Venice Canal Historic District: What to Know Before You Visit

The Venice Canals sit in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles, a few blocks from Venice Beach. The Venice Canal Historic District is listed on both the City of Los Angeles Historic Places Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

Developer Abbot Kinney began building Venice in America in 1904, with canals, bridges and homes modeled on Venice, Italy. Six canals remain: Carroll, Linnie, Howland and Sherman run east to west, while Eastern and Grand run north to south.

Together, they stretch about one and a half miles. They are 50 feet wide and five feet deep at the center.

The neighborhood’s waterways have changed over time. By 1940, sidewalks beside the remaining canals had deteriorated and were taken out of public use. The City of Los Angeles restored the canals from 1991 to 1993, excavating them to five feet at the center, building retaining walls and constructing new sidewalks.

The Venice Canal Historic District is about 3.5 miles and a 12-minute drive from Galaxy Inn, making it a practical outing from Culver City. If you’re arranging your arrival through Los Angeles International Airport, see this guide to getting from LAX to Culver City.

Once you reach the neighborhood, the Venice Canals Association identifies several pedestrian entrances. Look for access off Pacific Avenue and Strongs Drive to the west, or along Venice and Washington Boulevards to the north and south. You can enter from more than one side, so choose the approach that fits your parking plans.

Allow at least 45 minutes to see several bridges and walk along several canals. The route passes through a residential area, not a public promenade separated from homes, so keep voices and movement considerate as you go.

The Venice Canals Association asks visitors to respect residents’ privacy, put rubbish in bins and clean up after dogs. The canal sidewalks are narrow: walk bicycles and carry skateboards rather than riding or skating along them. Photos and selfies are permitted on the bridges and beside the canals.

The canals’ water comes from Ballona Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. Don’t feed the birds. Human-powered boats, including rowboats, canoes and kayaks, are allowed, but motorized boats are not. If you’re bringing a boat, use the public launch ramp at 501 North Venice Boulevard; launching from public sidewalks is not allowed.

Boat size is restricted: a boat can be no longer than 18 feet or wider than six feet, its length plus width must not exceed 21 feet, its draft must be no more than two feet, and its maximum height above the water is 3.5 feet. Boat rentals and other commercial activities are not permitted in this residential area.

There is no visitor parking within the canals. The Venice Canals Association suggests looking for street parking around the district perimeter or using public parking lots. Build in time to park and walk to one of the canal entrances rather than expecting to drive through the neighborhood.

The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors manages 19 parking lots along the county coastline and 15 in Marina del Rey.

At its public beach and Marina del Rey lots, payment covers one vehicle and one entry for the day; reentry is not allowed. Check the official site of the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors before you go for current parking details.

As you walk, take in the changing perspectives from the bridges and the streetscape along the canals. Canal Park, also called Linnie Canal Park, is at 200 Linnie Canal. The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks lists its hours as dawn to dusk.

For a different kind of local outing during your stay, you can also browse this guide to museums in Culver City. It’s a separate destination from the canal walk, so plan it as another stop rather than assuming it lies along the same route.

Admission to the canals is free, and the Venice Canals Association says you don’t need a ticket or reservation. The canals are open to visitors year-round. For a straightforward visit, allow at least 45 minutes, choose an entrance near your parking, and walk the narrow paths with care around residents and other pedestrians.

The Venice Canals Association also sponsors recurring holiday events, including Canaloween and a July 4 rubber-duck race. Residents decorate bridges for the winter holidays and Valentine’s Day. These seasonal traditions add to the neighborhood’s calendar, but the canals themselves can be visited throughout the year.