You’re standing on the corner of Temple and Hill Street in Downtown LA, and right beneath your feet, there’s a whole other world. It’s quiet. It’s dark. It’s a eleven-mile labyrinth of concrete and shadow that most people drive over every single day without a second thought. But if you’re looking for a los angeles underground tunnels map, you’ve probably realized that finding a "complete" one is kind of like trying to find a map of a ghost.
It's weird.
For a city so obsessed with its own history and Hollywood glitz, the stuff underneath the pavement is surprisingly well-guarded or, honestly, just forgotten. We aren't just talking about one single tunnel system. We are talking about a messy, overlapping network of Prohibition-era booze runs, abandoned equestrian paths, old utility corridors, and the skeletal remains of the Pacific Electric Railway.
The Reality of the Los Angeles Underground Tunnels Map
If you go looking for a formal, city-sanctioned los angeles underground tunnels map today, you’re going to be disappointed. The City of Los Angeles doesn't just hand out blueprints of the subterranean infrastructure to anyone with a curious mind. Mostly, that's because of security. Since the tunnels run directly under the Hall of Records, the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, and other government buildings, they aren't exactly keen on tourists wandering around with a GPS.
But we know where they are.
The most famous section is the 11-mile stretch of service tunnels. During the 1920s, these were the arteries of the city’s nightlife. While the LAPD (well, the ones who weren't on the take) patrolled the streets above, the elite of Los Angeles were scurrying beneath the surface to get to speakeasies. King Eddy Saloon, which is still standing at 5th and Main, had a basement that connected directly to these passages. You’d walk into a piano shop or a legitimate business, slip through a door, and suddenly you were in a world of jazz and gin.
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Why the Map is a Mess
The "map" is actually a collection of different eras. First, you have the old horse-and-carriage tunnels from the late 1800s. Then, you have the utility tunnels built for early electrical and telephone lines. Then come the Prohibition passages. Layered on top of all that are the decommissioned subway tunnels from the early 20th century.
Ever heard of the Belmont Tunnel? It was the gateway to the city’s first subway. Today, it’s mostly filled in or gated off, sitting behind an apartment complex. You can see the entrance, but the map of where it used to go is something you have to piece together from archival photos and old transit records. It’s a puzzle.
The Most Famous Access Point: Elevator 2
If you want to see a piece of the los angeles underground tunnels map for yourself without getting arrested, you head to the Hall of Records at 222 N. Hill St. It’s a government building, so act normal. There is a specific elevator—usually labeled as Elevator 2—that goes down to the basement.
Once you step out, the air changes. It’s cooler. It smells like old dust and damp concrete.
The walls are covered in street art, some of it dating back decades. These tunnels connect the Hall of Records to the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration. Back in the day, the county used these to move documents (and prisoners) without dealing with the midday heat or the crowds. Nowadays, they’re mostly used by city employees as a shortcut. It’s one of the few places where the "underground map" becomes a tangible, walkable reality for a civilian.
Prohibition, Booze, and the Mayor’s Secret
There is a persistent story—well, it’s more than a story, it’s a documented part of LA's corruption history—that Mayor Cryer had a secret tunnel leading from City Hall to a speakeasy.
Imagine that.
The guy in charge of enforcing the law had a private escape hatch so he could grab a drink. Most of these Prohibition-era tunnels were just basement-to-basement connections. They weren't always grand, sweeping hallways. Sometimes they were just cramped, dirt-walled crawlspaces that happened to bypass a police checkpoint.
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But there are bigger ones.
Underneath the Biltmore Hotel, there are rumors of tunnels used by celebrities to escape the paparazzi or by gangsters to move product. While the Biltmore has confirmed some of their basement history, they aren't exactly publishing a los angeles underground tunnels map in their lobby brochures. It’s all very hush-hush.
The Forgotten Subway
Before the current Metro system, LA had the "Red Cars." The Pacific Electric Railway was massive. In 1925, they opened the Hollywood Subway, which cut through the hills to bring people into Downtown.
When the system was shut down in the 50s, those tunnels didn't just vanish. They were sealed. Some were used for fallout shelters during the Cold War. If you look at an old transit los angeles underground tunnels map from 1940, you’re looking at a ghost. Many of those passages still exist, sitting empty, waiting for a construction crew to accidentally break through a wall.
Is it Legal to Explore?
Honestly? Not really.
Most of the tunnels that people want to see are technically off-limits. They are "restricted access" for a reason. There’s old wiring, poor ventilation, and the very real possibility of getting lost in a place where your cell phone won't work. The city has spent a lot of money gating off the most popular entry points because people kept getting hurt or, worse, spray-painting historical landmarks.
If you’re caught in the restricted zones under the Civic Center, you aren't just trespassing on private property; you’re trespassing on government property. That’s a whole different level of headache.
How to "See" the Tunnels Today
Since you can't just download a PDF of a los angeles underground tunnels map and go hiking, you have to be a bit more creative.
- The Library of Congress Records: They have architectural drawings of old LA that show the original utility and transit tunnels. It’s the closest you’ll get to an official map.
- The Los Angeles Conservancy: They sometimes host walking tours that touch on the history of the tunnels. While they don't usually take you into the restricted areas, they know the locations of the hidden doors.
- The 2nd Street Tunnel: This isn't "secret"—it’s a massive car tunnel—but it’s the most filmed tunnel in the world. It’s also a reminder of how much of LA is built into the landscape rather than just on top of it.
- Cartwheel Art: This group used to do deep-dive tours of the underground, focusing on the gritty history. Check their archives or current listings for specialized urban exploration talks.
The Infrastructure Reality
We have to talk about the boring stuff for a second because it’s why the tunnels exist. LA’s soil is weird. It’s a mix of sand, clay, and tar. Building underground in a seismic zone is a nightmare.
That’s why the los angeles underground tunnels map is so disconnected. You can’t just have one giant basement for the whole city. You have to have reinforced pockets. When the Metro started digging the Purple Line extension recently, they kept hitting things. Fossils, old pipes, and yes, remnants of old tunnels.
Every time they dig, they find something that wasn't on the official map. That should tell you something about how organized the records are.
Practical Steps for History Buffs
If you’re genuinely fascinated by the subterranean side of the city, don't just go prying open manhole covers. That’s a fast track to a bad Saturday night. Instead, do this:
- Visit the King Eddy Saloon: Go to the basement if they’ll let you. Look at the brickwork. You can see where the old doors used to be. It’s the most "tangible" Prohibition history left.
- Walk the Civic Center Tunnels: Enter the Hall of Records during business hours. Take the elevator down. Walk the brightly lit sections. It’s legal, it’s free, and it’s creepy in all the right ways.
- Search the "Zanja Madre" (Mother Ditch): This was the city's original water system from the 1780s. Parts of these brick-lined tunnels were uncovered during the construction of the Gold Line. You can see portions of it preserved at the Olvera Street area and the Los Angeles State Historic Park.
- Check Archival Maps: Use the UCLA Digital Library or the LAPL (Los Angeles Public Library) map collections. Search for "Subway Terminal Building" and "Pacific Electric" to see where the old tracks ran.
The los angeles underground tunnels map isn't a single document. It’s a layers-of-an-onion situation. It’s a map of who we used to be—a city of bootleggers, transit visionaries, and bureaucrats who just wanted a shortcut to lunch.
The Actionable Insight
Next time you’re in DTLA, look for the vent grates on the sidewalk. Listen. You can sometimes hear the hum of the city’s "lungs" down there. If you want to explore, start with the public access points like the Hall of Records or the remnants of the Zanja Madre. Respect the gates. The history is fascinating, but it’s mostly buried for a reason. Stick to the documented paths, and you’ll find that the "hidden" city is actually hiding in plain sight.
For a deeper dive, your best bet is to look into the works of local historians like Kim Cooper and Nathan Marsak. They’ve spent years documenting the "Esotouric" side of LA, including the bits that happen below the curb. They don't just provide a los angeles underground tunnels map; they provide the context that makes the map worth reading.
The tunnels are there. They’re cold, they’re silent, and they’re waiting. Just bring a flashlight and a healthy respect for the "No Trespassing" signs.