Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles, An

The bible of Los Angeles Architecture, and an iconic guide to the buildings to see in the City of Angels.

First published by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1965, An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles has long been the definitive reference to the region’s built environment. Extensively revised and rigorously updated since its fifth edition in 2003, this sixth edition expands the guide to ninety-six sections across thirteen geographic chapters, adding more than two hundred new entries to thousands of listings that document the full breadth of Los Angeles County’s architecture. Coverage spans from the missions of Spanish California to projects completed in 2017, offering an unmatched survey of the city’s evolving landscape.

Originally authored by leading architectural historians Robert Winter and the late David Gebhard, the guide has been revised and edited by award-winning urban walker and longtime Winter collaborator Robert Inman, with a foreword by historian and Emmy Award–winning Lost LA host Nathan Masters. The updated sixth edition notes structures lost in the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires, while leaving their entries as they appeared in the original printing. Widely regarded as the authoritative architectural record of Los Angeles, the book examines buildings, landscapes, and public spaces across all major periods and styles. Essential for scholars, practitioners, students, and engaged readers alike, An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles remains an indispensable resource for understanding the city through its architecture.

Dr. Robert W. Winter—lauded as “Guru,” “Father,” and “Godfather” of Los Angeles architecture—was a renowned historian of fabricated California, claiming a rich bibliography of various guides and histories on California architecture, including Craftsman Style (2004), Batchelder Tilemaker (2000), and The California Bungalow (1980).

Dr. David Gebhard (1927–1996) was a preeminent architectural historian and preservationist. After a long career teaching at U.C. Santa Barbara, he is remembered through his many written contributions to both the field writ large and his preservation efforts in both Santa Barbara and Pasadena. Dr. Gebhard and Dr. Winter collaborated on four of the six editions of this guide.

Robert Inman is the author of A Guide to the Stairways of Los Angeles (2008) and Finding Los Angeles by Foot: Stairstreet, Bridge, Pathway and Lane (2013). A native son of Los Angeles, he is an award-winning urban walker and frequent collaborator with his mentor, Dr. Robert W. Winter.