Angel’s Flight is a landmark funicular railway in Downtown Los Angeles that has two cars: Sinai and Olivet. The self-proclaimed “shortest railway in the world” has a storied history in Los Angeles and even though it is not the original location, it still uses the original cars. For 50 cents a trip you can take this one block ride from Hill St to California Plaza, definitely a fun little adventure for the whole family.The original Angel’s Flight was built-in 1901 and ran for two blocks from Hill to Olive St. As one car ascended, the other descended, carried down by gravity. An archway labeled “Angels Flight” greeted passengers on the Hill Street entrance, and this name became the official name of the railway in 1912 when the Funding Company of California purchased the railway from its founders.When the city underwent redevelopment in 1969 the railway was taken apart and put in storage. After 27 years in storage, the funicular was rebuilt and reopened on February 24, 1996 a half block south of the original site where it is still in use today.I loved riding this little railway, mostly because it was such a fun piece of history and it’s great that it’s actually still in use. We boarded from the bottom and simply waited about 3 minutes for the ride to start.What I really liked about this ride was the design of the old train car, it is unique in that it has stairs going up the entire middle as well as staired seating up the side. It almost feels like you are riding on the grandfather of the modern-day escalator.

After having to huff and puff up the steep steps of Bunker Hill, Los Angeles pedestrians can relax now that the historic funicular railway, Angels Flight, will be reopening by Labor Day 2017. Established in 1901, the Angels Flight railway has carried millions of Angelenos up and down the steep incline of Bunker Hill. Though the 315-foot trip only lasts thirty seconds, it is believed that Angels Flight has carried more passengers per mile than any other railway in the world, making it not only the shortest in length, but also the most traveled.Despite its popularity, the Angels Flight line has faced its fair share of setbacks. The original railway was forced to close in 1969 as the surrounding area faced heavy commercialization. The famous orange trolley carts were kept in storage for twenty-seven years until the line reopened in 1996 - this time, just half a block south from the original site.For the most part, the railway suffered few technical malfunctions until 2001, when a serious accident killed one passenger and seriously injured a few others. The National Transportation Safety Board deemed a “design failure” as the cause, and the historic line remained closed for the following nine years.It reopened to much fanfare in March 2010 and then shut back down after a minor derailment in 2013 and has been shuttered ever since, falling victim to vandals.Today, the counterbalanced cars, named Olivet and Sinai, are being repaired and restored to their original state. Update June 2017: Construction scaffolding is up and the stations and cars are being repainted. Angels Flight Railway will officially reopen by Labor Day 2017.

The historic Angels Flight Railway connects the Metro Red and Purple Line subway station at Pershing Square with California Plaza, The Watercourt, and Grand Avenue at the top of Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles. Put Angels Flight Railway on your schedule, and learn what else deserves a visit by using our Los Angeles online day trip planner.

Angels Flight is a landmark 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It has two funicular cars, Olivet and Sinai, running in opposite directions on a shared cable, on the 298 feet long inclined railway.The funicular has operated on two different sites, using the same cars and station elements. The original Angels Flight location, with tracks connecting Hill Street and Olive Street, operated from 1901 until it was closed in 1969, when its site was cleared for redevelopment. The second Angels Flight location opened one half block south of the original location in 1996, with tracks connecting Hill Street and California Plaza. It was shut down in 2001, following a fatal accident, and took nine years to commence operations again.

Angels Flight is a landmark funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It has two funicular cars: Sinai and Olivet.The funicular has operated on two different sites, using the same cars and iconic station elements. The original Angels Flight location, with tracks connecting Hill Street and Olive Street, operated from 1901 until it was closed in 1969, when its site was cleared for redevelopment. The second Angels Flight location opened nearby to the south in 1996, with tracks connecting Hill Street and California Plaza. It was re-closed in 2001, after a fatal accident, and took nine years to commence operations again, on March 15, 2010.It has been running safely since, except for another closure from June 10, 2011 to July 5, 2011, with 50 cents the cost of a one-way ride. Reconstruction After 27 years in storage, the funicular was rebuilt and reopened on February 24, 1996 a half block south of the original site. Although the original cars, Sinai and Olivet, were used, a new track and haulage system was designed and built, a redesign which had unfortunate consequences five years later. As rebuilt, the funicular was 91 meters long on an approximately 33-percent grade. Car movement was controlled by an operator inside the upper station house, who was responsible for visually determining that the track and vehicles were clear for movement, closing the platform gates, starting the cars moving, monitoring the operation of the funicular cars, observing car stops at both stations, and collecting fares from passengers. The cars themselves did not carry any staff members.Angels Flight was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 13, 2000. Reopening And Temporary Closing Angels Flight reopened to the public for riding on March 15, 2010. The local media covered the event with positive interest.Only a month after re-opening, Angels' Flight had had over 59,000 riders.Today it connects the Historic Core and Broadway commercial district with the hilltop Bunker Hill California Plaza urban park and the Museum Of Contemporary Art - MOCA. The cost of a one-way ride is currently 50 cents, 25 cents with TAP card.On June 10, 2011, the California Public Utilities Commission ordered Angels Flight to immediately cease operations due to wear on the steel wheels on the two cars. Inspectors determined that their 15-year-old wheels needed replacing.It reopened on July 5, 2011 after eight new custom-made steel wheels were installed on the two cars.