Velaslavasay Panorama: Revitalizing Lost Art

Velaslavasay Panorama is a historic theater, about a stone’s throw from USC, which explores the good old days of technology, when a movie theater was a hand crank image or a 360 degree painting. That is exactly what this old theater showcases and it is a lot of fun to explore. Here is all the information.

Details

• $7 dollar suggested donation
• Hours: Fri, Sat, Sun – 11 AM to 5 PM
• Location: 1122 W 24th St, Los Angeles, CA 90007
• Information from my visit in 2016

History

The panorama was a historic version of the cinema and people would go visit these cylindrical rooms in the 18th and 19th centuries to look at the 360 degree art on display. The original Velaslavasay Panorama was on Hollywood Boulevard but in 2004 it was relocated to this old theater from 1910.

From the exterior this looks like an old 1950s theater and when you walk in the ticket area looks like that as well.

You can instantly see the history that they have on display with the hand crank pictures and the old theater posters. There are three main areas to check out here: the panorama, the theater, and the gardens.

The Panorama

The main reason to come to this old theater is to see the panorama they have on display, which changes every few months. When I was there it was a bleak scene of snow called “Effulgence of the North.”

You walk up a spiral staircase into a small room and can sit in the darkness and take in the panorama, there was even some background noise that helped to set the scene.

The Theater

After that I proceeded into the theater which was a really well maintained historic theater. I loved the chandelier, old movie seats and the pianos.

In the corner, they have a large hand crank picture as well.

The Gardens

When you are finished seeing the theater you will head out to the gardens which are the last of the attractions here.  These gardens are small but a peaceful escape in the city.

They had lots of flowers, a few areas to sit and an overarching plant walkway. It was a nice place to explore but wasn’t too big.

After about 20 minutes I had completed my time here and headed out. I can’t tell you whether or not you would enjoy a place like this but I found the history fun and enjoyed my short time here.  I would love to hear what you think in the comments.