LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes: Community Ride to Olympic Auditorium

Theo Ehret (1920–2012). Exterior, Olympic Auditorium at Dusk 1974. Black and white photograph. Courtesy of Theo Ehret Estate © Theo Ehret Estate. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Join LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes and Metro Bike Share for a special community ride celebrating 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium, an exhibition recounting the 80-year history (1925-2005) of the Olympic Auditorium, the home for visceral entertainment in Los Angeles and a historic venue that shaped Los Angeles’ past and influenced its future. From the dangerous combat of boxing to the dramatic theatricality of wrestling, roller derby, and music, the gritty punch palace at the corner of 18th Street and Grand Avenue distilled the beauty and brutality of a divided city.

Walk: The day begins with time to view the exhibition. If you know you would like additional time, please arrive early.

Roll: From there, we will venture across Downtown Los Angeles on Metro Bikes, connecting us to the physical space after our immersion in the many lives of the Olympic Auditorium, now a church. We will solely be viewing the exterior of the building. We will return via bike to LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.

RIDE INFO

Start and End: LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes

Length: 6-mile round trip bike ride on flat streets using bike lanes.

Experience Level: This route is great for novice riders, those who haven't ridden in a while, and for those looking to socialize. You must be 16+ to ride a Metro Bike. This ride is welcoming of children on personal bikes. Children must either be secured in an approved child carrier or riding their own bicycle and supervised by an adult at all times.

Getting There:

Public Transit: This ride is accessible via the Metro A and B Line to Union Station, Metro E Line to Little Tokyo Station with a half-mile walk, as well as by bus. For assistance in planning your route, please visit https://trips.metro.net/

Parking: Paid parking and metered parking may be available nearby on a first-come, first-served basis.

What to Bring:

• Participants 16 years and older can reserve a Metro Bike at no cost to attend this event
• A functional bicycle or wheeled device (highly recommended with gears) if you would prefer to provide your own. We do not have a mechanic on the ride and recommend you carry your own tire repair kit.
• Hand sanitizer
• TAP card or money for fare if you plan to use the Metro bus or train ($1.75 per ride)
• A helmet (If you do not have one, one will be provided free of charge)
• Water bottle

Safety Protocols:

We will be observing strict protocols during the ride to ensure the safety and comfort of all participants. Please keep in mind the following rules while attending the ride:

• If you are feeling sick or unwell, please stay home.
• Metro Bike Share will provide helmets, water, and ride marshals.
• Participants are required to sign a release of liability. No exceptions.

About the Exhibition:

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes presents 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium, an exhibition recounting the 80-year history (1925-2005) of the Olympic Auditorium, the home for visceral entertainment in Los Angeles and a historic venue that shaped Los Angeles’ past and influenced its future. From the dangerous combat of boxing to the dramatic theatricality of wrestling, roller derby, and music, the gritty punch palace at the corner of 18th Street and Grand Avenue distilled the beauty and brutality of a divided city.

The Olympic Auditorium was a focal point for Mexican and Mexican American culture in Los Angeles. Its ring was a platform for contenders from Southern California and south of the border that prompted fierce rivalries and inspired intense bonds between athletes and fans. A part of the social fabric of L.A., the Olympic influenced popular culture through its weekly presence on local television, with its famous phone number “Richmond 9-5171,” and frequent appearances in Hollywood films and TV shows. The action and atmosphere at the Olympic attracted movie stars, gangsters, artists, writers, and community organizers. Still, its most loyal fans were working-class Angelenos, a fact well understood by Olympic manager Aileen Eaton, a female promoter who thrived in the male-dominated world of combat sports for nearly four decades.

18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium is an immersive exhibition that encompasses both floors of the museum and cultural center and remembers characters from a disappearing world, from heroes to villains, connecting the venue to seminal events and cultural movements throughout L.A. history. Gathered from multiple collections the exhibit features distinctive objects, relics, and images, such as embroidered boxing robes, hand-stitched lucha masks, race-worn roller skates, illustrations, photography, film, oral histories, boxing posters, wrestling programs, punk rock flyers, art and more.

Curated by filmmaker Stephen DeBro, Latino boxing historian and author Gene Aguilera with LA Plaza curators Karen Crews Hendon, Esperanza Sanchez, and the LA Plaza curatorial team.

Exhibition Dates: August 11, 2023 - May 19, 2024

For more info about the documentary 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story visit: www.18thandgrand.com

About LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes:

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is a community hub where people gather to celebrate Latinx culture through transformative exhibitions, music, dance, culinary arts, and multigenerational artmaking and storytelling experiences.

An anchor cultural institution in Los Angeles County, LA Plaza centers the Latino experience and provides a space to uplift, share, and preserve the stories of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Latinx people in Southern California.

Our team members collaborate with artists, guest curators, educators, historians, activists, and community members to activate the campus by providing free or low-cost programs for Los Angeles County residents.

Housed in two historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles, LA Plaza is adjacent to Olvera Street at El Pueblo de Los Angeles. The main campus includes a museum, a 30,000-square-foot outdoor space with a performance stage, and an edible garden. LA Plaza Cocina, a teaching kitchen and first-of-its-kind museum dedicated to Mexican and Mexican-American cuisine in the U.S., is located directly across the street and offers cooking classes and demonstrations, a culinary arts training program, and private tastings.

Established in 2011, LA Plaza is a non-profit organization and a Smithsonian affiliate museum.

About Metro Bike Share:

Metro Bike Share makes bikes available 24/7, 365 days a year in Downtown LA, Central LA, Hollywood, North Hollywood, and on the Westside. Metro Bike Share offers convenient round-the-clock access to a fleet of bicycles for short trips. Metro Bike Share is one of LA Metro's multiple public transportation options for Angelenos and visitors to get around. Metro Bike Share is a fast, easy, and fun way to ride, anytime. Get a bike from any Metro Bike Share station, go for a ride, and properly return it. It’s easy — just like riding a bike!