Compton, California

Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum

This museum honors the first Spanish land grant in California which is still in the hands of the original owner's family.

This museum documents a key piece of the richly intertwined histories of California, Spain, and Mexico.

The land on which the museum stands was originally part of the Rancho San Pedro Land Grant, the first Spanish land grant in California. The grant was originally given to Juan Jose Dominguez, a retired Spanish soldier who had accompanied both the Portola and the Serra expeditions. The land grant included 75,000 acres which included all of the Los Angeles Harbor. The family refused to sell the land throughout the years, choosing instead to lease the property, and eventually, the land was passed down to Juan Jose Dominguez’s great nephew, Manuel Dominguez.

The museum is located in a rancho-style house that is surrounded by a topiary and rose garden. Inside the site has a number of pieces of the family’s antique furniture and housewares from the time of the grant. There are also a number of informational plaques to alert visitors to the importance of the site. Thanks to regional museums such as the Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum, America’s rich history of immigration and multi-cultural evolution lives on.

Know Before You Go

From their website:

"From the 91W, take the Alameda off ramp (you will be on Artesia) and at the first light turn right (the road curves down to the light), which is the Alameda exit. Turn right at the Alameda light. After turning right on Alameda, pass Manville road, slow down and the entrance is less than 500 yards on the right side of Alameda.

From the 91E, take the Alameda exit and turn right at the light. After turning right on Alameda, pass Manville road, slow down and the entrance is less than 500 yards on the right side of Alameda.

From the 405N, take the Alameda exit and turn right on Alameda. Stay on Alameda going north passing Carson street, Del Amo street. The entrance to the museum is on the left side of Alameda.

From the 405S, take the Alameda exit and turn right onto 223rd. The next light is Alameda and turn left. Turn right on Alameda and stay on Alameda going north passing Carson street, Del Amo street. The entrance to the museum is on the left side of Alameda."

Visit California with
Atlas Obscura Trips

L.A. Science Weekend: Natural History and Space

May 10—May 12, 2019

Join New York Times Journeys and Atlas Obscura for three days of scientific learning in Los Angeles, focused on natural history and zoology or space and aviation. This two-track program includes talks, exclusive visits and special access to scientists and venues to get up close to everything from telescopes and taxidermy to dinosaur skeletons and space artifacts.

Learn More »