E-newsletter
Photo: Stephen Schafer / Santa Monica Conservancy
Come visit us and explore the last intact shotgun house in Santa Monica, which now serves as an award-winning Preservation Resource Center for our community.

Built in 1897, the little house features three original rooms where you can explore Santa Monica history and learn about preservation. Look behind the walls and the floor to reveal vintage materials, and see if you can find the one original window.
Young guests will also enjoy the miniature model house decorated with Victorian-era furnishings that were popular when our little house was first built!

Our friendly and knowledgeable docents will share information about what life was like in the early 1900s, how the house was saved and rehabilitated, and answer any questions you may have.

Free guided tours of our Preservation Resource Center are open to all ages. Please wear a mask. Walk-ups are welcome and reservations are not required.
Call for Nominations
Nominations due March 14
The creative rehabilitation of 1001 Maple by Kathy Solomon and Bob Burch eceived a 2021 Stewardship Award.
We are seeking nominations for our 2022 Preservation Awards, which will be announced at our Annual Meeting in late spring. Each year we honor exemplary projects and contributors to the preservation of Santa Monica’s architectural and cultural heritage.

Since 2004, award-winning projects have included residences as well as commercial and institutional buildings of all sizes. These projects have entailed restoration, renovation, rehabilitation and adaptive reuse as well as additions to historic buildings and homes. Awards are also presented to individuals for their stewardship of historic properties as well as for community service as volunteers and advocates of preservation.

To nominate a project, person, structure or group for a 2022 Preservation Award, please download the 2022 Preservation Award Nomination Form and email it to [email protected]. Include the name of the project or person and provide a brief statement about your nomination. The deadline for nominations is March 14, 2022. To view past awards, click here.
"As residents of Santa Monica since 1983, we've long appreciated the city's colorful history, as well as the architecture that captures its glories. Through the Conservancy, we've toured neighborhoods whose walls tell the tale of Santa Monica past and present. And Zoom presentations have introduced us to further local riches."
– Beverly & Bernie Bienstock
Friend, your generosity sustains the Santa Monica Conservancy! Join, renew or become a monthly donor and receive the benefits of membership. Your gift helps protect historic places in Santa Monica and enables us to develop new and exciting programs for our community. Thank you!
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Upcoming Tours & Events
Free Guided Tours
Fri.-Sun., Mar. 11-13
Open from 12-2 p.m.
Once the site of a grand 110-room mansion designed by Julia Morgan for William Randolph Hearst and silent film actress Marion Davies, the property was a “hot spot” on Santa Monica’s Gold Coast where Hollywood celebrities came to enjoy the sun, the sea and fabulous parties. Join Conservancy docents to learn about the rich history of the Annenberg Community Beach House site from the 1920s into present day. Tours are approximately 20 minutes and available on a walk-up basis.
Sat., Mar. 12
Tours start at 10 a.m.
1436 2nd Street
Members Free / $10 General Public
Discover the architectural gems and rich history of Downtown Santa Monica on our highly-rated guided tour. Begin your journey at the City's first landmark, the Rapp Saloon, a beer hall that served briefly as City Hall. Visit the British pub where Jim Morrison played his first show, see Santa Monica’s best example of a Queen Anne Victorian residence, and conclude your tour at a lavish Art Deco hotel that housed a speakeasy during Prohibition. Tours are approximately 2 hours and cover 6 blocks. Reservations suggested.
Brochures & Booklets
Self-guided Tours
Free & Donations Welcome
Explore Santa Monica with our nine detailed and illustrated brochures and booklets. Take a self-guided tour of Adelaide Drive, home to creatives like Frank Gehry, where residences were built in the early 20th century by wealthy pioneer families. Or take a walk through Santa Monica's first historic district neighborhood, visit six historic locations built by master architect John Byers, discover 36 select murals in our city, plus more!
Exploring Their Historic
and Cultural Contexts
With issues of racial inequity and social justice at the forefront of our national consciousness, Santa Monica City Hall’s historic murals have come under criticism for not reflecting our contemporary values. Join our three outstanding speakers to explore the cultural and historic contexts of the City Hall murals, created in 1938 and 1939 as part of the Works Progress Administration program by artist Stanton MacDonald-Wright.
Santa Monica Conservancy
310-496-3146

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