Downey offers several distinct points of interest for a stay: space education at the Columbia Memorial Space Center, a house with a distinctive architectural history, historical collections and recurring markets in Downtown. When planning your trip, it is therefore worth first considering whether you are more interested in science, architecture and local history, or in regular market days. These highlights give the destination a clear profile.
Space and Science
The Columbia Memorial Space Center is an interactive learning center for science education, with a focus on space science. It is also home to the only Challenger Learning Center in the greater Los Angeles area. Its educational focus and regional distinction make space a clearly recognizable theme in Downey. If you are planning your trip around a specific interest, this focus offers a different way to experience the city than its architectural history or markets.
Architecture and Local History
Casa de Parley Johnson is a two-story Monterey-style residence. Renowned architect Roland Coate designed and built it in 1927. The house’s form, style and year of construction give the building a precise architectural profile; the architect’s name is as much a part of its history as its Monterey architecture. This makes it possible to explore Downey’s architectural history through a specific building.
The Downey History Center is located in Apollo Park and is operated by the Downey Historical Society. The society holds photographs, newspapers, official city documents, maps, film reels, photographic slides, and academic and nonacademic books. The collection ranges from visual and film sources to written and cartographic materials. Members of the public conducting research generally have access to most collections. At the same time, the society asks them to become contributing members and thereby help preserve the collections for future researchers. This access relates to working with the collections and is distinct from a general visitor offering.
Market Days in Downtown Downey
Downtown Downey is considered a pedestrian-friendly place to live, work and enjoy leisure time. Recurring events there include the Farmers Market and night markets. The Farmers Market takes place every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It offers fruit, vegetables and other goods from local farmers and vendors; vendors and goods may change. The night markets take place on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. They feature food, drinks, various vendors and entertainment for all ages; this offering may also change.
The two market events differ mainly in their frequency: the Farmers Market is a weekly Saturday event, while the night markets take place twice a month on a Thursday. Check the dates and offerings before your trip if you want to plan your stay around them. This lets you include a market visit as a distinct focus in your plans, rather than assuming a fixed date.
If you are looking for a hotel in Downey, you can start by deciding what will shape your stay: space education, architecture and local history, or a visit during market days. This way, you can base your search on the destination’s actual themes and decide which of them will be most important for your trip.
Discover more destinations: Glendale, Westlake Village, Azusa, Arcadia, Cudahy, Signal Hill, Claremont, Valencia
For the broader travel overview: Los Angeles.
