Los Angeles, CA
Angels Flight Railway
4.5· 3,610 Google reviews
Trip at a Glance
Source checked 2026-08-14- TypeHistoric two-car funicular linking Grand Central Market and Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles
- LocationLos Angeles, CA
- Rating4.5 ★3,610 Google reviews
- Tickets & faresOrdinary rides are walk-up. The operator does not publish timed reservations or a standard advance-ticket checkout; buy at the railway.
About Angels Flight Railway
Angels Flight Railway is a working funicular and Los Angeles landmark, not a long scenic excursion. Its two counterbalanced orange cars, Olivet and Sinai, travel opposite one another on a shared cable over a 298-foot alignment between 351 South Hill Street and California Plaza at 350 South Grand Avenue. The official railway describes a 33-percent grade and daily service from 6:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. Current walk-up fare is $1.50 each way; a $3 souvenir round-trip ticket is available, while a Metro TAP card with Stored Value reduces a one-way ride to $0.75. There is no published timed-ticket or reservation system for an ordinary ride. The trip lasts less than a minute, so the real visitor value comes from using the railway as the spine of a compact Downtown Los Angeles itinerary: Grand Central Market sits across Hill Street from the lower entrance, while The Broad and other Grand Avenue institutions are a short walk from the upper station. The operator’s current site publishes no dated 2026 special-event calendar, so this guide records the recurring operating pattern instead of inventing event occurrences. Confirm hours, fare, service interruptions, payment handling, lift availability, and crowd conditions with first-party information on the day of travel.
Make the Short Ride Count
Choose the visit that fits your groupFirst-time visitors, architecture travelers, transit enthusiasts, families, and people minimizing the Bunker Hill climb
Ride one way as real transportation
Start beside Grand Central Market, ride uphill, and continue on foot to Grand Avenue rather than treating the funicular as an isolated photo stop.
Railfans, collectors, photographers, and short-stay visitors returning to Grand Central Market
Buy the souvenir round trip
The $3 published option adds a physical ticket and returns to Hill Street; a one-way TAP ride is less expensive when the journey continues uphill.
Food-focused travelers, families, groups with different tastes, and visitors building a compact lunch-and-rail plan
Begin with Grand Central Market
Use the public market across Hill Street for food, seating, restrooms, and a lower-station anchor, while checking the chosen vendor’s own hours.
Art and architecture visitors with at least 90 minutes beyond the railway ride
Continue to The Broad
The free contemporary-art museum is a short uphill walk from the upper station, but timed entry, construction routing, and Infinity Mirror Room rules need advance planning.
Railfans, transit riders, architecture visitors, and travelers arriving by Amtrak, Metrolink, or Metro
Add Union Station as the train-first side trip
Los Angeles Union Station is a living intercity and regional rail terminal with historic architecture, free docent tours on selected dates, and multiple transit connections.
Current Operating Status
Official operating information
Daily walk-up funicular service · 6:45 a.m.–10 p.m. · $1.50 each way · check same-day status
Schedule information was checked against the linked official source. Dates, availability, and operating conditions can change. Check official operating status ↗
Plan Your Visit
- ParkingThe railway does not publish dedicated visitor parking. Grand Central Market and The Broad publish separate paid garages; Downtown traffic, construction, rates, and availability vary.
- AccessibilityThe historic cars have narrow aisles and were not designed for wheelchair access. The operator says provisions can be made from the upper station onto a modified Sinai platform; alert the station operator on arrival.
- WeatherThe route is outdoors and the platforms are exposed. Heat, rain, wind, wet surfaces, maintenance, or other conditions can affect comfort or operation.
- RestroomsNo railway-specific public-restroom statement is published. Use a planned nearby stop rather than assuming either historic station has a restroom.
- Route298 feet between the lower entrance at 351 South Hill Street and the upper station at California Plaza, 350 South Grand Avenue, on a roughly 33-percent grade.
- Ride TimeThe one-way journey is less than a minute. Allow about 15–30 minutes for a walk-up round trip, payment, boarding, photographs, and variable waits.
- HoursThe operator currently publishes daily hours of 6:45 a.m.–10 p.m. Temporary maintenance, testing, emergency, crowd, or weather interruptions remain possible.
- Fare$1.50 each way, or $3 for a souvenir round-trip ticket. A Metro TAP card with Stored Value receives a $0.75 one-way fare.
- TicketsOrdinary rides are walk-up. The operator does not publish timed reservations or a standard advance-ticket checkout; buy at the railway.
- Tap CardThe half-price fare requires a Metro TAP card loaded with Stored Value. A collector card by itself is not proof of usable fare value.
- StationsLower: 351 South Hill Street, across from Grand Central Market. Upper: California Plaza, 350 South Grand Avenue.
- Service AnimalsDogs are not allowed except properly licensed service animals, according to the operator’s current FAQ. Contact the railway about a specific boarding need.
- ContactCall 213-626-1901 or email info@angelsflight.org. The official site contains a stray shortened phone number in one sidebar, so this guide uses the complete number on its contact page and footer.
Find the Depot
The Trains
Angels Flight uses two named funicular cars, Olivet and Sinai. In a funicular, the cars move in opposite directions and counterbalance one another through a shared cable system rather than operating as independent streetcars. The current line is 298 feet long and climbs an approximately 33-percent grade. The cars and visual identity are historic, but the operating system is not frozen in 1901: after the 2001 accident and the 2013 derailment, drive, control, braking, carrier, evacuation, and other safety elements were redesigned or upgraded. The California Public Utilities Commission reports that Angels Flight completed its scheduled seven-year control-system test in fall 2024, replaced safety and haul cables as routine maintenance, underwent a 2025 triennial audit, and remains under state safety oversight. Visitors should not infer the present system from a historic photograph, and no image guarantees which car, platform, wait, capacity, or service condition will apply.
History
The railway opened on December 31 after construction began that August.
Bunker Hill redevelopment closed and dismantled the original alignment; the cars entered storage.
The rebuilt railway reopened half a block south of its original location on February 24.
Angels Flight was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
A fatal accident closed the line and led to major drive, control, braking, and safety work.
Passenger service resumed after system refurbishment and state review.
A derailment triggered another extended closure and additional safety changes.
Angels Flight officially resumed passenger service on August 31 under a long-term operating agreement.
The railway completed its scheduled control-system test and routine cable replacements.
The California Public Utilities Commission conducted the latest triennial safety and security review.
See full history
Colonel James Ward Eddy received approval and began building the Los Angeles Incline Railway in 1901; Angels Flight opened on December 31 that year and carried more than 2,000 people on opening day. The railway originally stood beside the Third Street Tunnel and linked Hill and Olive Streets. Its station house and Hill Street arch were added in the first decade, and the Angels Flight name became formal under a later owner. The City of Los Angeles acquired the line during Bunker Hill redevelopment, closed it in 1969, and placed its cars and surviving pieces in storage. After 27 years, a rebuilt railway opened on February 24, 1996, half a block south of the original alignment. The railway entered the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. A fatal 2001 accident produced a long closure and major system redesign; passenger service resumed in 2010. A 2013 derailment led to another extended closure, followed by a 2017 rehabilitation, new safety work, and a 30-year operating and maintenance agreement led by ACS Infrastructure with SENER. Passenger service officially resumed on August 31, 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Angels Flight ride?
Less than a minute each way over a 298-foot alignment. Allow roughly 15–30 minutes for payment, boarding, a round trip, photos, and variable waits.
What are the current hours?
The operator currently publishes daily hours of 6:45 a.m.–10 p.m. Check same-day status because temporary interruptions can occur.
How much does Angels Flight cost?
$1.50 one way, $3 for a souvenir round-trip ticket, or $0.75 one way with a Metro TAP card loaded with Stored Value.
Can I reserve a timed ticket?
No ordinary timed-ticket or reservation system is published. Angels Flight is a walk-up transit ride.
Where are the two stations?
The lower entrance is 351 South Hill Street across from Grand Central Market. The upper station is at California Plaza, 350 South Grand Avenue.
Is Angels Flight wheelchair accessible?
The narrow historic cars were not designed for wheelchairs, but the operator says provisions can be made from the upper station onto a modified Sinai platform. Ask the station operator for assistance.
Are dogs allowed?
The operator says dogs are not allowed except properly licensed service animals.
Is there dedicated parking?
No dedicated railway parking is published. Grand Central Market and The Broad each publish separate paid garages, and Downtown conditions can change.
Is Grand Central Market part of Angels Flight?
No. It is a separate public market across Hill Street from the lower entrance and is the most useful nearby food stop.
Can I walk to The Broad from the upper station?
Yes. It is roughly 0.3 walking mile, but current construction routing and timed museum entry should be checked before the trip.
Is Los Angeles Union Station close enough to combine?
Yes as a deliberate transit or walking add-on, not as part of the one-minute ride. It is roughly 1.2 miles from the lower station and deserves its own visit time.
Is the current railway the original 1901 system?
The cars and landmark identity are historic, but the line was rebuilt in a new nearby location in 1996 and its drive, control, braking, evacuation, and safety systems have undergone major later work.
Sources & Verification
Source-checked August 14, 2026. This free profile has not yet been claimed or confirmed by the operator.
- Official Operations page for station addresses, daily hours, current fares, TAP Stored Value discount, ticket books, phone, and email
- Official FAQ for hours, upper-station wheelchair provisions, narrow historic cars, and service-animal exception
- Official contact page for the complete 213-626-1901 number, email, and lower-station address
- Official location page for the separate Hill Street and California Plaza station addresses
- Official current history page for opening, ownership, 1969 storage, 1996 return, 2013 closure, 2017 safety work, and current operator arrangement
- Official railway explainer for the 298-foot funicular, counterbalanced cars Olivet and Sinai, and landmark context
- Official public-private-partnership account for the 298-foot line, 33-percent grade, 2017 modernization, and long-term operating agreement
- California Public Utilities Commission 2025 state-safety-oversight report for control testing, cable replacement, plans, monitoring, and triennial review
- California Public Utilities Commission review schedule confirming Angels Flight’s 2025 safety and security reviews and 2028 next review
- Los Angeles Conservancy landmark record for location history, preservation, designations, two-car operation, and major closure periods
