Although the spire-topped 73-story Wilshire Grand Tower is technically LA's tallest building by architectural height, the 1018ft US Bank Tower remains the city's tallest building to roof height. Destroyed by aliens in Independence Day and by a mega-quake in San Andreas, the skyscraper is home to the OUE Skyspace LA, a multilevel observation deck offering a spectacular 360-degree view of the city, hills, ocean and (in winter) snowcapped mountains.

Despite Hollywood's penchant for toppling the building, the US Bank Tower is actually one tough cookie, designed to withstand earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 8.4 on the Richter scale.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Bunker Hill Steps

0.02 MILES

The US Bank Tower abuts the Bunker Hill Steps, a cheesy set-piece staircase (there's an escalator, too) that links 5th St with the Wells Fargo Center and…

2. Wells Fargo Center

0.13 MILES

Featuring two granite polygonal skyscrapers connected by a three-story atrium, this 1983 office complex is the work of renowned Chicago architecture firm…

3. California Plaza

0.18 MILES

MOCA Grand is dwarfed by the soaring California Plaza office towers. The outdoor water-court amphitheater is host to Grand Performances, which is one of…

4. Pershing Square

0.22 MILES

LA’s first public park in 1866, Pershing Sq is now a postmodern concrete patch enlivened by public art, summer concerts and a holiday-season ice rink…

5. MOCA Grand

0.29 MILES

MOCA's superlative art collection focuses mainly on works created from the 1940s to the present. There's no shortage of luminaries, among them Mark Rothko…

6. Broad

0.32 MILES

From the instant it opened in September 2015, the Broad (rhymes with 'road') became a must-visit for contemporary-art fans. It houses the world-class…

7. Los Angeles Theatre

0.34 MILES

Designed by celebrated theater designer S Charles Lee, this 1931 jewel was the last major movie palace to be built in Downtown. A breathtaking swansong,…

8. Million Dollar Theatre

0.36 MILES

The first theater built by Sid Grauman of Chinese Theatre and Egyptian Theatre fame. While the top floors were designed by Albert Carey Martin Sr (co…