A riddle walk through downtown LA, from Gehry's steel to the Triforium
The Los Angeles scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk through downtown from landmark to landmark, solve a riddle at each of 10 stops and unlock the stories, legends and fun facts behind them. Set aside about 3 hours: the 10 stops are linked by only around 53 minutes of walking over 3.5 km of downtown sidewalks, and the rest goes on riddles, stories and breaks, starting at an hour you pick yourself.
The route links Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Broad and MOCA with Pershing Square, the Bradbury Building and Los Angeles City Hall, all in the downtown core. Highlights include Frank Gehry's steel curves, the Victorian atrium of the Bradbury Building and the purple bell tower of Pershing Square, so the walk stays compact and easy on foot.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 53 min · 3.5 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
What you decode between Grand Avenue and City Hall
Steel sails, a honeycomb and a purple tower
The riddles point at what downtown shows from the sidewalk: the curving stainless steel of Walt Disney Concert Hall, the white honeycomb skin of The Broad, the red sandstone and pyramid skylights of MOCA, the ten-storey purple bell tower on Pershing Square. Every answer is out in the open.
Blade Runner, Superman and 58 counties
Solved riddles bring out the stories: the Bradbury Building that film fans know from Blade Runner, the City Hall tower that played the Daily Planet in Adventures of Superman and whose concrete holds sand from all 58 California counties, and the Triforium, built to glow in time with music. Turn on the audio narration and listen as you cross the civic centre.
Downtown on foot
Google Maps guides you through around 53 minutes of walking, 3.5 km in total, from Grand Park along Grand Avenue, down to Pershing Square and Broadway, then over to City Hall. It shows a side of Los Angeles many visitors only ever see through a car window.
Breaks on your own schedule
There is no clock in the game, so stop for lunch or a cold drink between Pershing Square and City Hall and carry on when you are ready. Out of time? The rest of the route waits for another day in LA.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who will enjoy the loop from Grand Park to City Hall
Visitors who think LA has no centre to walk
Plenty of travellers only know Los Angeles from the freeway. In about 3 hours the game shows them a compact downtown of concert halls, museums, an 1893 office building and a 1928 tower, all within walking distance.
Film fans and curious kids
A tower that played the Daily Planet, a building from Blade Runner, bright pink park furniture and a light sculpture once nicknamed the Psychedelic Nickelodeon keep children and adults guessing alike. Younger players team up with a grown-up for the whole loop.
Teams that end on a lawn
Teams of up to 5, each player on their own phone, set out from Grand Park a few minutes apart and finish at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the same park. Its open lawns make regrouping after the last riddle easy.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
Anonymous (verified owner) –
A unique way to explore the city. Highly recommended !