The Ebell
Women-led nonprofit organization in Hancock Park.
Address: 743 S. Lucerne Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90005
Phone number: (323) 931-1277
The Ebell of Los Angeles is a club that was formed in 1894 by Harriet Williams Russell Strong, with ideals based on the teachings of Dr. Adrian Ebell, who pioneered and taught women’s education, and arranged women’s societies. It was created to bring education and arts to women at a time when education was not accessible to most women. The Art Salon was one of the first art galleries in Los Angeles.
Since 1927, the Wilshire Ebell Theatre has hosted musical performances and lectures by world leaders and top artists.
The physical structure of The Ebell was designed and built of cast-in-place concrete by architect Sumner P. Hunt of Hunt & Burns, Architects, in the style of Mediterranean Revival. The 75,000-square-foot property includes the world-renowned, 1,300-seat Wilshire Ebell Theatre at the south end. The club’s previous location, from 1905 to 1927, was on Figueroa Street. At the time of the new building, 3,000 women were members, studying “literature, music, drama, the fine arts, travel, and many other subjects (omitting religion and politics).” Florence Yoch and Lucile Council were chosen as the landscape architects, at the insistence of the club membership, to hire a woman to design the gardens. This project was designed relatively early in their long careers, which started in 1918 and 1921 respectively. Florence had already designed gardens at Rancho Los Alamitos, Long Beach (for Florence Bixby), the Wilshire Country Club in 1920, Il Brolino – a residence in Montecito, and The Women’s Athletic Club in Los Angeles, among numerous other projects. Her partnership with Lucile Council began in 1925, and the pair continued to landscape public gardens at Occidental College and the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, as well as residences for movie moguls George Cukor, Jack Warner, and David O. Selznick. This was also prior to Florence Yoch’s involvement in the movie set design of “Gone With The Wind,” “The Good Earth” and “How Green Was My Valley,” to name a few.
Today, the Ebell of Los Angeles is a special event and wedding venue. In addition to the 1,200-seat Wilshire Ebell Theatre, the Ebell offers a courtyard garden, a stately Art Salon, and two elegant ballrooms for special events and gatherings. Whether an intimate dinner celebration for 50 or a red-carpet gala for 1,000, the Ebell of LA’s Special Event Team and Executive Chef Louis Pechan can create a remarkable experience.
The Ebell is host to the Women’s Club activities as well as special events, weddings, theatrical productions, concerts, red carpet premieres, and film productions.
The Glamour, The Elegance, The Legacy…The Ebell.