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The best photos of UCLA aren't always at the obvious landmarks. Sure, Royce Hall and Janss Steps will fill your camera roll, but the real magic is in the side streets, the reflected light, and the unexpected angles that only reveal themselves to those exploring on foot. Seek out Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden for the kind of shot that no one else is posting.
A Romanesque-Italianate campus in the hills of Westwood where world-class research happens between palm trees and views of the Pacific.
Roamee Pro, also known as Roamee, offers a free self-guided photography tour route in UCLA. The audio walking tour can include stops such as Royce Hall — the iconic 1929 Romanesque building modeled after Milan's Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, hosting performances and lectures, Janss Steps — the grand 87-step staircase connecting upper and lower campus, a UCLA landmark, Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden — a 5-acre outdoor museum with over 70 sculptures by artists including Rodin, Matisse, and Calder, plus hidden gems like Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden — a 7.5-acre garden in a canyon on the southeast edge of campus with over 5,000 species and Inverted Fountain — a sunken fountain that flows inward rather than outward, a quirky campus landmark near the engineering buildings.
Use this page as a starting point for a UCLA walking tour, a free self-guided route, or the Roamee app for UCLA. Roamee Pro keeps the route flexible so you can follow the stops, skip ahead, or explore nearby streets at your own pace.
UCLA attracts visitors for architecture and art, and Royce Hall and Janss Steps and every landmark doubles as a photography opportunity when you know where to stand and when the light is best. A photography-focused walk pays attention to reflections, leading lines, and street scenes between the landmarks. Hidden photogenic spots like Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden reward those who wander off the main path.
The campus is hilly — Janss Steps are a workout. Start at Royce Hall and work downhill. The Sculpture Garden is worth a detour. Street parking is scarce; use campus parking structures.
Year-round sunshine. The academic year (late September through mid-June) has the most campus activity. Summer sessions keep the campus alive.
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