Quick answer
- Angels Flight is a funicular railway in downtown Los Angeles. It opened in 1901 and it is billed as the world’s shortest railway.
- It costs $1.50 one way — or 75 cents with a Metro TAP card, which is half price and almost nobody knows.
- A souvenir round-trip ticket is $3.00.
- Open seven days a week, 6.45am to 10pm. Unlike most downtown attractions, weekends included.
- The lower station at 351 S Hill Street is directly across the road from Grand Central Market, which opened in 1917.
- Do them together. They are one outing, and the whole thing costs a few dollars.
On our last morning in Los Angeles we had a couple of hours, no plan, and two children who had had enough of driving.
We spent about four dollars and it was one of the best bits of the trip.
Angels Flight is a tiny orange funicular railway that climbs the side of Bunker Hill in downtown LA. The ride lasts under a minute. At the bottom of it, directly across the street, is Grand Central Market — a food hall that has been running since 1917. Together they make the easiest, cheapest morning in downtown Los Angeles, and you can do the whole thing without a car.
how many days you need in Los Angeles
What is Angels Flight?
Angels Flight is a funicular railway that opened in 1901 and has been a Los Angeles landmark ever since. Two counterweighted cars run up and down a short, steep track on Bunker Hill, passing each other in the middle.
It is often called the world’s shortest railway, and standing at the bottom looking up you can see why — you can see the other end of it.
It has not run continuously. The railway was closed for several years and reopened on 31 August 2017 after a full rehabilitation. If you read an older guide saying it is shut, that guide is out of date.
You may recognise it. It has appeared in a long list of films and television — most famously and most recently in La La Land, which is why a lot of visitors turn up looking for it.
How much does Angels Flight cost?
This is the section worth reading twice, because there is a discount almost nobody mentions.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| One way, cash | $1.50 |
| One way with a Metro TAP card | $0.75 |
| Souvenir round-trip ticket | $3.00 |
| Commuter book, 5 rides | $6.00 |
| Commuter book, 40 rides | $45.00 |
If you have a TAP card with stored value on it, the ride is half price. Seventy-five cents.
If you have been using the Metro at all in Los Angeles you already have one. If you have not, you can get a TAP card online at taptogo.net, at vending machines in any Metro station, or from vendor locations around the city.
They also take cash, so you can simply turn up.
The souvenir ticket is worth the extra. For $3.00 you get a round trip and a physical ticket that looks like it was printed in 1955. With children, that is a better souvenir than anything in a gift shop, and cheaper.
When is Angels Flight open?
Seven days a week, 6.45am to 10pm.
That is unusually generous for downtown Los Angeles, and it is worth flagging because several of the other free and cheap things down there — the City Hall observation deck, for one — are closed at weekends. Angels Flight is not.
the LA City Hall observation deck, free but weekdays only
Where are the two stations?
This is the bit that makes the whole outing work.
- Lower station: 351 S Hill Street — directly across the road from Grand Central Market
- Upper station: California Plaza, 350 S Grand Avenue — up on Bunker Hill
So the railway connects the historic core at the bottom to the modern towers at the top, which is a two-minute journey through about a century of Los Angeles.
Practically, what this means: you eat at Grand Central Market, walk straight out of the Hill Street side, and the railway is right there. Or ride down from Bunker Hill and lunch is directly opposite. There is no planning required and no distance between them.
Riding it with kids
- The ride takes under a minute. Manage expectations — this is a novelty, not an attraction.
- The cars are small and wooden and feel properly old, which is most of the appeal.
- Watching the two cars pass in the middle is the moment children remember.
- It is cheap enough that riding it twice is fine, which is what ours wanted.
- The $3.00 souvenir ticket is a good, cheap keepsake.
We went from upper station to lower one, and it was a fantastic experience for our kids, even if it was short in time.
Grand Central Market
Directly across from the lower station, and it has been feeding downtown Los Angeles since 1917.
It is a covered market hall with dozens of independent food stalls under one roof — a mix of vendors that have been there for generations and newer arrivals. The range is wide: tacos, burgers, pastries, coffee, produce, and a lot of things worth queueing for.
How to do it with a family:
- Walk the whole thing once before you buy anything. Everybody will want something different and that is the point — this is not a restaurant where you all order from one menu.
- Get separate things and share. With children this works far better than trying to agree.
- Seating is communal and it gets busy at peak lunchtime. Go earlier or later.
- Bring some cash. Most stalls take cards but not universally.
Why Grand Central Market matters
It is not just old. It has been continuously operating in the same building since 1917, through the collapse and the rebuilding of downtown Los Angeles around it, and some of the stalls have been run by the same families for decades.
That is the reason to go rather than to a modern food hall: you are eating in a room where the city has eaten for over a century.
What else is within a five-minute walk
You are in the historic core, and this is the densest, most walkable part of Los Angeles.
The Bradbury Building — from outside, an ordinary 1893 brick block. Inside, an atrium of wrought iron, open lift cages and light pouring through a glass roof, and one of the most filmed interiors in America. Free to step into, and the public areas are the ground floor and the first landing. It is a two-minute walk and it takes ten minutes to see.
The LA City Hall observation deck — free, 360° views, and weekdays only. → the LA City Hall observation deck
The Apple Tower Theatre store — a restored 1927 cinema, and the free classes are genuinely good. → the Apple Tower Theatre store
Crypto.com Arena and the basketball statues — a longer walk, worth it if anyone follows the sport. → Crypto.com Arena and the basketball statues
A downtown morning that costs almost nothing: City Hall deck → walk down to Grand Central Market for lunch → Angels Flight up to Bunker Hill → walk back through the Bradbury Building. Total spend: a few dollars each plus lunch.
Where we stayed
We were at the Millennium Biltmore — now officially The Biltmore Los Angeles — which is a short walk from all of this and is why we could do a downtown morning on foot with no car.
our Millennium Biltmore review, and the room to ask for
Is it worth it?
Yes, and it is the best value in Los Angeles.
Angels Flight on its own is a minute-long novelty and you would not cross the city for it. But the combination — a 1901 railway, a 1917 market directly opposite, and a 1893 building around the corner, all within one block and all costing a few dollars — is the most concentrated hour of actual Los Angeles history you can have, and it happens to be very easy with children.
Do it on your last morning, which is what we did. It needs no planning, it costs nothing much, and you can walk to it.
More Los Angeles
Downtown:
Crypto.com Arena and the basketball statues
Angels Flight and Grand Central Market
Coast:
Getty Villa and sunset at Point Dume
Newport Beach and Balboa Island
Classic LA:
Angels Flight and Grand Central Market: FAQ
What is Angels Flight in Los Angeles?
Angels Flight is a funicular railway in downtown Los Angeles that opened in 1901 and is often called the world’s shortest railway. Two counterweighted cars run up and down a short, steep track on Bunker Hill, passing each other in the middle. It reopened on 31 August 2017 after several years closed for rehabilitation.
How much does Angels Flight cost?
A one-way ride is $1.50 in cash, or 75 cents if you pay with a Metro TAP card carrying stored value. A souvenir round-trip ticket is $3.00. Commuter books are also sold, at $6.00 for five rides or $45.00 for forty.
What are the Angels Flight opening hours?
Angels Flight runs seven days a week from 6.45am to 10pm, weekends included. That makes it more reliable than several other downtown attractions, such as the City Hall observation deck, which is open on weekdays only.
Where are the Angels Flight stations?
The lower station is at 351 S Hill Street, directly across the road from Grand Central Market. The upper station is at California Plaza, 350 S Grand Avenue, on Bunker Hill. The railway connects the historic core at the bottom with the modern office towers at the top.
Is Angels Flight suitable for kids?
Yes. The ride takes under a minute in small wooden cars, and watching the two cars pass in the middle is the part children remember. It is cheap enough to ride twice, and the $3.00 souvenir round-trip ticket makes a good keepsake.
Where is Grand Central Market?
Grand Central Market is in the historic core of downtown Los Angeles, directly opposite the lower Angels Flight station on Hill Street. It has been operating in the same building since 1917 and holds dozens of independent food stalls under one roof.
Is Grand Central Market worth visiting?
Yes, particularly with a family, because everyone can eat something different from a different stall rather than agreeing on one menu. It gets busy at peak lunchtime and the seating is communal, so go a little earlier or later, and bring some cash as not every stall takes cards.
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