WHY SANTA ANA? Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA), the county seat since 1889, is probably more reminiscent of a classic downtown than any historic downtown in Orange County. Evidence of an aspiring business district and young county government of the early decades of the twentieth century can still be found in the orthogonal grid of streets and dense blocks of mid-rise buildings in a variety of architectural styles. And to complete the picture, the streetcar will soon be making a comeback!

Join Preserve Orange County with one of our experienced tour guides to see the banks, courthouses, stores, churches, fraternal halls, and office buildings on a walking tour of this district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn about active historic preservation issues in Santa Ana concerning buildings such as First American and the YMCA.

YOUR GUIDE Our tour is led by Tim Rush, an historian, historic preservation advocate, and real estate executive. A long-time resident of Santa Ana, Tim is a founding board member of Preserve Orange County and the current Chair of the Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana. Tim originated this tour and conducted it for several years with the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society.

DURATION 2 1/2 hours

TICKETS Members of Preserve Orange County receive a 20% discount on tour tickets. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite by clicking the box below. Other tour detail such as start time, available dates, and where the tour begins can also be found on the Eventbrite page.

SPECIAL NOTE: DTSA First Saturday ArtWalk runs from 5-10 p.m. on this date, and the Howe-Waffle House and Carriage House will be open for tours. Take advantage of these opportunities after your tour of historic Santa Ana!

French Park is one of Santa Ana’s oldest neighborhoods and is one of two historic districts in Santa Ana on the National Register of Historic Places. (The other is Floral Park.) Tour-goers will enjoy seeing several large intact "Painted Ladies," brightly painted houses designed in the Queen Anne style from the 1890s, the district's earliest period of development, as well as an assortment of Eclectic and Period Revival residences from the first decades of the 20th century. Learn about the history of the neighborhood and the grass-roots preservation advocacy that protects it by joining our guide, Tim Rush, on one of the three tour dates between October 2023 and January 2024.

Tour Guide Our tour is led by Tim Rush, an historian, historic preservation advocate, and real estate executive. A long-time resident of Santa Ana, Tim is a founding board member of Preserve Orange County and the current Chair of the Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana.

Duration 2 1/2 hours

TICKETS Members of Preserve Orange County receive a 20% discount on tour tickets. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite by clicking the box below.

Other tour detail such as start time, available dates, and meeting location can also be found on the Eventbrite page.

WHY SANTA ANA? Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA), the county seat since 1889, is probably more reminiscent of a classic downtown than any historic downtown in Orange County. Evidence of an aspiring business district and young county government of the early decades of the twentieth century can still be found in the orthogonal grid of streets and dense blocks of mid-rise buildings in a variety of architectural styles. And to complete the picture, the streetcar will soon be making a comeback!

Join Preserve Orange County with one of our experienced tour guides on one of three dates between October 2023 and January 2024. See the banks, courthouses, stores, churches, fraternal halls, and office buildings on a walking tour of this district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn about active historic preservation issues in Santa Ana concerning buildings such as First American and the YMCA.

YOUR GUIDE Our tour is led by one of two guides. Tim Rush is an historian, historic preservation advocate, and real estate executive. A long-time resident of Santa Ana, Tim is a founding board member of Preserve Orange County and the current Chair of the Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana. Tim originated this tour and conducted it for several years with the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society.

Phil Bacerra is a land use consultant and is the City Council Member for Ward 4 in Santa Ana. Phil has been active in the affairs of his hometown for several years, previously serving as a member of the Planning Commission and the Historic Resources Commission. Following graduation from USC, Phil worked in historic preservation planning for the City of Los Angeles and was an early board member of Preserve Orange County.

DURATION 2 1/2 hours

TICKETS Members of Preserve Orange County receive a 20% discount on tour tickets. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite by clicking the box below. Other tour detail such as start time, available dates, and where the tour begins can also be found on the Eventbrite page.

French Park is one of Santa Ana’s oldest neighborhoods and is one of two historic districts in Santa Ana on the National Register of Historic Places. (The other is Floral Park.) Tour-goers will enjoy seeing several large intact "Painted Ladies," brightly painted houses designed in the Queen Anne style from the 1890s, the district's earliest period of development, as well as an assortment of Eclectic and Period Revival residences from the first decades of the 20th century. Learn about the history of the neighborhood and the grass-roots preservation advocacy that protects it by joining our guide on one of the three tour dates between October 2023 and January 2024.

Tour Guide Our tour is led by Tim Rush, an historian, historic preservation advocate, and real estate executive. A long-time resident of Santa Ana, Tim is a founding board member of Preserve Orange County and the current Chair of the Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana.

Duration 2 1/2 hours

TICKETS Members of Preserve Orange County receive a 20% discount on tour tickets. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite by clicking the box below.

Other tour detail such as start time, available dates, and meeting location can also be found on the Eventbrite page.

WHY SANTA ANA? Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA), the county seat since 1889, is probably more reminiscent of a classic downtown than any historic downtown in Orange County. Evidence of an aspiring business district and young county government of the early decades of the twentieth century can still be found in the orthogonal grid of streets and dense blocks of mid-rise buildings in a variety of architectural styles. And to complete the picture, the streetcar will soon be making a comeback!

Join Preserve Orange County with one of our experienced tour guides on one of three dates between October 2023 and January 2024. See the banks, courthouses, stores, churches, fraternal halls, and office buildings on a walking tour of this district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn about active historic preservation issues in Santa Ana concerning buildings such as First American and the YMCA.

YOUR GUIDE Our tour is led by one of two guides. Tim Rush is an historian, historic preservation advocate, and real estate executive. A long-time resident of Santa Ana, Tim is a founding board member of Preserve Orange County and the current Chair of the Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana. Tim originated this tour and conducted it for several years with the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society.

Phil Bacerra is a land use consultant and is the City Council Member for Ward 4 in Santa Ana. Phil has been active in the affairs of his hometown for several years, previously serving as a member of the Planning Commission and the Historic Resources Commission. Following graduation from USC, Phil worked in historic preservation planning for the City of Los Angeles and was an early board member of Preserve Orange County.

DURATION 2 1/2 hours

TICKETS Members of Preserve Orange County receive a 20% discount on tour tickets. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite by clicking the box below. Other tour detail such as start time, available dates, and where the tour begins can also be found on the Eventbrite page.

This is a multi-city bus tour that will take you from one end of Orange County to the other. You’ll disembark to view several now historic buildings by the Los Angeles-based architecture firm of William Pereira & Associates. Your guides are Preserve Orange County historians who will share their fresh research with you.

TICKETS

Tickets and more detail about the tour are available on our Eventbrite page. Current members of Preserve Orange County pay just $70 for a full day tour that includes a gourmet box lunch! If you aren't a member yet, you can join on our Join page.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Anyone who likes historic architecture, especially from the Modern period of the mid- to late 20th century would enjoy this tour. In California, the Pereira firm designed a variety of buildings (tall buildings, university campuses, churches, libraries, civic centers) in a variety of styles (International, Brutalist, and Late Modern), and was known for producing exuberant expressions in concrete. Pereira’s most recognized buildings are probably the Geisel Library at the University of California San Diego and the Transamerica building in San Francisco but the 7 sites on this tour are also exemplars of the era and the firm’s design creativity and planning expertise.

WHY SHOULD I BE INTERESTED IN WILLIAM PEREIRA & ASSOCIATES?

Like Welton Beckett & Associates and A.C. Martin, Pereira & Associates was a large, full-service firm that catered to corporate and institutional clients. As Southern California’s population and built environment expanded dramatically after the Second World War, so did the need for architecture and planning services, mostly based in Los Angeles. With historical perspective - many of these buildings are now over 50 years old - and as this era’s buildings get replaced by new construction (the high profile Los Angeles County Museum of Art but also Pereira’s earliest International style corporate campuses in OC), William Pereira and the architects he worked with such as Gin Wong have received more attention in recent years. Thanks to articles like this one, by architect and historian Alan Hess, we now appreciate the buildings and corporate campuses as important artifacts of the era: “Erasing Pereira,” Orange Coast Magazine, June 2014.

Selection of Pereira Buildings in Orange County-- Demolished or Not on the Tour

Top row, left to right: Chrysler Sales and Service Training Center, Anaheim. Demolished. Julius Shulman, 1959/ Ford Aeroneutronics, Newport Beach. Demolished. Julius Shulman, 1960/ AstroPower Inc., Irvine. Demolished. Julius Shulman, 1962/

Second row, left to right: Los Angeles Times Facility, Costa Mesa, CA. Julius Shulman, 1968/ Huntington Pacific Apartment Community, Huntington Beach, CA. Julius Shulman, 1968/ Buena Park Library, Buena Park, CA. Julius Shulman, 1969.

Third row, left to right: Chapman College Science Center, Orange, CA. Wayne Thom, 1970/ Laguna Playhouse, Laguna Beach, CA. Altered. Wayne Thom, 1970/ Art School, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA. Julius Shulman, 1971.

Fourth row, left to right: Harbor Municipal Court, Costa Mesa, CA. Julius Shulman, 1975/ Cypress Library and Civic Center, Cypress, CA. Krista Nicholds, 2021.

French Park is one of Santa Ana’s oldest neighborhoods and is the only residential district in the city on the National Register of Historic Places. (Floral Park is being considered now by the Keeper of the National Register!) Tour-goers will enjoy seeing several large intact "Painted Ladies," brightly painted houses designed in the Queen Anne style from the 1890s, the district's earliest period of development, as well as an assortment of Eclectic and Period Revival residences from the first decades of the 20th century. Learn about the history of the neighborhood and the grass-roots preservation advocacy that protects it by joining our guide, Tim Rush, on one of the three tour dates between November 2022 and February 2023.

Tour Guide Our tour is led by Tim Rush, an historian, historic preservation advocate, and real estate executive. A long-time resident of Santa Ana, Tim is a founding board member of Preserve Orange County and the current Chair of the Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana.

Duration 2 1/2 hours

TICKETS Members of Preserve Orange County receive a 25% discount on tour tickets. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite by clicking the box below. Other tour detail such as start time, available dates, and where the tour begins can also be found on the Eventbrite page.

WHY SANTA ANA? Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA), the county seat since 1889, is probably more reminiscent of a classic downtown than any historic downtown in Orange County. Evidence of an aspiring business district and young county government of the early decades of the twentieth century can still be found in the orthogonal grid of streets and dense blocks of mid-rise buildings in a variety of architectural styles. And to complete the picture, the streetcar will soon be making a comeback!

Join Preserve Orange County with one of our experienced tour guides on one of the five Saturdays between October 2022 and April 2023. See the banks, courthouses, stores, churches, fraternal halls, and office buildings on a walking tour of this district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn about active historic preservation issues in Santa Ana concerning buildings such as First American and the YMCA.

YOUR GUIDE Our tour is led by one of two guides. Tim Rush is an historian, historic preservation advocate, and real estate executive. A long-time resident of Santa Ana, Tim is a founding board member of Preserve Orange County and the current Chair of the Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana. Tim originated this tour and conducted it for several years with the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society.

Phil Bacerra is a land use consultant and is the City Council Member for Ward 4 in Santa Ana. Phil has been active in the affairs of his hometown for several years, previously serving as a member of the Planning Commission and the Historic Resources Commission. Following graduation from USC, Phil worked in historic preservation planning for the City of Los Angeles. He is a current board member of Preserve Orange County.

DURATION 2 1/2 hours

TICKETS Members of Preserve Orange County receive a 25% discount on tour tickets. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite by clicking the box below. Other tour detail such as start time, available dates, and where the tour begins can also be found on the Eventbrite page.

Preserve Orange County member: $15
Non-member: $20

French Park is one of Santa Ana’s oldest neighborhoods and is the only residential district in the city on the National Register of Historic Places. (Floral Park is being considered now by the Keeper of the National Register!) Tour-goers will enjoy seeing several large intact "Painted Ladies," brightly painted houses designed in the Queen Anne style from the 1890s, the district's earliest period of development, as well as an assortment of Eclectic and Period Revival residences from the first decades of the 20th century. Learn about the history of the neighborhood and the grass-roots preservation advocacy that protects it by joining our guide, Tim Rush, on one of the three tour dates between November 2022 and February 2023.

Tour Guide Our tour is led by Tim Rush, an historian, historic preservation advocate, and real estate executive. A long-time resident of Santa Ana, Tim is a founding board member of Preserve Orange County and the current Chair of the Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana.

Duration 2 1/2 hours

TICKETS Members of Preserve Orange County receive a 25% discount on tour tickets. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite by clicking the box below. Other tour detail such as start time, available dates, and where the tour begins can also be found on the Eventbrite page.

WHY SANTA ANA? Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA), the county seat since 1889, is probably more reminiscent of a classic downtown than any historic downtown in Orange County. Evidence of an aspiring business district and young county government of the early decades of the twentieth century can still be found in the orthogonal grid of streets and dense blocks of mid-rise buildings in a variety of architectural styles. And to complete the picture, the streetcar will soon be making a comeback!

Join Preserve Orange County with one of our experienced tour guides on one of the five Saturdays between October 2022 and April 2023. See the banks, courthouses, stores, churches, fraternal halls, and office buildings on a walking tour of this district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn about active historic preservation issues in Santa Ana concerning buildings such as First American and the YMCA.

YOUR GUIDE Our tour is led by one of two guides. Tim Rush is an historian, historic preservation advocate, and real estate executive. A long-time resident of Santa Ana, Tim is a founding board member of Preserve Orange County and the current Chair of the Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana. Tim originated this tour and conducted it for several years with the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society.

Phil Bacerra is a land use consultant and is the City Council Member for Ward 4 in Santa Ana. Phil has been active in the affairs of his hometown for several years, previously serving as a member of the Planning Commission and the Historic Resources Commission. Following graduation from USC, Phil worked in historic preservation planning for the City of Los Angeles. He is a current board member of Preserve Orange County.

DURATION 2 1/2 hours

TICKETS Members of Preserve Orange County receive a 25% discount on tour tickets. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite by clicking the box below. Other tour detail such as start time, available dates, and where the tour begins can also be found on the Eventbrite page.

Preserve Orange County member: $15
Non-member: $20

French Park is one of Santa Ana’s oldest neighborhoods and is the only residential district in the city on the National Register of Historic Places. (Floral Park is being considered now by the Keeper of the National Register!) Tour-goers will enjoy seeing several large intact "Painted Ladies," brightly painted houses designed in the Queen Anne style from the 1890s, the district's earliest period of development, as well as an assortment of Eclectic and Period Revival residences from the first decades of the 20th century. Learn about the history of the neighborhood and the grass-roots preservation advocacy that protects it by joining our guide, Tim Rush, on one of the three tour dates between November 2022 and February 2023.

Tour Guide Our tour is led by Tim Rush, an historian, historic preservation advocate, and real estate executive. A long-time resident of Santa Ana, Tim is a founding board member of Preserve Orange County and the current Chair of the Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana.

Duration 2 1/2 hours

TICKETS Members of Preserve Orange County receive a 25% discount on tour tickets. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite by clicking the box below. Other tour detail such as start time, available dates, and where the tour begins can also be found on the Eventbrite page.

Tickets are on sale now for the tour, please click here. Sponsored by Preserve Orange County, our members pay the discounted rate for the tour! Click on the same link to sign up for the free panel discussion.

On October 23, 2022, the Southern California chapters of Docomomo US and the Society of Architectural Historians are presenting a thematic tour of South Coast Plaza.

The original design for South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa embodied Victor Gruen’s seminal ideas that defined shopping malls across the country. Built by C. J. Segerstrom & Sons in 1967 on agricultural fields next to the newly minted 405 freeway, South Coast Plaza helped open a new chapter in Orange County living by providing both retail stores and a social center for the new suburbs.

But South Coast Plaza and Gruen’s ideas have not remained frozen in time. It is an example of how his concepts have evolved as the suburbs, the retail industry, and architecture have kept pace with dramatically changing times. Today, as malls shut down all over the country, South Coast Plaza remains one of the most successful and profitable in the world, while reflecting Gruen’s prime mid-century modern ideas.

This tour will give visitors an unhurried opportunity to explore the mall before its public opening time. They will walk to the center’s key design features where knowledgeable docents will explain its design and innovations, both past and present. Key elements of the original architecture and plan remain to be discovered. New design elements responding to new conditions add to this ever-morphing architectural type. Along the way, the contributions of noted architects and designers will be discussed, including famous names like Frank Gehry, Welton Becket, Gere Kavanaugh, Helmut Jahn, Kathryn Gustafson, and Cesar Pelli, and less famous designers like Marion Sampler, Harold Levitt, and Rudi Baumfeld who deserve recognition.

Two pre-tour panel discussions will bring together experts on mall history and Orange County history. Tour-goers will also be given a self-guided tour map to explore significant architectural landmarks around South Coast Plaza, including the new Orange County Museum of Art by Thom Mayne.

Come explore Victor Gruen’s seminal ideas, and how they have survived and thrived over decades of contemporary life.

Before the tour, attend the panel discussion about Southcoast Plaza called Modern Main Street: Southcoast Plaza, on October 12 at 6 pm.

Go to the Docomomo Socal website to register for free by clicking here.

WHY SANTA ANA? Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA), the county seat since 1889, is probably more reminiscent of a classic downtown than any historic downtown in Orange County. Evidence of an aspiring business district and young county government of the early decades of the twentieth century can still be found in the orthogonal grid of streets and dense blocks of mid-rise buildings in a variety of architectural styles. And to complete the picture, the streetcar will soon be making a comeback!

Join Preserve Orange County with one of our experienced tour guides on one of three Saturdays between October 2022 and April 2023. See the banks, courthouses, stores, churches, fraternal halls, and office buildings on a walking tour of this district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn about active historic preservation issues in Santa Ana concerning buildings such as First American and the YMCA.

YOUR GUIDE Our tour is led by one of two guides. Tim Rush is an historian, historic preservation advocate, and real estate executive. A long-time resident of Santa Ana, Tim is a founding board member of Preserve Orange County and the current Chair of the Historic Resources Commission of the City of Santa Ana. Tim originated this tour and conducted it for several years with the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society.

Phil Bacerra is a land use consultant and is the City Council Member for Ward 4 in Santa Ana. Phil has been active in the affairs of his hometown for several years, previously serving as a member of the Planning Commission and the Historic Resources Commission. Following graduation from USC, Phil worked in historic preservation planning for the City of Los Angeles. He is a current board member of Preserve Orange County.

DURATION 2 1/2 hours

TICKETS Members of Preserve Orange County receive a 25% discount on tour tickets. Tickets are purchased through Eventbrite by clicking the box below. Other tour detail such as start time, available dates, and where the tour begins can also be found on the Eventbrite page.

Preserve Orange County member: $15
Non-member: $20