Spotting murals and street art have become a huge trend nowadays. Instagrammers, content creators and artists showcase their finds on social media on a constant basis.
However, the appeal of this type of art goes beyond those work lines. For example, I am not on any of those fields but enjoy going on a street art hunt once in a while. It helps me to discover in depth what a neighborhood offers.
Los Angeles is plagued with murals. In my opinion, it is not easy to digest a guide for “murals around the city.” I believe a good guide needs to be more targeted.
That is why I have dedicated this piece to Venice Beach Graffiti, Murals and Street Art. Venice is the place to visit if you want to fill your memory card with tremendous pictures!
Table of Contents
Venice Beach Graffiti, Murals and Street Art
The majority of people who talk about murals in Venice Beach refer to what you will find in Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Those are great but there is much, much more to see.
Get prepared since I emptied all my knowledge about this topic on this guide. I going into details on where to find the best murals and street art in Venice Beach.
Lincoln Boulevard
Lincoln Boulevard is one of the places where you are going to find a large number of murals and wall art.
My recommendation is to explore the corridor between Washington Boulevard and Rose Avenue by foot. Park near the intersection of Washington and Lincoln, walk one side, cross the street close to Rose and explore the other side of the street.
This walk is about 1 mile each (2 miles round trip). If you do not want to walk, you can drive around and stop when you see a mural. This is a more challenging option since Lincoln seems to be always busy and it may be difficult to find parking.
Here are some examples of what you can find in the area:
A building at the corner of Lincoln and Elm Street (houses Lincoln Tattoo Company and Del Rey Customs) is painted with white roses over a black background.
Helen’s Cycles (2472 Lincoln Boulevard)
Big wings on one side of Barry’s Bootcamp
Baby Blues BBQ (444 Lincoln Boulevard)
Around Lincoln and Sunset Avenue
Floyds 99 Barbershop (609 Lincoln Boulevard)
“Silent Star Spoke Louder Than Words” by Christina Angelina, Easeone, and Sekcess
“Resurrection of Angel” by Findac. You may need to enter The Venice Love Shack (2121 Lincoln Boulevard) property to capture this mural properly.
This elephant mural is on the side of “Resurrection of Angel.”
This mammoth mural is inside The Venice Love Shack’s property. You may need to ask for permission before photographing.
Other Works:
Rose Avenue
There are some pieces of colorful art scattered around Rose Avenue. I would say you should concentrate on the part between Rennie Avenue and Main Street. Even if you do not spot a lot of murals, this is a really nice area explore.
Here are some examples of what you can see:
Detour: Ballerina Clown
At the corner of Rose Avenue and Main Street, you are going to find one of Venice’s landmarks, Ballerina Clown, a figure created by Jonathan Borofsky. The figure was designed to move its right leg perpetually (like a ballerina). Movement stopped in 1989 (due to noise complaints) and came back for its 25th anniversary in 2014.
Nowadays, the statue is in a bit of disrepair (and there is no movement) but it continues to be one of Venice’s mainstays.
Rose Avenue & Pacific Avenue
There is a cluster of murals on the intersection of Rose and Pacific.
Main Street
There is another cluster of murals, graffiti and walls on Main Street and Horizon Street. In this area, there are a lot of works by Jules Muck, the Mural Queen of Venice Beach. Muck’s works usually have the “Muck Rocks” phrase on them.
You need to walk along Horizon to see some murals. They are not necessarily visible from Main Street.
Detour: Binoculars
One of the most peculiar works of arts in Venice is “Binoculars” by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. This giant object adorns the entrance to a building designed by Frank Gehry and currently occupied by Google.
Make sure to stop by to witness this unique spot. Exact address: 340 Main Street.
Pacific Avenue and Market Street
There are several interesting pieces around this intersection. Among the works, you will find a mural dedicated to Muhammed Ali and Jack Herer. There is another piece called “Gorilla.”
Detour: Venice Sign
On the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Windward Avenue, you are going to find the famous “Venice” sign.
What we have today is a replica of the one installed in 1905 by Abbot Kinney (Venice of America developer). Believe it or not, the Venice Chamber of Commerce holds the trademark for the sign.
Make you take your photo with one of the artifacts that celebrates the area past and present. Please be careful when trying to snap a picture. Instagram is full of photos of people in the middle of the street with the sign in the background. This is a very busy intersection. Use caution and do not interfere with traffic.
Abbot Kinney Boulevard
This is the granddaddy in terms of murals in the area. There is a mural at almost every intersection of Abbot Kinney Boulevard.
If you are short on time and want to leave with some nice pictures, you should stop by here. You will be able to get tons of cool pics without much effort.
You do not need a guide to explore the murals. Just start walking and the magic will start. For those of you who are not locals, you should concentrate on the block between Venice Boulevard and Westminster Avenue. That is where all the action happens anyway.
Here is a sample of what you can find:
“Grizzly Bears Once Walked on Venice Beach” by Eric Junker
Louis Masai mural in support of urban wildlife
Tristan Eaton mural honoring Rob Stewart, an underwater filmmaker and conservationist
“Innocent Wonder” by Clinton Bopp
“Bear Witness” by Greg Mike
Love Wall by jkgolderown. The colors and shapes in this wall change a lot.
Love bEerto Mural
Jules Muck Mural. These look like some sort of totems.
Dog Town Mural by Jaber and Never
Rag & Bone by Alex Yanes
Roosterfish
Other Works in Abbot Kinney Boulevard
Venice Boulevard and Ocean Front Walk
You will find nice works when walking through Venice Boulevard towards the beach.
The Boardwalk
The Boardwalk is another gem for those who want to spot murals and street art.
You will find the following works in here:
- Jim Morrison Wall Mural
- Arnold Schwarzenegger Mural
- Venice Kinesis (a play on Sandro Boticelli’s Venus)
- Venice Beach Chorus Line
- An interpretation of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”
- Endangered Species
Plus, there are some houses whose designs change once in a while.
Venice Public Art Walls
This is an area where you can see art for free or see an artist at work (during weekends). Artists are granted permits online or in person (on-site).
The walls are located of the boardwalk between the skate park and the basketball courts.
Street Art Recommendations
- To spot street art, make sure you look in front of you, behind you, above you and even, at the floor. You may be walking in the direction against the mural, plus, sometimes they are in the least expected spaces.
- This works of art may be transient. A mural can be painted or replaced in a matter of days. What you see today, may not exist tomorrow.
- The same goes with vandalism (not sure if that is the correct word to use on this case). A mural can be damaged at any moment.
- Try to pay attention to your surroundings while spotting or photographing street art.
More of Los Angeles
- Find out how to spend one fun-filled day in Los Angeles
- Get inspiration by reading my Los Angeles Ultimate Bucket List
- 20 Reasons to Love Los Angeles
- Redondo Beach Pier: What to Do, See and Eat
- Palos Verdes Hikes and Trails
- Things to do in Hermosa Beach
More of Southern California
Have you experienced Venice Beach graffiti, murals and street art?
If you enjoyed this post, remember to share!
Pine for later!
Jill Chapman says
I can see why you targeted one distinct area like Venice Beach. It has plenty of street art to cover. I tend to like the more colorful ones. But they are all interesting, aren’t they?
Kelly says
I think my favorite piece is the ape! There’s so much more since I was there about a year ago, looks like I need to visit again!
Christina says
I just love Venice & the artistic flare. I didn’t even see this many murals but looks like you captured them all beautifully 🙂
Odette says
This is amazing, I especially love the big wings one. Street art is one of my fave things to see when exploring a city, it can be so hidden and so diverse, like you’ll turn a corner and find a whole new and different piece of art! Have you ever been to the East Side Gallery in Berlin? That still must be one of my fave places for street art to see! Thanks for sharing.
Madhu says
I just love street art. Thanks for sharing the detailed guide and those beautiful pics.i am so tempted to visit and explore them
Nailah says
As an LA girl, I’ve seen a few of these murals but most are new to me. Will have to go check out your suggestions. Also, learned some cool facts like the original Venice Beach sign going back to 1905. Definitely didn’t know that. Thank you!
Hannah says
This place looks awesome! I love street art and how it is always changing to reflect the vibe of the city. Thanks for sharing!
Rio says
What a great post. I read one recently on street art in Venice beach but they didn’t give any of the street names. Will be saving this list so when we visit next month we’ll know exactly where to go. Thanks for sharing!