Exposition Park began as an agricultural fairgrounds in 1872 and has been the public commons of Los Angeles for over a century. Exposition Park began as an agricultural fairgrounds in 1872, then was redesigned in 1913 as a public park with museums and gardens. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum beside you was completed in 1923, its peristyle arched entrance inspired by ancient Rome, its original capacity of 75,000 expanded several times since.
The Coliseum hosted the 1932 Summer Olympics and the 1984 Summer Olympics, the only stadium to host two Olympic Games in the twentieth century, and the 2028 Games will be held here as well. It hosted two Super Bowls and three World Series games, and was the home field for the Los Angeles Rams and Raiders. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to 35,000 people here in 1963.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, just to the north, opened in 1913 in a Spanish Renaissance building and holds one of the largest natural history collections in the country, including a remarkable dinosaur hall. The Rose Garden between the museums blooms from March to November.