Sepulveda House051

Senora Eloisa Martinez de Sepulveda built this wonderful Eastlake style Victorian house in 1887, near the site of the pueblo where the original colonists, los pobladores, settled one-hundred years earlier.

It now houses the Visitors' Center for El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, and it's the perfect place for tourists to pick up maps, guidebooks and souvenirs, before venturing out onto the lively Olvera Street outdoor market.

Inside the Center is an informal theater, where visitors can view, for free and by request, an eighteen-minute video on the history of the original settlement.

Be sure to walk through the shop and into the back, where two-and-a-half rooms of Senora Sepulveda's original house have been restored and furnished. The kitchen, complete with an antique stove and a curled up cat, is where the Senora cooked for her boarding house guests. Her beautifully wall-papered bedroom is also on view. And peek under the stairs for a glimpse of a tiny pantry to see authentic utensils and tools.