LA Metro Red Line Tour - Union Station

I've been sharing all week from my tour of the Metro Red Line.  Our first stop was North Hollywood.  The second was Universal/Studio City.  The third was Hollywood and Vine, and today I'm wrapping up with the final stop on the tour, Union Station.

The portion of the tour that covered Union Station was cursory, and short; there's actually a separate tour that covers Union Station in detail that I'm planning to take next month.  The guide informed me that they make a point to end the tour at Union Station so that everyone knows how easy it is to access downtown points of interest using the metro.  Union station is huge, as it is used for both commercial trains, buses, and the metro rail system.

To find out more about the tours specifically of Union Station, click here.

Riding the metro from point to point, there are signs lining each car illustrating how all the metro stations and lines connect, branching off.  My pup Caitie was a very good girl on the metro; she can be startled by loud noises, so she was not likely to nap, but she sat and watched quietly and enjoyed pets from several riders. 

There are beautiful murals throughout Union station, but for the most part, they are individual installations.  The one mural we took a moment to observe was "Traveler."  It depicts travelers from different eras in a Los Angeles “timescape” that features historical references such as Spanish galleons, the Pico House, Olvera Street and actress Carol Lombard. Per the artist's statement, Terry Schoonhoven's use of perspective extends the station into the mural and enhances the viewer's momentary time travel fantasy as they pause on their own journey.  The metro's write up of this artwork can be found here.  

The final stop for my first Saturday Metro tour was at a small alcove around the corner from an escalator.  There, in front of a small plaque, the tour guide asked one of us to say a few words which magically activated an electric sign across the way.  The jazz standard "A-Train" blasted, and a  symphony of light bars coordinated in sync with the music.  It was unexpected, jubilant, and fitting for the location.  I took a short video but can't get it to load here.

After the "A-Train" performance, our guide left us and the group disbanded to explore further on our own.  I was taken by both the mural and the skylight in the main entrance lobby of Union Station.  I cant wait to go on the full tour, as I couldn't find any more information about them on the metro website.

There was a beautiful fountain near where the buses pull up, and an awesomely large fish tank in the entrance area as well.  Caitie and I enjoyed the cool reprieve from the heat wave that day.  The tour was refreshing.  I'm so glad I went and I can't wait to learn more about my local landmarks.