A Walk in History

La Jolla is no stranger to visitors or exploring locals. Aside from the main attraction, the beaches, La Jolla has a lot of history to be seen. Over the last few years, the has offered guidebooks for self-guided tours of the area’s landmark sites.  

“The program has been quite successful. People come from all over the world,” says Carol Olten, the society’s resident historian.

The Historical Society, a non-profit organization established in 1963, is now offering guided walking tours. Organized by docent Louie Veneer, each tour will cover approximately 20 blocks of the central village area.  The circuit encounters many of La Jolla’s oldest buildings. These include the , , Villa Waldo, , and , some of which were designed by famed architect Irving Gill. Additional stops at the and Green Dragon Colony will give sightseers a profound glimpse of La Jolla’s origins.

For those of you interested, expect the tour to last about an hour and a half. Reservations by phone must be made beforehand. According to Olten, the best times to arrange a tour would be between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Any educational group can sign up,” says Olten of the tour. The organization “will provide tours for school groups” in addition to travelers and locals. 

Located at 980 Prospect St., Wisteria Cottage serves as the headquarters of the La Jolla Historical Society and is the starting point of the tour. The cottage, of course, happens to be a landmark itself.