Michael Dolan, editor American History magazine, January 2, 2020
For the neophyte and the knowledgeable, Architecture Tours L.A. offers a fascinating and informative experience centered around a great American city’s architecture.
“Laura Massino Smith’s encyclopedic familiarity with her topic combines with her genially energetic delivery to make each neighborhood odyssey a delight. I will be back for more. Thanks again for the wonderful tour of Silver Lake and its mid-century modern gems. Eileen, Marty and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. We look forward to booking tours of other districts when we visit LA again.”
Monique Ah-Sue, Toronto
“My friend and I went on the WEST HOLLYWOOD/BEVERLY HILLS tour. Laura is an outstanding tour guide with extensive knowledge of art, architecture, design, fashion, culture etc. She drove us around in a very comfortable van and pointed out all the sites, teaching us along the way. She answered all our questions and we learned so much about LA history. I plan to go back and do more tours. I highly recommend this tour – you will not be disappointed!”
Ina
Fantastic L.A. Tour!
“I have three tours in two days during my visit in LA. I was lucky to find Laura’s Architectural Tours web site. Laura’s tours were very thorough and extensive. I strongly recommend these tours to all architects who plan to visit LA.”
Ann and Rex, Sydney Australia
“My husband Rex and I did two architecture tours with Laura. The downtown tour and the Hollywood tour.Both tours were possibly the best tours that we have ever done. Laura has an extensive knowledge of architecture and each area that we visited she was able to give an informative commentary on the various neighborhoods and points of interest. The whole experience was a positive one with Laura collecting us from the door in spotlessly clean transportation. If you want to do a tour or more than one tour with Architecture Tours L.A. I would give this a 5 star rating for a reasonable cost for the extensive knowledge and genuineness that Laura imparts.”
“All in all a great informative and pleasant experience we will definitely book more tours with this company when we return to California from Australia.”
Michael, San Clemente, July 12, 2011
“Merci, I wanted to take the time to send you a thank you note for being such a wonderful tour guide for the four of us Sunday morning. Betty, Roger, Don and I can’t say enough about what a wonderful experience it was sharing all the details of Downtown Los Angeles. I am a native Southern California, born in Pasadena and come to Los Angeles regularly but had no idea of the richness of much of what I was looking at these years. You brought the day to life with your in-depth knowledge and your engaging personality. We all want you to know what a delight it was for all of us. I have already passed your contact information on to two people. One of them has a son going to Architecture School and he is planning on giving your tour to him as a gift. I am planning on giving several as gifts for this coming Christmas.”
“I know that the four of us will be back for one of your additional tours soon. Until then, drive safely and know that you were a true delight to spend a Sunday with.”
Sean T Stewart AIA LEED
“Thank you so much for the terrific tour of Silverlake in December. As a professor of design and architectural history enthusiast I drag my wife to architecturally significant sites wherever we travel. Having never been to L.A. and only having a few short days to see the unique design portfolio the region offers, the task was much too big for me to accomplish independently.”
“Your tour was the perfect compliment to the more common sites we visited on our own (Getty, Our Lady of Angels, Disney, Santa Monica, Venice, etc.). You showed us exactly what I had hoped to see, and your knowledge of history and design were deep and impressive. The tour made the trip so much more successful than I had imagined and Tracy enjoyed herself just as much as me.”
“Thank you. Good luck in 2010”
Mark Smith
“Thank you very much for an outstanding tour of downtown yesterday. I can honestly say I have never enjoyed a tour more: your knowledge, humour and ability to drive while showing Los Angeles in its best light is truly remarkable.”
Susan Allair
“Laura, Sarah and I would like to thank you for the great tour. We really enjoyed it, and felt that we got to places we would have otherwise missed. We also thought your commentary was immensely interesting.”
Crane Architectural Group
Dear Laura,
“We wanted to thank you again for the wonderful tour last week. We greatly appreciate all your hard work in organizing our day. We all had a great time and really enjoyed all of the buildings we visited. Here is a little remembrance from all of us!””With much gratitude,”
Sue and Don, Seattle
“We had the privilege to share Laura’s expertise on two separate tours. The Frank Gehry tour started at the Disney Concert Hall in downtown and this building alone is worth the tour, but Laura had many more gems to show us. She took us to what seemed to be average buildings, but with her architecture expertise, as well as a wonderful ability to draw the visitor into the design, we enjoyed seeing the buildings as we never seen them before. Her ease of maneuvering through traffic, at the same time pointing out delightful sights is worth every penny. We took the Hollywood tour the next day, with the same wonderful results. Laura took us on back streets and alleys to see fantastic buildings. Areas that seem to be fairly mundane are brought to life with her expertise in design, history and the like. Architecture Tours L.A. a must do when in LA!!!”
Thank You
Joyful Art by Sue Robertson
http://www.suerobertson.net
Shirley, native of Los Angeles
“It’s wonderful to leave the driving to a keen-eyed scholar of architecture who can even enlighten a Los Angeles native to hidden gems and “I never paid attention to that before” buildings. Is that a Gehry or an Ain or a Frank Lloyd Wright? Laura Massino of Architecture Tours L.A. knows and can tell you all about them.”
Sybil Allen MD, New York City
“Architectural Tours L.A. are great! You want a unique L.A. experience,then this is the tour for you. Do you want to experience and understand 20th Century landmark architectural statements, a ride with Laura is a must. This informal tour is academically so exciting and did I mention fun! Laura is a very knowledgeable architectural historian and wonderful guide. She drives,she talks,she provides snacks;just wonderful. I must say I am one of her biggest fans and have taken just about every tour. Don’t let the tourists have all the fun. Enjoy!”
Larry, Ohio
“LA Architecture Tours are based on serious scholarship combined with a rich visual experience. Laura will show you buildings that an out-of-townee could never find without tedious hours of searching. I suspect that even the locals would be surprised at the treasures revealed. Mid westerners tend to think of Southern California as a cultural void, but LA Architectural Tours give lie to that, at least as far s fine architecture is concerned. The tours are great for professionals on a businessman holiday, for visitors with a casual interest in seeing unique neighborhoods and structures, or anyone who wants to see the amazing architecture of LA.”
Dee, Ohio
“We can’t believe how much variety and visual interest are packed into just a few hours on one of your tours. It would take hours of research and planning to see a fraction of what you presented. We thoroughly enjoyed both your Hollywood and Silver Lake tours. We look forward to the next one.”
Earl Pinchuk and Gary Blair, Montreal, Canada
“My partner Gary and I were in Palm Springs for the MODERNISM show in February 2002 and picked up a copy of the magazine. There was a brief article on ARCHITECTURE TOURS LA run by Laura Massino. As we were going back to LA, we called Laura and made a date to do a tour of Silverlake, which is rich in Mid-Century Modern Architecture, particularly homes by Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler and John Lautner. Our two hour tour was amazing. Laura knows everything there is to know about Architecture in Los Angeles. On a subsequent visit in 2003, we drove along Sunset Boulevard with Laura from Downtown to Beverly Hills. Laura knew the Architect and the year built of every important building! Laura is one of Los Angeles’s hidden Architectural treasures. Her wealth of information creates an amazing Architectural Tour of Los Angeles. Not to be missed by anyone seeking to learn more about the Architectural history of this amazing city.”
Martin, England
“As we crisscrossed LA in pursuit of Lautner, Eames, Neutra, Schindler at al, Laura’s passion for her subject became more and more infectious. But she wears her knowledge lightly and the customized tour she expertly tailored to match my particular interests, rushed by enjoyably and far too quickly. Laura offers a ‘must-do’ experience for those keen to discover the inside story of some of the most exciting architecture in the world.”
Bill & Kathy Graham, Burbank
“We give the highest possible recommendation for Architecture Tours L.A. We chose the tour of Pasadena and tour guide and architectural historian Laura Massino chronicles The Rose City in minute detail while creating an atmosphere of great fun. We are looking forward to more travels with Laura.”