Presbyterian Conference Grounds
1922

15601 Sunset Boulevard

North Temescal Canyon Road at Sunset Boulevard.

This site once belonged to the Methodists and was the site of the yearly Chautauqua meetings and performances, which were a part of the cultural ‘Uplift Movement” for the common man at the turn of the century.

The site includes many historic structures, including the Temescal Camp Store, Woodland Hall, Stewart Hall, several original wood cabins, several later stucco cabins, and a number of residential buildings. Additional features of the park include stone steps and retaining walls, picnic areas, restroom buildings, surface parking lots, hiking trails, and mature natural landscaping. 

Significant as the site of the original Chautauqua Conference Grounds, established by Methodist minister Rev. Dr. Charles Holmes Scott, founder of Pacific Palisades. The site was established as a West Coast center for the Chautauqua Movement. The Chautauqua Movement originated on the East Coast near Chautauqua Lake in New York State, and was a means for people living in rural or isolated areas to have access to art, music, culture, history, and current events. The structures developed by Rev. Dr. Scott were built in 1922. In 1943, the land was purchased by the Presbyterian Synod and used as a private retreat location. In 1994, the land was acquired by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy for use as a public park. Today, the site is operated by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks as Temescal Gateway Park and Temescal Canyon Conference & Retreat Center. Many historic structures remain in use today. 

SurveyLA – La Historic Resource Survey