Walt Disney Concert Hall

Disney Hall is an incredible venue, and best of all, you don't even have to attend a show to enjoy half of what makes it so spectacular.  Sure, the interior is visually stunning and aurally resplendent, and if you live here, you should absolutely attend a show here to fully appreciate it.  It's a draw for visitors from around the world; people come to LA just to listen to the Philharmonic perform.  That said, do not miss the exterior park and stair walk.  This area is open to the public.  During the day, the juxtaposition of the undulating metallic curves of the building and the lovingly maintained greenery provides a truly unique venue in which to relax or meet for a picnic.  Be sure to explore the whole grounds, as you will find the stairwalk that wraps around the entire building.  While you'll never get a perfect picture view of downtown (the walls are quite high), it's a wonderful experience to see different geometric lineups of the building as you climb higher and higher towards the sky.  At night, it's an entirely different view altogether. 

My first time visiting the Walt Disney Concert Hall was last month for the opening night of the Reykjavik Festival. How I haven't been here before as a native Angeleno is a mystery to me. I've passed by many times walking down Grand Avenue and it's quite apparent. The Hall's exterior is an architectural masterpiece with its otherworldly appearance. The interior is a labyrinth filled with corridors leading everywhere, like the outdoor garden on the second floor with downtown views or the multiple exits to explore the façade of the Hall. 

Aside from live performances of music and multimedia, the Hall also acts as an exhibitor- it's currently housing the installation "Nimbus" - color-changing, cottony clouds streaming across the floor levels.

The main hall is where the majority of the event took place. It is beautifully designed, to say the least, with seating that offers 360 degree views of the (centered) artist. The acoustics provide excellent sound quality and there are even LED screens for those artists who offer a visual perspective.

Architecture, music, garden, and bargain-hunter fans alike will love the Walt Disney Concert Hall for its impressive, steel beauty amidst bustling downtown Los Angeles. First and foremost, the tours are FREE. Did you hear me? FREE! You'll have a hard time finding that anywhere else in Los Angeles if seeking a similar daytime activity. My recommendation is to check the website's calendar for tour times (they usually only do them once a day) and then just show up. Unfortunately and fortunately, the WDCH is not bursting at the seams with tourists so no reservation will be necessary.

If you consider yourself a sponge for knowledge and enjoy learning about how buildings (and their surroundings) came to be, the amount of information packed into this small tour will surely satisfy. I visited the WDCH last year and still recall tidbits about the interior layout, carpet, acoustics, the unique organ's construction, stainless steel exterior, fountains, and downtown LA architecture. Frank Gehry is a creative genius! Also, the tour is the perfect length - you won't be bored to tears nor will you feel jipped out of your [$0] donation.

The one downside, regarding tours, is a likely inability to view the inside of the concert hall itself. Unless you pay to attend a show, rehearsals are very likely to be occurring during your tour, which is a bummer.

Lastly, musicians and music fans, heed my advice: the gift shop is incredible. I was tempted to buy one of everything because there are tons of unique music-related gifts that I haven't quite seen anywhere else.

If not for a concert, visit Walt Disney Concert Hall for the free tour and expand your mind. Do it!