74 Iconic Buildings to Explore in California

A historic mansion and California State Park in Sacramento, California, which serves as the official reception center for the Californian government and as one of the official workplaces of the Governor of California. A recent restoration has recaptured the mansion's Victorian grandeur. Serving as the governor's office prior to the opening of the State Capitol, today it is the State's official location for diplomatic and protocol receptions.

This is a Victorian home built by Dr. Oscar Stansbury in 1883. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and in 1991 was listed as supporting the South Campus Historic District. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and in 1991 was listed as supporting the South Campus Historic District.

Testarossa is a winery and tasting room in Los Gatos, California. It produces world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the historic Novitiate Winery of Los Gatos where they blend centuries-old winemaking techniques with state-of-the-art technology. The old stone cellars and beautiful grounds of the state’s fourth oldest continuously operating winery house provide an amazing venue for private events.

The Gamble House is an iconic American Craftsman home in Pasadena, California, designed by the architectural firm Greene and Greene. It is is the finest example of early 20th-century Craftsman architecture. It is preserved with all of its original furnishings which were also designed by the architects. It is today a National Historic Landmark, a California Historical Landmark, and open to the public for tours and events.

The Getty Villa is an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. The collection has 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities dating from 6,500 BC to 400 AD, including the Lansdowne Heracles and the Victorious Youth. The UCLA/Getty Master's Program in Archaeological and Ethnographic Conservation is housed on this campus.

The Integratron is a 38 feet tall cupola structure with a diameter of 55 feet designed by ufologist and contactee George Van Tassel. The Integratron machine was started in 1957, the structure erected in 1959. It was financed predominantly by donations, including funds from Howard Hughes.

The Kia Forum is a multi-purpose indoor arena adjacent to Los Angeles. It has served over five decades as one of the biggest venues in the world for music, sports, and amazing events. It is the only arena-sized venue in the country dedicated to music and entertainment. The Forum was also the home of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks from 1997 to their 2001 move to Staples Center.

The Last Bookstore is an independent bookstore located at 453 S Spring Street, Downtown Los Angeles. The bookstore actually specializes in reasonably priced used books, and takes great pride in offering a selection of well-kept vintage books as wellThe store is 22,000 square feet. The current store is in a former bank with books on two levels, including the former vault.

Along the eastern side of Alamo Square Park is one of the most iconic and most photographed sights in San Francisco. These pastel-colored homes, standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the gentle slope of Steiner Street, are called the Painted Ladies. Also known as "postcard row" for their scenic beauty, these Victorian homes are a beautiful reminder of the San Francisco of old, while the gleaming downtown skyline of new San Francisco shimmers in the distance.

The Stow House was once the headquarters of Rancho La Patera, on the original Rancho La Goleta. It is now the headquarters of Goleta Historical Society which preserves and interprets the history of the Goleta Valley. The house museum displays family photographs and furniture, with stories of Sherman and Ida Stow and their descendants.

This is a 48-story futurist building and the second-tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline. It was the tallest building in San Francisco from its inception in 1972 until 2018.

This is a guided and walkthrough studio tour of Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank in Los Angeles. It offers visitors the chance to glimpse behind the scenes of one of the oldest film studios in the world over a two to three hour period. Explore the sets and soundstages that brought classic movies and TV shows like Casablanca, The Big Bang Theory, La La Land, Gilmore Girls, Friends and many more to life.

The Wassama Round House State Historic Park is in the Sierra Nevada foothills, in Madera County of central California. It preserves the traditional meeting place of the Southern Sierra Miwok people. Here, ancient customs of local Native California Indians are honored and passed down to younger generations.The Wassama Roundhouse is a reconstruction built in 1985 upon the location of four previous such houses.

This is an 1857 Greek Revival style residence, a California Historical Landmark,[2] and museum located in Old Town, San Diego. From its rich Greek Revival architecture style and authentic decor to its mysterious past and unrivaled haunted pedigree, it’s no wonder this home attracts visitors from all over the world. Besides being the Whaley family home, it was also San Diego’s first commercial theater, the county courthouse, and a general store.