Dozens of artists have exhibited their works inside the charming little former Richfield gas station in Glendale. The 1936 Streamline Moderne creampuff sits in the center of Adams Square Mini Park, built almost two decades ago after the land was purchased by the city and turned into parkland with the vintage filling station as the centerpiece. A “Make Art in the Park” series and annual events around the holidays activate the restored landmark. The project may be the only instance of a municipally-owned vintage gas station being repurposed into an art park anywhere in the U.S.
The Adams Hill Neighborhood Association is throwing the station a 90th birthday party on June 27 from 2-5 p.m. with food trucks, a bookmobile and fun stuff for kids. The art of Mandy Palasik is on display inside and blooms are blooming all through the park.
The vast majority of historic gas stations were wiped out in regular remodels sponsored by the gas companies over the decades. A few Southern California survivors live on hidden under signage and remodels as tire shops or garages, but a few have been celebrated with new life as official landmarks and neighborhood hangouts. We even found one Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument that still sells gasoline.
Adams Square Mini Park in GlendaleCredit: Photo by Arlene Vidor
Adams Square Mini Park
1020 E Palmer Ave, Glendale
The Historic Richfield Oil Company Gas Station lies in the center of this charming neighborhood, playing host to the summer Arts Festival, Pride events, bike meetups and rotating art exhibits inside.
https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/2145829/adams-square-mini-park
The Cub House
2510 Mission St., San Marino
The 1948 Weddle’s Richfield has been repurposed, somewhat ironically, as a bike hangout and plant nursery. There’s espresso, car and bike shows and cycling apparel for sale.
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Chevron Station
110 South Barrington Ave., Brentwood
Brentwood residents banded together to get this 1938 Spanish Colonial Revival station declared a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1988. It is the only station on this list still selling gasoline, but today the service bays house Anthony’s Flowers, a luxury florist.
Starbucks on Highland Ave. in HollywoodCredit: Photo by Junkyardsparkle/Wikipedia
Starbucks
859 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood
In addition to the Original Farmers Market, the Gilmore family also ran the Gilmore Oil Company and built this “Red Lion” brand station in 1935. The Streamline Moderne station suffered decades of indignities, surviving a long closure, vandalism and car accidents, until being restored by Starbucks and winning the Los Angeles Conservancy preservation award in 2018.
https://visitpalmsprings.com/plan/visitor-center
Palm Springs Visitors Center
2901 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs
One of the only midcentury service stations to be on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1965 hyperbolic paraboloid roof stretches almost to the ground and reaches for outer space. Architect Albert Frey designed the station in 1965 and the group trying to save it 30 years later kickstarted the historic preservation movement in Palm Springs. Since 2003, it has housed the visitors center and functioned as the gateway to the desert resorts.
Afters Ice Cream
1265 E Green St, Pasadena
Those sweet vintage Texaco Sky Chief pumps are still there, but where cars once filled up on fuel, ice cream lovers now fill up with sweet treats at picnic benches. A charming little survivor from 1929 and the only one serving up unique sweets like French Toast Churro and Peanut Butter Smores under the 1929 canopy. Declared a historic property in the City of Pasadena since 2008.
Palm Springs Visitors CenterCredit: Photo by Bryanb7/Wikipedia
Palm Springs Visitors Center
2901 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs
One of the only midcentury service stations to be on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1965 hyperbolic paraboloid roof stretches almost to the ground and reaches for outer space. Architect Albert Frey designed the station in 1965 and the group trying to save it 30 years later kickstarted the historic preservation movement in Palm Springs. Since 2003, it has housed the visitors center and functioned as the gateway to the desert resorts.
Scott Prentice Architects
507 Entrada Drive, Santa Monica
Unless you are commissioning architect Scott Prentice to create a custom home for you, chances are you will not be visiting Historic-Cultural Monument #800 built in 1922, now a private office. “It’s almost out of Andy Griffith and Mayberry, from another era,” Quentin Fleming of the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association told the New York Times in 2005 when the building was endangered. “On a cold, rainy night, when you’re driving up the canyon and you see the glow of the gas pumps, it literally welcomes you home with open arms. It’s like a lighthouse.” What had been the oldest continuously operating service station in L.A. closed in 2004 but was later restored.
https://scottprenticearchitects.com
Omo Mercado
259B E Arrow Hwy, Upland
The sleek lines of the original building shine through in this contemporary natural wine bar and bottle shop that takes full advantage of the indoor-outdoor nature of the space. With DJs, a night market and rooms for private parties, this unique remix of a vintage station feels like a 1930s car with a high-powered EV motor under the hood.
Cucamonga Service StationCredit: Photo by Ron Reiring/Flickr
Cucamonga Service Station
9670 Foothill Blvd., Cucamonga
From Thursday through Sunday, visitors looking for an authentic piece of old Route 66, swarm this 111-year-old survivor. A non-profit called Route 66 Inland Empire California raised funds to bring it dressed as a typical station of the 1930s or 40s. Their next goal is to expand by rebuilding the original service garage in the back.
Runabout Goods
721 S Shamrock Ave., Monrovia
Monrovia’s Flying A Station on the original alignment of Route 66 is nearly as old as the mother road itself. Opened in 1927, the space is currently being restored by Mike Hodis of Runabout Goods, as a showroom for the men’s apparel brand, famous for old-fashioned denim and outdoors wear. The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently kicked in $10,000 to help fund concrete work, landscaping and a trio of vintage Flying A pumps returning to the front of the station. Next door, a corner market has been reimagined as Fred’s, a special events venue decked out with a diner and classic car collection.
Clark’s Station
305 South Main St, Orange
This survivor, built in 1927 by Fritz J. Christiansen and Carl Emerson Grow, features a ski-slope roof and a teensy tiny flower shop. The adorable florist, recently joined by a drive-thru pizza truck, is a couple of blocks from the incredible California art collection of the Hilbert Museum and a few blocks from the antiques of Old Towne Orange.
Royal Lobster
4450 Beverly Blvd., Koreatown
A building surrounded by smooth speed lines, this teensy former World War II-era Richfield Station was reimagined as a gourmet lobster roll spot in 2021. The red neon “Lobster” signs hung on the canopy draw the eye as much as the Richfield eagle that beckoned generations earlier.
Ronnie’s in Altadena in 1978Credit: Photo by John Margolies/Library of Congress
Mad Lab Coffee
2012 N. Lake Ave., Altadena
Owner Andrew Sinclair signed the lease on this streamline station one day before the devastating Altadena fire last year with the idea of turning the popular movie location called Ronnie’s Automotive Service (Transformers, The Love Bug, Dodgeball) into a gourmet coffee house. He’s still committed to bringing his Downtown-based specialty coffee roaster to the station.