The Watts Towers in South Los Angeles is the embodiment of dedication and belief in one’s childhood dreams.
Last updated: July 17, 2025
A Childhood Dream
There is a custom in Italy. On a specific day, all towns get filled with parades carrying pointed wooden towers covered with paper. It’s a beautiful sight, moreover a big celebration for all locals. The event is accompanied with lots of laughter and chatter.
One Italian boy was storing the images of the pointed towers in his heart throughout all his childhood. Every detail of the stunning structures was leaving a mental imprint in his mind. These images were so vivid that many years later, the boy, now a grown man, incorporated them in his passion work. And this unprecedented artwork has become known as the Watts Towers of Simon Rodia, a California State Historic Park and a hidden gem in South Los Angeles.
Simon Rodia’s Vision
Simon or Sam Rodia immigrated to the US from Italy at the age of 15. For some time he lived and worked in Pennsylvania. After his brother died in a mining accident, Sam moved to the West Coast. During this time Rodia traveled quite a bit and did odd jobs.
Sadly, the future creator of the Watts Towers started drinking a lot. While he was still able to manage his jobs, Simon’s family life collapsed. Shortly after divorcing and leaving his wife and three children, he moved to Long Beach and later settled in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Here Rodia bought a small piece of land.
The life of a construction worker didn’t content the Italian immigrant.
“I had in my mind I’m gonna do something, something big.”And Simon did just that. He spent the next 33 years working on this creation. Keeping his day job and devoting evening, weekends, and holidays to his creation, Simon used only simple tools and no machinery. He called his towers Nuestro Pueblo, which means “our town” in Italian.
The Watts Towers in South Los Angeles
The Watts Towers in South Los Angeles consists of 17 interconnected towers, structures, and sculptures. Different in sizes and designs, the towers bring to life Simon’s vision and dedication to his work of art.
Unskilled in this type of construction, Rodia used steel rebar and concrete wrapped with wire mesh to increase the firmness of his towers. For decoration, he utilized recycled china fragments, used bottles, broken mirror pieces, seashells, and other materials.
Simon Rodia never got any help in building the Watts Towers. This childhood dream came to life thanks to the hard work and effort of one person, the visioner himself.
Struggle to Exist
In 1954 at the age of 75, Simon Rodia made a decision to leave Watts. Health problems along with the realization of his lonely life pushed the creator of the Watts Towers to reunite with his sister in Martinez, California. Before abandoning his masterpiece, Rodia deeded the property to one of his neighbors.
Two years later, Simon’s house got on fire due to an accident on the Fourth of July. After the incident, fearing the instability of the famous by then structure, the City of Los Angeles ordered the demolition of the Watts Towers. Local communities fired back to protect the unique structure.
Even Hollywood got involved in the preservation of this artwork. In 1959, actor Nicholas King and film editor William Cartwright acquired the property.
1959 was a turning point in the Watts Towers’ life. The supporters of the towers created the Committee for Simon Rodia’s Towers in Watts. Later that year, they convinced the government to allow an engineering test to estimate the safety of the structure. The test was successful. It eliminated all concerns and gave a green light to the existence of the Watts Towers.
In 1990, the Rodia’s Towers in Watts were recognized as a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark.
Visit the Watts Towers
Address: 1727 E 107th St, Los Angeles, CA 90002
You can visit the Watts Towers only during guided tours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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