California’s largest Black population resides in South Los Angeles, and late last year, the area was named the state’s first Black Cultural District. The designation formally recognizes a part of L.A. that has brimmed with cultural relevance for decades, and it celebrates and protects the historic venues within its bounds, too.
Notably, Los Angeles is set to host thousands of tourists for FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in the coming years, and South L.A. is home to key venues for both. SoFi Stadium, the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Intuit Dome and BMO Stadium are all located in or adjacent to the district. With the area now placed on a global stage, visitors will have the opportunity to support what’s old and new here.
Want to explore the diverse treasures harbored in the Historic South Los Angeles Black Cultural District? Here are a few ways to get started.
The Watts Towers have come to stand for the strength of South L.A. itself.
Credit: Walter Cicchetti/stock.adobe.com1. Dig Into the District’s Arts and Culture Scene
One way to get to know a locale is to experience it through its arts scene, and visitors to South L.A. might begin to do that at the Museum of African American Art, which was founded in 1976 and oversees a renowned collection of art by or about people with African ancestry. The California African American Museum, opened in 1977, works toward a similar mission of preserving and showcasing the art, history and culture of African Americans. Both venues offer free admission.
Exposition Park is home to multiple museums, including the California African American Museum.
Credit: 2026 Walter Cicchetti/stock.adobe.comSouth L.A.’s iconic Watts Towers are another not-be-missed site, according to area native Sherri Francois, who is now the executive director of local non-profit SoLa Foundation. She recalls visiting the towers as a child and being awestruck by the creativity and strength of the structures. Each one was built by a single person, Italian immigrant Sabato Rodia, across more than 30 years. The resilience of the assembled towers (made of salvaged steel, wire, cement mortar, broken tiles, glass, seashells, pottery shards and more) has come to symbolize the resolve of South L.A. itself. Travelers can see the towers via thirty-minute guided tours.
2. Eat a Great Meal
With tried-and-true establishments that have been serving the community for decades and newer names eager to shine a light on the neighborhood, South L.A. is a great destination for food lovers. At Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen, fried chicken, ox tails and smothered pork chops get paired up with black-eyed peas, candied yams, collard greens, cornbread muffins and more. Founder Adolf Dulan, who grew up in Oklahoma, aimed to bring his grandmother’s Sunday dinners to life with the menu. The restaurant is now helmed by his son, Terry Dulan.
A po' boy sandwich from family-owned restaurant Harold and Belle's
Credit: 2026 Harold and Belle'sOther dining institutions here include the family-owned Harold and Belle’s, which has served New Orleans cuisine (think: po’ boy sandwiches, Louisiana-style catfish and jambalaya) since 1969, and Earle’s on Crenshaw, where hot dogs, burgers and bowls of chili make for a casual and beloved meal. Brothers Cary and Duane Earle started their enterprise in the ‘80s as a roving hot dog cart; since then, they’ve built a robust business that’s become synonymous with South L.A.
To support fresh faces, visitors might head to Hilltop Coffee and Kitchen, co-founded by locals Yonnie Hagos and Ajay Relan and bolstered by creator (and South L.A. native) Issa Rae. In addition to requisite caffeinated beverages, the Hilltop menu offers acai bowls, breakfast bowls and more. In late 2024, the trio also opened doors to supper club Somerville, a “progressive American dining experience” with nightly live music and a Sunday jazz brunch. And Francois says to keep a close eye on chef Keith Corbin, another South L.A. native who’s serving the community via Alta, his restaurant in the West Adams neighborhood, and at Harun Coffee, a Leimert Park shop where he developed the food menu.
“I think that South L.A. establishments have been overlooked,” Francois said. “They hold their own in a very magnificent way. People who know them love them and are diehards for these restaurants. Some would say they’re some of L.A.’s best-kept secrets.”
3. Support Community Members and Local Artisans
At the monthly Black Market Flea, vendors sell their own designs, vintage goods, snacks and beyond. The gathering started in 2021 as a “celebration of Black entrepreneurship, culture and expression” and takes place at The Beehive, a beautiful and sprawling Black-owned venue in the district. Francois of the SoLa Foundation loves to peruse the stalls here.
Black Market Flea gathers local artisans and food sellers and South L.A. venue The Beehive.
Credit: 2026 SoLa Foundation“The Beehive has become a cultural hub of sorts,” she said. “It is a destination that brings together culture, artists and culinary [options], so there’s an incredible sense of community here. Black Market Flea is a perfect example. You can come, walk through, experience and buy from over 250 local vendors and businesses who have, I think, some of the best products in all of L.A.”
And don’t miss a visit to SoLa’s 60th Street Cafe, which travelers will also find at The Beehive. Opened last fall, the cafe serves coffee, breakfast and lunch, but its larger aim is to train local youth in food service-related skills, from cooking and serving to management. Dollars spent at the cafe go right back to providing critical vocational training for enrolled participants.
4. Check Out What’s New and Notable
South L.A. boasts some of the city’s finest sporting and event venues. In Inglewood, SoFi Stadium is home to the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams, and it’s an incredible concert venue; it will host World Cup games this year and Olympics events in 2028. The adjacent Intuit Dome, home to the Los Angeles Clippers, is a state-of-the-art venue that opened in 2024 and will also host Olympic games. The YouTube Theater and Kia Forum are other neighboring destinations; the Forum, which debuted in 1967, was previously home to the L.A. Lakers, but has since been renovated to be a live music venue. And not far away in Exposition Park is the newer (and soccer-specific) BMO Stadium.
SoFi Stadium hosts football games, concerts and more.
Credit: 2026 Walter Cicchetti/stock.adobe.comUnsurprisingly, accommodation options have cropped up in the district, too. The Anthem Los Angeles Stadium District by Hilton is already welcoming guests (it’s a 15-minute walk from SoFi), and the 300-key Kali Hotel and Rooftop is set to debut in the same area later this year.
Also on the horizon for South L.A. is the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Doors are scheduled to open on Sept. 22, and the 11-acre campus (situated in Exposition Park, along with BMO Stadium, the Natural History Museum, the California Science Center and the California African American Museum) will boast incredible gardens, two theaters, dining and retail options and a five-story museum full of visual art organized by theme. Founded by husband-and-wife team George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum will exhibit the works of a wide range of artists, from Jacob Lawrence and Diego Rivera to Judith F. Baca and N. C. Wyeth.
5. Attend a Festive Fete
If visitors find themselves in South L.A. during the annual Taste of Soul Family Fest, Francois says not to miss it. More than 300,000 guests attend the event each year, and it’s a grand party in the streets (on Crenshaw Boulevard between Barack Obama Boulevard and Stocker Avenue, specifically). Arriving hungry is highly recommended, as more than 100 food vendors set up shop, serving everything from tacos and fried shrimp to brisket and chicken wings. The festival takes place on Oct. 17 this year.
