Start your Los Angeles adventure by gathering helpful information and soaking up some fascinating local history. This California Welcome Center—set inside the Citadel Outlets retail mall—offers travel-friendly freebies as well as excellent shopping and a surprising backstory.
In many ways, this welcome center, located minutes from Downtown Los Angeles and the Los Angeles International Airport, is typical of the 20-plus California Welcome Centers across the Golden State. For starters, you can pick up a wide range of free guides, maps, and brochures (and sometimes discounts) for attractions in L.A. and the rest of California. Next, you can chat with the friendly staffers who have local tips on things to do and places to eat, then browse the fun California souvenirs, ranging from classic postcards to locally made crafts and goodies. Be sure to pick up free copies of the California Visitor’s Guide and California Road Trips too.
Soak up history at this unique outlet mall
Visiting this California Welcome Center offers the obvious perk of outlet shopping, but the Citadel Outlets has an interesting ambience, too, which you’ll sense as soon as you arrive. The imposing building was built as a tire factory in the 1920s, designed by the same architects who created the landmark El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.
During the 1920s, architecture that evoked ancient history was in vogue, thanks in part to archeological discoveries at the time such as King Tut’s tomb and King Sargon’s palace in Assyria. That’s the likely reason, at least, that the Samson Tire & Rubber Company was built in 1928 to look like an Assyrian castle, adorned with battlements and winged genies. Today you can see little triangular etchings of cuneiform on the exterior walls that tell the story of King Sargon, who ruled Assyria during the eighth century B.C. The tire factory shuttered in 1978 and fell into disrepair until it found new life in the 1990s as a shopping center.
What to do at Citadel Outlets
Today, you can do some serious shopping at brands ranging from Armani to Zales and more than 130 stores in between, including Disney, Lululemon, Karl Lagerfeld, and the spirit wear at Dodger Clubhouse. Dining options include classic mall fare as well as the pizzas of Pieology and the boba teas of Lollicup Fresh.
The shopping centers provides some sweet amenities too. Lighten your load by stashing your bags at the mall’s baggage check, charge your car at the Tesla stations, or take a little downtime in the mall’s VIP Lounge that comes equipped with couches and bubbly ($30 for a day pass). To get even more savings, sign up for a free Citadel Savings Passport, which offers added discounts at various stores within the mall.
Attractions near the California Welcome Center at Citadel Outlets
Once you’ve collected your freebies at the visitors center and enjoyed a little retail therapy, you’re in a good position to start exploring. Most of Los Angeles County’s must-see attractions—such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Beverly Hills—are all within 20 miles.
There are more than 20 California Welcome Centers around the state, so it’s easy to stop in a few more during any California road trip. Each has its own focus and personality—like the art at California Welcome Center, Yucca Valley, the garlicky treats at California Welcome Center, Gilroy, and the backcountry permits at California Welcome Center, Mammoth Lakes.
