74 Iconic Buildings to Explore in California

A 42,000-square-foot gourmet food hall in Downtown Anaheim. It is one of the few remaining packing houses in Orange County, and the only one in Anaheim. The packing house was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Anaheim Orange and Lemon Association Packing House in 2015. Along with the Packard Building, a renovated 1925 Mission Revival style building, and a farmer's market, it makes up a shopping center called the Anaheim Packing District.

This is a historic movie theatre in downtown San Diego, US, built in 1924. It now hosts the Mainly Mozart Festival, special events, and touring companies of Broadway productions. The city of San Diego holds the annual "State of the City" address at the theatre. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This is a former mining and recreational property from the 1940s to the 1960s, it is infamous due to its association with Charles Manson and his "family". It is located inside Death Valley National Park in eastern California. There is a small one-room guest house located to the side of the main house. There is also a five-thousand-gallon "swimming pool" made from cement and rock boulders towards the back of the property.

This is a beautiful, three-story, 26 room Victorian House Museum that stands as a memorial to John and Annie Bidwell. John Bidwell was known throughout California and across the nation as an important pioneer, farmer, soldier, statesman, politician and philanthropist. Now a museum and State Historic Park, it is California Historical Landmark #329 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The mansion was a $60,000 project, and was finished in May 1868.

The Botanical Building is an historic building located in San Diego's Balboa Park. Built for the 1915–16 Panama–California Exposition, it remains one of the largest lath structures in the world.

This is the cultural center of North San Diego County. The Center's campus includes a 1,523-seat Concert Hall, a 406-seat Center Theater, a visual arts museum, art and dance studios, and a conference center with meeting and banquet facilities. The Center is a non-profit organization presenting a rich and diverse array of artistic and cultural offerings. Through arts in education, quality programming, affordable rental facilities and free community programs.

The California State Capitol is the seat of the Government of California, located in Sacramento, the state capital of California. The building houses the chambers of the California State Legislature, made up of the Assembly and the Senate, along with the office of the governor of California. The Neoclassical structure, designed by Reuben S. Clark, was completed between 1861 and 1874. The California State Capitol Museum is housed on the grounds of the capitol.

Home to the government of the U.S. state of California. The building houses the bicameral state legislature and the office of the governor.

The California Tower, the soaring, intricately detailed, portion of the California Building, is an icon of San Diego, and can be seen from miles around. The building houses the San Diego Museum of Us. This beautiful structure is an architectural hybrid of architectural different styles, including Baroque, Plateresque, Churrigueresque, and Rococo, with some Gothic details.

This is a Queen Anne-style Victorian house in Camarillo, California. Built in 1892, the 6,000-square-foot house was designed by architects Herman Anlauf and Franklin Ward. Adolfo Camarillo operated the ranch for 78 years, changing the operations from mostly cattle to crops. It is a historical and recreational hotspot for city events, fundraisers, weddings, and educational tours.

The Camron-Stanford House is the last of the beautiful 19th century mansions that once surrounded Lake Merritt and was the home to five influential families before becoming the first museum in the City of Oakland. The home was built in 1876, and its first occupants were William Walker Camron and his wife, Alice.

Capitol Mall is one of the premier business addresses in Sacramento with sweeping views of the river and State Capitol. With a total of 29 Class A office buildings totaling more than 9 million square feet, Downtown Sacramento represents more than one-third of the Class A space in the entire Sacramento region. Some of Sacramento's major businesses and law firms are located on the Capitol Mall.

This was the residence of the fifth commandant of the Presidio de Santa Barbara, José de la Guerra y Noriega, founder of the Guerra family of California. It is now a popular site for community and private events.The site is currently owned and operated by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation as a historic house museum. The address is 15 East De la Guerra Street, Santa Barbara, California.

Casa del Herrero is a home and gardens located in Montecito near Santa Barbara, California. It was designed by George Washington Smith, and is considered one of the finest examples of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and made a National Historic Landmark on January 16, 2009.

The Los Angeles Public Library serves the residents of the City of Los Angeles. The system holds more than six million volumes, and with around 19 million residents in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area, it serves the largest population of any public library system in the United States.

The Plaza de César Chávez is an urban plaza and park in Downtown San Jose, California. The plaza's origins date to 1797 as the plaza mayor of the Spanish Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, making it the oldest public space in Northern California. The plaza was reconsecrated after Californian civil rights activist César Chávez in 1993.

City Lights Books is a landmark independent bookstore and publisher that specializes in world literature, the arts, and progressive politics. It was founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin. It offers three floors of new-release hardcovers and paperbacks from all major publishers, as well as a large selection of titles from smaller, independent publishers

Coit Tower, is one of the city’s most interesting destinations. Located on top of Telegraph Hill, it provides 360-degree views of the entire city. The tower, in the city's Pioneer Park, was built between 1932 and 1933 using Lillie Hitchcock Coit's bequest to beautify the city of San Francisco. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

This is a multi-purpose arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development. it is home venue to the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League , the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association.

A beautiful entertainment resort in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. The resort is generally bounded by Harbor Boulevard to the east, Katella Avenue to the south, Walnut Street to the west and Ball Road to the north. Interstate 5 borders the resort at an angle on the northeastern corner.