Discover Whittier: Art, History and Landscapes

Whittier offers several distinct points of interest for a trip: trails for cycling and walking, art and shopping in Uptown, and places connected to the city’s history. If you’re looking for a hotel in Whittier, these highlights can help you decide what to focus on during your trip. The destinations differ depending on whether you’re interested in a trail, exhibitions or a single historic building.

Trails and Landscapes

The Whittier Greenway Trail is 4.5 miles long and serves as a recreational and commuter bike path as well as a walking trail. Its stations highlight various aspects of Whittier’s history, growth and development. This makes it possible to consider the trail’s practical use alongside its historical themes: the trail connects cycling and walking with stations that explore Whittier’s development.

The Whittier Hills offer a different perspective on the landscape. More than 1,700 acres are protected there, and cycling and hiking trails offer views of Downtown Los Angeles, Catalina Island, the Pacific Ocean and the Hollywood Sign. The difference is clear when choosing an activity: the Greenway is also a commuter and walking trail, while the Hills are noted for their cycling and hiking trails and these views.

Art and City Life

Uptown Whittier is a historic shopping district with boutiques, dining options and a restored multi-screen movie theater. Visitors can enjoy several kinds of activities there: shopping, dining and movies. The Whittier Art Gallery offers a dedicated focus on art. For more than 80 years, it has presented monthly art exhibitions free to the public. This gives you a choice between Uptown’s mix of activities and a visit focused specifically on art exhibitions.

Historic Places in Whittier

The Whittier Museum devotes its permanent exhibitions to agriculture, Quaker settlers and Whittier College. The Jonathan Bailey House offers a different way to explore history: it is the oldest building in Whittier. Tours are guided and typically last about an hour. A museum with several exhibition themes and a tour of a single historic building therefore differ both in focus and in the stated duration.

The Earlham Historic District also offers a distinct historical connection: its seven properties represent an early Whittier College neighborhood dating from 1903 to 1940. At Pío Pico State Historic Park, historic gardens and a 15-room adobe house with interpretive exhibits are part of the park; it is registered as California Historic Landmark No. 127. These offer different historical points of interest: a neighborhood with seven properties, a park with gardens and exhibits, and a single building visited on guided tours.

Another historic building is the adobe house at El Ranchito. It has been fully restored to look as it did in the 1880s. This distinguishes it from the adobe house at Pío Pico State Historic Park: El Ranchito is notable for its restored 1880s appearance, while the park’s house also features 15 rooms and interpretive exhibits.

Whittier as a Destination for Your Hotel Search

When planning your trip, choose based on your interests: trails and landscapes, exhibitions and art, or historic buildings and neighborhoods. If you’re looking for a hotel in Whittier, first consider which of these aspects will shape your trip. This can help you plan a stay that reflects your interests and explore the different sides of Whittier with purpose.

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See the broader travel guide: Los Angeles.