Bright lights, big city – that’s LA today. But what if you could see what it was like around 1848, after the U.S. acquired Los Angeles and the rest of California from Mexico following the end of the Mexican-American War?

You’ll get to do just that during the Community Dinner at Heritage Square Museum, where you’ll explore the everyday lives of Southern Californians from the end of the 19th century to the early part of the 20th century – and enjoy a delicious dinner al fresco (under the stars)!

Located 10 minutes from downtown LA, Heritage Square Museum is the “living history” of the settlement and development of Southern California during its first 100 years of statehood. The museum includes eight historic structures from the Victorian Era that were saved from demolition. From the simplicity of the Longfellow-Hastings House, a historic octagon house, to the magnificent William Perry Mansion – home of a prominent businessman and lumber baron and the museum’s largest structure –period-dressed interpreters will guide you through this unique look at the architecture and lifestyles of the people who contributed to the development of modern Los Angeles.

And while you dine under the beautiful Angeleno skies, you’ll enjoy a movie about the period and the museum, and learn even more during a question and answer session.

Upswell’s Community Dinners offer changemakers a chance to get out of the hotel, sit down over a meal with first-time acquaintances, leave with brand-new friends, and experience firsthand how bonding over food and mission might lead to an innovative solution.

To sign up for this Community Dinner, check the box beside Heritage Square Museum when you register for Upswell.