California

‘Doors Open California' is celebrating our state's vintage gems with fests and tours

Enjoy a daylong party at the Anaheim Packing House in honor of the Packard Building's 100th birthday; other events are popping up around the region, too.

Packard Building

What to Know

  • "The Largest Statewide Celebration of Historic Places" will take place at multiple locations on Sept. 9 and 10
  • $20 gives you entry at 70 places around California
  • Wish the Anaheim Packing District's historical Packard Building a happy 100th on Saturday, Sept. 9; a car show, tours, and culinary treats are on the schedule

Time-hopping is a lovely and long-established tradition in the Golden State, and you don't even need some fancy sci-fi machine to do so; you only need to look down the street, or around the corner, for a notable building, park, or destination that has handsomely weathered the decades.

The California Preservation Foundation is paying play-filled and festive homage to dozens of these landmarks on Sept. 9 and 10, and the timing couldn't be better: California's birthday just happens to be the ninth of September. (It's turning 173 in 2023, but surely you know that.)

How it all works?

Pay $20 and enjoy a variety of "Doors Open California" stops, from Ventura to West Hollywood and beyond, with tours, talks, and special events dotting the weekend calendar.

In Orange County, a major bash is happening in the heart of the downtown area: The pretty Packard Building is marking a century, and the Anaheim Packing District will show the love in several celebratory ways on Saturday, Sept. 9.

A classic car show is one highlight, live jazz music, and opportunities to take an info-packed stroll around the picturesque structure, with a guide at the lead, will abound.

The Scene

Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.

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Dressing up, '20s-style? That's encouraged.

Making time for a cocktail that's themed to the 1920s, the sort of libation that boasts Prohibition-style flair? Those will be available for purchase for the 21-and-over set.

You can check out the effervescent Anaheim affair here, which, again, is just on Sept. 9, or view all of the Sept. 9 and 10 "Doors Open California" gatherings across the state, with further details about each history-drenched to-do.

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