Spring Has Sprung

For L.A. history buffs, this Sunday's Los Angeles Conservancy event sounds fantastic: A chance to roam around the long-shuttered El Dorado Hotel, sneak a peak at some new lofts in some classic buildings, and a chance to closely examine the old Alexandria Hotel.

Spring on Spring (this Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) will allow attendees ($30; $25 for Conservancy members) a chance to peek inside several historic landmarks on Spring Street, once known as Los Angeles' "Wall Street of the West."

According to the Conservancy's website, the tour includes stops inside:

:: Immense bank vaults being converted into a hip new downtown watering hole beneath the 1911 Los Angeles Trust and Savings Bank building).

:: The 1913 El Dorado Hotel, closed to the public and preserved exactly as it was in its heyday.

:: Brand-new lofts in the century-old Douglas Building and 1924 Mercantile Arcade building.

:: The 1906 Alexandria Hotel, Los Angeles’ premier hotel at the turn of the 20th century, featuring the 196-foot Palm Court with a spectacular stained-glass ceiling.

:: The Globe Lobby in the 1935 Los Angeles Times building, with 10-foot-high murals by Hugo Ballin that were covered for nearly 30 years.