Shotgun House Tour

Our 1897 Shotgun House was adaptively reused as a Preservation Resource Center for the community. Photo: FormLA Landscaping

The Shotgun House at 2520 Second Street is many things—an authentic piece of Ocean Park’s history, a LEED Gold example of adaptive reuse, and the hub of the Conservancy’s newest events and programs, designed to deliver a shared experience of place and to activate our little house as a local cultural commons.

The Shotgun House is open for free, in-person tours on the second and fourth Saturday and Sunday of each month. Check our calendar for schedule updates.

More About the Shotgun House

Built in 1897, the little house features three original rooms where you can explore Santa Monica history and learn about heritage conservation. Look behind the walls and the floor to reveal vintage materials, and see if you can find the one original window in the Shotgun House. Young guests will also enjoy the miniature model house decorated with Victorian-era furnishings that were popular when our shotgun house was first built!

The front and side elevations of the restored shotgun house with surrounding native plant garden and front sign reading, preservation resource center at the shotgun house.

Photo: Stephen Schafer

Our friendly and knowledgeable docents will share information about what life was like in the early 1900s, how the house was saved and rehabilitated, and answer any questions you may have.

Walk-ups are welcome and reservations are not required.

A Preservation Resource Center

The Shotgun House also operates as an educational resource for community members of all ages.  Discover practical, user-friendly information about historic resources in Santa Monica as well as the methods and benefits of preservation.
Are you a local property owner who needs help with landmarking and/or other various preservation concerns? The Preservation Resource Center is here for you! Just email us at info@smconservancy.org and we’ll put you in touch with someone who can help.

Our award-winning Shotgun House is the last intact shotgun house in Santa Monica. It serves as a model for adaptive reuse and showcases an important piece of Santa Monica’s history. This little house has achieved remarkable things! Since opening in 2016, it has welcomed and educated thousands of visitors, earned LEED Gold certification for its green building strategies, and has received several awards:

Among the Center’s sustainable features is the  Shotgun House Coastal Garden, which is completely organic, filled with drought-resistant native plants, and cleanses storm water and dry weather runoff.