Exposition Park: $325 Million in Green Space, Underground Parking Improvements

Improvements to occur along South Border

Exposition Park, one of the most historic and treasured places in Los Angeles located only three stops from the Pico E-line Metro Station, has received $325 million dollars for green space and underground parking along its south border bounded by Figueroa Street and MLK Blvd.   The improvements will add to the enjoyment of the 153-acre city-owned park which currently is home to a spectacular Rose Garden, BMO Stadium, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, California African American Museum, the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, permanent home of the Space Shuttle Endeavor, the LA Space Museum, and the LA Natural History Museum.  Exposition Park is the nearest large public park area available to South Park Residents.

Exposition Park Festival Prominade

Exposition Park will be the venue for many events in the coming 2028 Olympics and Paralympics. The Memorial Coliseum, which hosted events in two previous Olympics staged in Los Angeles, will host the pre and closing Olympic celebrations. 

The 153-acre (0.65 km2) site served as an agricultural fairground from 1872 to 1910. In 1880, John Edward, Ozro W. Childs, and former California Governor John G. Downey persuaded the State of California to purchase 153 acres  in Los Angeles to foster agriculture in the Southland. Farmers sold their harvest on the grounds, while horses, dogs, and even camels competed on a race track where the rose garden now blooms. In 1909, a group of civic-minded individuals led by former Pasadena Mayor Horace Dobbins set about reforming the park, removing the race track and other activities, and replacing them with gardens and museums.   Source: Wikipedia

Oblique View of finished park as proposed

The money for the additions and improvements will come from the 2024/2025 Los Angeles City Budget.  Designs have been approved and construction is scheduled to begin soon.  While admittedly scheduled to headline the Olympic effort, completion of these additions will undoubtedly be enjoyed by Angelinos for years to come.  If you haven’t been to Exposition Park and its many public facilities, you owe it to yourself to jump on the Metro and pay a visit!

By John Nilsson