and fascinating. Well worth the $7 charge for a tour, which is scheduled on the hour and the half (be sure to bring cash!)

They have free tour guides which is cool. Go to the art center first and watch little 15 min video first and the kind tour guide took us the tower. He is very good at his job you can tell he really knows everything about the tower and the history of the Sam who built the tower. The tower was under construction and will be reopen 2020 July

I was surprised to learn this is the third most visited "attraction" in Los Angeles. I find that hard to believe. And a little embarrassing. Because this is sort of ... meh. The Towers themselves are behind fences. And you are going to have this reaction: They are not nearly as big as I was expecting. Anyway, you can purchase a tour to go behind the fences and get up close and personal with the "works" but I wouldn't recommend that. You can see pretty well through the fence and the placards on the outside of the fence tell you far more than the tour guides do (I know because I could hear one of the brief tours through aforementioned fence). After you've been underwhelmed by the towers, you can go to the tiny museum. It's free to go in, but it's not clear because there isn't any real signage and those that are paying for a tour have to pay at the very crowded front entrance to the museum. So you may end up waiting in a line you don't need to be in. There are some really interesting and even quite good pieces of art in the museum area. BUT, there are absolutely no descriptions or information about any of the work. Which is very disappointing. I had so many questions about the intent, materials or background of several pieces and there is no docent or if there is, I didn't know that. So the museum is small, it's very interesting but it's frustrating. Oh, and if you're at all a right-wing nut job, you will NOT enjoy most of the art, which skews heavily political and left. Anyway, this is on most people's "things to see" list of LA and you can get there and see it for free, checking another item off your list. But don't expect to be wowed. Oh, parking is not ideal in the neighborhood but there is a parking lot - just requires a little sleuthing because signage isn't a thing here. And the security guards (or at least one of them that was there on the weekend day we visited) are super nice and helpful.

Nice little attraction to stop by. This fine piece of art was right in the middle of a neighborhood. Outside the structure the story behind the making of the tower is displayed. The ceramic piece has so many details. The artist used glass, rocks, and shells for color and decoration. Nice little piece of history for the city.