The Hobbit's House is just a cute house to see if you are in the area. It is not a must stop. The house actually has an owner and there is an apartment there. It was built by a former artist for Disney Studios and the builder, Lawrence Joseph worked on all of it for decades. There are adorable cottages and a view from the street is super. I think some of it may be occupied, I am not sure, so I did not venture far, just the front and back yard and stopped when I saw what looked like an apartment building. It is an LA Historical Landmark and just so cute. It is near Sony pictures. It almost looks like you are walking into a movie set. There is a great garden and a pond and it really does look like a Hobbit house. We were not there long, maybe 15 minutes and did not need to be. So, if you have 15 minutes and want to see a super cool house go take a peek. read more

When in LA on a rainy bank holiday (dramatically less traffic) do what Angelenos do! See the sights!! These are people's homes aka the Lawrence and Martha Joseph Residence and Apartments, commonly known as the "Hobbit Houses," located in Culver City, California. The structures were designed and built by Lawrence Joseph, a former artist for Walt Disney Studios, starting in the 1940s and continuing construction for decades. Now surrounded by high rises it is difficult to land a parking spot but worth it to get a closer look. For a moment imagine yourself on a walk through emerald green grass & fields of wildflowers. And then look up & see these enchanting cottages. read more

See all

It's like a hidden middle earth oasis surrounded by homogenous architectures, across the street from the Sony Pictures Lot in Culver City. The unique housing project know as the Hobbit House has fulfilled the curiosity of the Lord of the Rings vibes, which made me feel like walking into a movie set and not an apartment complex. I think it's worth a visit if you happen to be nearby, be mindful and don't distribute residents who actually live there. read more

See all

Such an incredibly unique dining experience. Fabulous place with an otherworldly ambiance, delicious food and great service.

After watching the lord of the rings this Christmas with my kids we decided to yelp LOTR and see if anything was close by we could extend the adventure with and we stumbled on the hobbit house! It was great taking a little trip there although very very busy in the heart of a lot of action with Sony and we work right there but nevertheless kids loved it and thought it was great read more

Not a whole lot to see, but we definitely enjoyed the diversion. It really has an amazing surreal look and we felt a little bad taking pictures given that people actually live there. I have never heard about this place and it was pretty humorous seeing this Lord of the Rings looking housing complex with a new Audi in the driveway and a giant big screen TV box by the garage. Guess Bilbo Baggins needs his Netflix too. read more

See all

**August 2021 Visit** What a cool and unexpected attraction! It's nested between modern industrial buildings. For something fun and free to do I think this is a cool spot to hit up especially if you're a Lord of the Rings fan. *Note: People do actually live here, so be kind, but I think they're use to people coming to photograph their place as I think the owner actually offered to help take photos for me lol read more

A pretty cool stop to see and take a pic in front of, but also kind of awkward because it's someone's house so we just stood by the sidewalk. Just fyi it's hard to find parking anywhere. You might have to park on the street a block over. read more

The Hobbit's House - Local Flavor Near Me - Culver City, California

If your flight is delayed and you want to do something (besides having a snack), you may want to come here and take a look! I arrived at LAX on time and found out that my flight was delayed by 2.5 hours. I quickly called my friend, Alana, and she circled back around to the airport to pick me up again! After visiting a coffee shop, we still had some time to spend together, so she brought me here to the Hobbit's House! PARKING: There was free and easy street parking across from the house. There were metered stalls right in front of the house. VERDICT: It's a cool place to visit! Look for the little waterfall, live turtles, squirrel sculpture, and ceramic turtle! There's also a fisherman, so be quiet and he will let you play with his friendly cat! NOTE: this is a registered Cultural-Historic Monument of the City of Los Angeles! TIP: it's available for rent! read more

See all

OMG! In the middle of a street of modern buildings, the house makes you travel in the Hobbit's land! They did really a good work! It is worth to take a picture in this spot. read more

See all

Cutest and most interesting house I've come across my entire time in Los Angeles. This little Hobbit House is in the middle of Culver City, right next to a developed building--what looks like a new apartment complex. I was around the area (Baldwin Hills Overlook) and decided to visit this little place. Parking was available as its only street parking. It looks like someone actually resides at this place so I made sure I was respectful of them and their property and stood right along the sidewalk. It's a beautiful to admire and whoever lives there is pretty lucky as it's definitely a one-of-a-kind home. I wouldn't necessarily drive out of the way for this, but definitely something to check out if you're ever in the area. read more

See all

Fun Facts: Lawrence (Disney Artist) and Martha Joseph Residence and Apartments Historic-Cultural Monument No. 624. These cottages were built from 1946 to 1970. Location/Parking: Located in Old town Culver City. As for parking, there are "no parking signs". I encourage ya'll to break the rules for a quick selfie/picture sesh. Ambiance/Decor: Brings you back to the times when hobbit's inhabited this world we live in.... And yes..... be fun and pretend you're Samwise! The cottage is beautiful! These structures are built for fairytales (sweeping shingled roofs, diamond-paned windows, and clinker-brick chimneys)! There's also koi ponds, red ear sliders basking in the sun, and a resident cat that roams around. He/she will meow and lie on his/her wanting to be petted. Don't be alarmed! The cat is quite friendly! Tip: Be respect to the grounds, believe it or not.... there are people that actually reside here. Rent: If you want to impress your date or throw a party, this place (three apartments) that can be a great place (two-bedroom, one-bathroom appartment) to rent. Downside is you'll have to pay $2,595 (Most likely per month). Check for availability. Pictures: For more pictures of the interior of the cottage, you can check out the this article http://la.curbed.com/2014/12/1/10016674/rent-the-main-house-at-culver-citys-adorable-hobbit-complex Adventure For Thought: Go visit the SHIRE! :) read more

See all

Over the meadow & through the woods to.... a hobbit house? It's a strange & unexpected sight in the heart of Culver City. I first came upon the house at random, years ago when I lived in the neighborhood. Before the days of Waze, I would try any alternate route to dodge the typically gridlocked section of Venice at rush-hour. So one day I turned on Dunn St.... then hit the brakes & needed to reverse. What the heck is that? Hobbit House is one of those fun secrets of LA. Would I drive out of my way to come here? Never. But if I'm passing through with out-of-towners in the car, I'll swing by just to blow their minds a little. read more

The Hobbit's House - Hobbit House, historical cultural monument #624 - Local Flavor Near Me - Culver City, California

Skip it. I'm slamming it and calling it lame. If you make the trek here you'll be chasing a fantasy that this place is super cool. But as it turns out.. Look, it is what it is. A house that's actually a bit rundown unlike the pics you see in the Yelp reviews. We came. We saw. We got bored. The college party dudes who live here were standing outside one of the homes smoking away probably laughing at us wondering what mystical book led us to come here. I mean, yeah, the houses are cute and all. The roofs are round and the windows are cutesy and the street is stoney. But after one look you are done are ready to leave. The best thing you'll enjoy is watching the turtles hang out in the pond. And what was with the gross beat-up couch sitting in front of the smoker dude's unit? Totally ghetto. Way to keep it classy. Just keep the hobbit house a cool fantasy. In your head. Where it belongs. I'll never recommend to a fellow yelper that this is worth it. read more

The Hobbit's House - Local Flavor Near Me - Culver City, California

See all

I don't think many people know about this place, but I drove by the Hobbit's House in March 2015, while I was in LA, and decided to stop by and visit the place. Of course you can't go inside, since people actually live there, but you're welcome to take photos of the house itself from the outside. :) You have to park on the street, or use a small parking lot nearby. Make sure you don't get towed! haha... The house is incredibly outrageous in terms of decor. It does seem like a house they would make for a movie set or something, or straight out of "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. More photos here: https://ourwelltraveledlife.wordpress.com/2015/04/01/fantasy-homes-in-los-angeles/ read more

The Hobbit's House - Hobbit's House! - Local Flavor Near Me - Culver City, California

While showing my cousin around town, we decided to stop by to intrigue our inner nerd. Let me get this first off my chest: I felt like I was intruding. I know some reviews on here say it's fine, but I felt like such a creeper! People currently are residing there (hence the beautifully placed Prius in the picture). But I have to say, this is one architecturally cool looking house. I happened to be able to pull into the metered parking right in front of the house and spent maybe a total of 5 minutes taking barely any photos. But it was definitely the perfect quick stop before my cousin headed back home. read more

See all

Ah yes, the Hobbit House! It's beautiful to see this cherished architecture and admire the sweeping curves and angles of the homes there. And of course, check out the turtles! The thing is, people live there and it IS private property. Best thing to do when you're checking it out is to admire it from the sidewalk. Taking a stroll down the driveway is a tad intrusive for the people living there. They don't walk down your driveway so please be respectful of their unique home and take as many pictures of the place from the sidewalk. And to those who criticize how the people there live, no one is criticizing where fellow Yelpers live so be respectful of the way those in the Hobbit House live and their privacy. And check it out on the LA Conservancy website for more info. read more

Little more than a stone's throw from Sony Studios is this series of fantastical houses and apartments, on Dunn Drive, designed by one-time Disney artist Joseph Lawrence. The Hobbit Houses, officially known as the Lawrence and Martha Joseph Residence and Apartments Historic-Cultural Monument No. 624, are these charming little structures that were built from 1946 to 1970. A couple of green ponds lie in front of the two cottages that face the street, groups of turtles are sunning themselves beside the water. As we stood on the sidewalk, staring in awe of the houses (specifically the gorgeous chimney on the shorter structure), an SUV pulled up and a short woman with an In-N-Out bag and drink climbed out and headed toward the rear apartments. "You can come into the yard, if you want," she said with a smile. We walked up the cobble stone-like brick driveway just to get a better look at the place. Where the Spadena/Witch House in Beverly Hills looks so pristine yet uninhabited, like a movie set or Disney attraction, the Hobbit House is more rustic, hearty, and lived in. You can see and hear someone in the building with the rounded-off roof, watching TV. Neighbors in the back are talking and packing up their cars to go somewhere. Cars are parked on the driveway and you can see the pumps for the algae-infested ponds and watch turtles disappear into the murky water. read more

See all

You've got to love the whimsical fun of this property! Thanks to the prior reviewers who gave us all the nice history & details, I bookmarked it for whenever we'd be in the area. I'll just chime in on what a neighborhood treasure The Hobbit's House(s) is! read more

The Hobbit's House - Local Flavor Near Me - Culver City, California

See all

We stopped by since we were staying in an Airbnb 5 minutes away. It is definitely not worth driving across town unless you are a die hard Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit fan. I thought it was really cool for great photos. The house is surrounded by apartments and modern buildings so it definitely stands out. read more

Maybe this was a great place in the past but going today was a major let down. I left one star generally for the architecture of the home but other than that putting it bluntly it's just a run down house with occupants who can careless about their surroundings. The pond was dark green with some turtles swimming around & by the front door were beer cans & beer bottles, cigarette butts...It was pretty gross & kind of sad. The house itself is quite amazing & I just kept imagining what the inside looked like but it's truly unfortunate that the people who live here could careless about how it looks. I wouldn't go out of your way to come here, it will for sure be a let down, however if you are in the area stop by for yourself & check it out. I actually thought some old man lived here or something but as I read other reviews it appears that it's some college guys! They definitely live like slobs. read more

The Hobbit's House - Local Flavor Near Me - Culver City, California

See all

Yes people live here. No it has nothing to do with the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. I drove by here because I randomly came across all the Yelp reviews for "the Hobbit's House." Some of the other reviewers did a great job highlighting the history and the architecture of this place; I do recommend reading them for your own entertainment. However, I think reading all the Yelp reviews built up a sort of magical expectation for what this place will look like. And sure, it is neat. Nevertheless, it still feels weird intruding on people's property since this is a regular residential area with very regular folks driving regular cars and living regular lives. I think if you live on the West side of LA, it may be fun to drive by and take some photos but this is not one of those places where you should make a trip across town to explore or even spend more than 30 minutes walking around. I was in and out of there in 15 minutes! read more

If you are into architecture this is the place to visit. This is definitely a stop to see if you are in the neighborhood for a quick 10-15 minute stop. A nice picture! Don't get too carried away and go into the yard... Keep in mind people live there and in the back. No one said anything to us to check out the historical decree and the turtles (from behind the gate). This place reminds you of being at theme park and leaves you wanting more... Who lives in there? What does the inside look like? Wish they could post pictures and put them outside for curious people like myself. If you google Storybook Houses you will be able to get some history on the famous apartments for the industry. It is right behind Sony Pictures lot... Well on a small street behind. It's a small street and you have to find parking on the street. It's hard to see all of it and the rest of the apartments, but you can still see a great deal of the front. read more

See all

We were passing by this area so checked it out. Cute little Hm looks like it came out of a fairytale. Reminded me of homes in Scotland. We just checked it out from outside. Thanks yelpers. read more

I first heard about the storybook houses in the LA Times and have been wanting to see them for awhile. From the article, "'Storybook houses are an outgrowth of the blurred line of fantasy and reality that is particular to Los Angeles," says Trudi Sandmeier, a preservationist at the Los Angeles Conservancy. The style pops up across the country, she notes, but nowhere did it attain the popularity it enjoyed in L.A." Christine A's review is pretty awesome so I recommend reading her review for more history about this house. I couldn't believe that this storybook house was just tucked away in Culver City. Not going to lie, my bf and I totally played shire music in the car before we took off to find this place lol. Anyways, I wish I could've gone inside to look around some more as the driveway was open and inviting, but my bf didn't want me to trespass. Little did he know that the other storybook house in Beverly Hills was the one where "no trespassing" signs were posted everywhere. A guy riding his moped had just pulled in to the driveway too, but alas the opportunity to ask him some questions had escaped me as when I finally decided not to listen to my bf, the moped guy had disappeared. It's worth a quick pit stop if you're in the area for sure, but I think the name of this storybook house is a bit deceiving. Not enough greenery surrounding the place and I feel like it needs a circle door. Not sure if there were any turtles in Middle Earth either. ;P read more

Did you know that there are a series of beautiful and fantastical houses in Los Angeles? If you look close enough you will find them and be transported into fairy tales! The Hobbit House is one of these homes and it is truly a sight to see. I was really disappointed that that we couldn't go in but you have to understand that people actually live in these homes! You can actually rent them and live in your own personal hobbit house. Very cool in my opinion. Anyways, there are a couple of ponds in the front that holds turtles which are very cute to look at. Behind these ponds are cottages that are stunning to look at. They have the kind of roof and chimneys that you read about in story books! You can sort of peak in through the windows and honestly even the furniture looks like something from a movie set. The whole place is pretty magical down to the cobble stone drive way and the rounded, old fashioned looking windows. I'm determined to find the other homes now in Los Angeles! The only down side is that you have to find parking to view this house and it is hard to find in this area but well worth a visit. 4/5 read more

The hobbit house is basically like any other house except for the cool architecture, I was expecting to be swept away in imagination upon arriving there but was met with no such luck. The initial vibe of seeing the house is somewhat exhilarating but after a few minutes and a couple of pics the mystical lore wears off. Overall it's an ok experience I wouldn't go out of my way to see it, I suggest if your already in the area you should stop by for some quick flicks... read more

See all

Pretty neat place to visit. I've lived in LA for 10 years now and didn't even know this was here! It's tucked away in a side street in West LA. read more

Now we love California design and architecture just as much as the next Angeleno - give us a Spanish-style bungalow any day of the week - but when we heard there was a real life HOBBIT'S HOUSE in the middle of Culver City, we had to go check it out. These "storybook houses," as they are called, were popular in the early part of the 20th century, and only a few are left standing in LA. This particular compound was built by a former Walt Disney illustrator, and its tallest ceilings are 20 feet high. We half-expected Bilbo Baggins to open the door at any moment! read more

The main house is now listed on Craigslist for sublet/lease. $2595/month. What a great deal for such a unique piece of L.A. architectural history, and in a great location to boot! read more

Not too far from downtown Culver City, this is a great detour to impress visitors with. I would only take the detour if you are already in the neighborhood of Palms or Culver City and thus in walking distance of these apartments. It was hysterically *great* to see a Prius parked in the driveway of the front house. read more

I live across the street from it. I see it everyday and I wish I didn't. It's an uncomfortable eye sore :/

I'm giving it 5 stars because it was a nice surprise to run into this place. i grew up near the "witch's house" in BH. I had heard there was a similar house in culver city. imagine my surprise when I was on a walk and there it was before me... i had parked a couple blocks away from a medical building I was visiting and there it was... one of those places that you are happy to see remains in a city where lots of old things disappear. read more