L.A. State Historic Park

Play the L.A. River is a come-one-come-all project by the arts collective Project 51 -- a collective of L.A. River-loving artists, designers, planners, writers, educators -- that invites Angelenos to explore, enjoy, reclaim, and reimagine the mighty L.A. River as a grand civic space that can green and connect our communities.

CARD: 7 of Downtown

SITE: Baker Street + Aurora Street, Los Angeles 90012

AKA "The Cornfield," it's gone from the pueblo's ag field to a huge rail yard to a major urban park. The river's past, present, and future in 32 acres.

After years of struggle, community members and official fought against a warehouse development to make this 32-acre, former rail yard into a park. Situated between Chinatown and Lincoln Heights, the site had been earmarked for a park by the Olmsted Plan, which called for a network of green spaces all connected by the L.A. River. So it's fitting that the park will be home to La Noria, an art installation/water wheel that will mimic the water systems of early Los Angeles, to be created by artist Lauren Bon, who had earlier turned the parcel into "Not a Cornfield," from which the nickname "The Cornfield" came. Currently under construction for renovations and completion, the park is slated to be finished sometime this year -- almost 15 years after the idea for the park was approved.

How do you play the L.A. River at L.A. State Historic Park? Tell us here.