Hoffy Tours

Three LA Landmarks Tour
2026-01-28 08:30 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Festival of Arts 650 Laguna Canyon Rd., 650 Laguna Canyon Rd, LAGUNA BEACH, CA, 92651, United States
Three LA Landmarks Tour
“Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral, Disney Concert Hall, LA Central Library”
(lunch on your own at Grand Central Market)
February 21: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM – $76/81
“A day of stunning architecture”

This tour visits three famous and diverse landmarks of downtown LA. We will start with a self-guided visit to Frank Gehry’s masterpiece – Disney Concert Hall. Opened in 2003 at a cost of $274 million, the Hall’s exterior “deconstructivist” form of curved stainless steel has become an LA icon. The stunning interior uses an “acoustics-first” approach with “vineyard seating” around the central stage. Panels of Douglas fir and oak provide a highly reflective surface for sound.
After lunch, our second stop will be at the Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral on Temple St. Completed in 2002 and designed in a unique contemporary style by Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, Our Lady is the only Catholic cathedral to be completed in the US in the last thirty years. The Cathedral is bathed in natural light, filtered by the world’s largest use of alabaster. Among the many works of art are the stunning, fresco-like tapestries by John Nava depicting 135 saints and the faithful of all ages.
Our final landmark is the beloved LA Central Library – a 1926 design featuring early Art Deco, Egyptian and Mediterranean influences. Our tour will include the sculptures, murals and art which survived a devastating 1986 fire. The Library was later restored when a local developer bought the developable air space above the building which later financed a stunning new wing.
Lunch will be at the venerable Grand Central Market – a downtown LA favorite since 1917. You’ll have 90 minutes to savor over 20 food vendors. For those interested, Hoffy will lead a brief visit to the famous Bradbury Building – a National Historic Landmark for its innovative and beautiful interior design.
Tour departs from Laguna Beach Festival of Arts, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, and Laguna Hills Mall parking lot, 24001 Avenida de la Carlota.
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Vaccines and Vaqueros
2026-03-25 08:15 - 16:00
Vaccines & Vaqueros — New Tour!
Salk Institute and Mission San Luis Rey
Wednesday March 25: 8:15 AM – 4:00 PM – $89/94
“A Modernist Masterpiece with the King of the Missions”

This tour pairs one of the world’s most famous modernist designs with the largest of the California Missions . The contrast is enormous – a world-famous scientific research facility with a 235-year-old historic landmark. The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, founded in 1960 by the developer of the polio vaccine, consistently ranks as a top 5 research facility focusing on healthy aging, cancer, immunobiology, neuroscience, and plant science. The stunning, brutalist architectural design by Louis Kahn is considered one of the world’s best examples of modernism and has won numerous awards from the American Institute of Architecture. The guided tour will highlight the collaborative spirit of the design with open laboratory spaces with no walls separating the labs on each floor.
Lunch will be on your own at the trendy Westfield University Town Center. With over 22 eateries, from sushi to cheese steaks, you’ll enjoy the lively atmosphere, and well-designed public space. This part of San Diego is fun to explore and has some really interesting architecture (and good food!).
Our next stop will be at the beautiful Mission San Luis Rey, an active Franciscan Missionand National Historic Landmark, in Oceanside. Here we will have lunch and tour the only California Mission whose large church is designed in the cruciform (cross) shape. With its intricate baroque facade, beautiful courtyards, excellent museum, period rooms, restored “lavanderia” (sunken, outdoor laundry), and historic cemetery, it’s no wonder that Mission San Luis Rey was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The story of the Missions is fascinating, complex and often tragic.
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