SOUTH SEAS HOUSE

History:

The South Seas House has stood in the Historic West Adams District for more than 100 years. Originally Built in 1902 by Los Angeles music patron Joseph DuPuy, the two-story house is a combination of several styles-- Victorian, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Craftsman, to name a few. The house has intrigued generations with its sharply peaked Polynesian-style gables (unlike any other constructed in that era), arroyo stone pillars, clapboard outer walls and triangular attic vents. Experts say it was one of Los Angeles' first tropical-themed houses, the precursor to the exotically eclectic architecture of the 1920s.

Joseph Dupuy died in 1922 and over the next 50 years a succession of owners took care of the house. In the 1970's however, the City of Los Angeles purchased the home for a street widening project that fell through. By the 1990's the house was empty except for squatters who vandalized the place and scavenged everything from doorknobs to banisters.

The South Seas House was brought back to life through the efforts of local community members after years of neglect and the doors were re-opened in June of 2003. It is operated by the City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks and has been revitalized as a recreation and community center and serves the community with programs for both children and adults. While it is not your typical recreation center, we do offer Day camp programs, computer classes, after school programs, tutoring and small private functions.

General Information: South Seas House is on the corner of Arlington and 24^th Street. Our special features include: Picnic Area, Playground, outdoor basketball courts (one full court and one half court), and Exercise Equipment. There is one picnic area with 6 tables and 2 built-in barbeques available for reservation only. The recreation building will be open during facility hours only, and will be locked at all other times. Groups may not exceed 100 people. NO jumpers, grills or other extra equipment not pre-approved by the recreation center. Our staff, instructors, and volunteers offer a variety of programs and activities for the community. Art classes, day camp programs, sports classes/programs, and dance and fitness activities are all available. For questions and concerns please call 323.373.9483 or email the park at rap.southseashouse@lacity.org.

Program Registration:

To find a list of our programs: Please visit LAParks.org to see all programs currently offered throughout the City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks. You can also access available programs directly at the South Seas House webpage by typing the following URL in your web browser: URL: https://www.laparks.org/reccenter/south-seas-house

On your desktop: To see the programs currently offered by South Seas House Community Center:

1. Click   “Facilities” icon located across the middle of your desktop screen
2. Scroll down through the list of parks and click the “South Seas House” icon.
3.  When you reach the screen that shows the picture of the South Seas House, click the “Register Now” icon.
4. This will lead you to a list of all programs currently being offered at South Seas House Community Center. If you have an account, please sign in and to proceed with the registration process.

On your phone: To see the programs currently offered by South Seas House Community Center: 1.    Click the menu icon (three horizontal bars) and click the “Activity Registration” icon

 2.  On the next screen, click the sign in button and input your username and password to open      your account.

To create an account:

Click the “Sign In” icon and then click the “Don’t have account? Sign Up Now” icon. Input all necessary information to create your account and sign in. 

Class Registration Information: Our current class information is available online (see above). Please call (323) 373- 9483 or email at for more information. Most classes run 6-10 weeks, unless otherwise stated. Students must meet class age requirements by the date of enrollment. Staff reserves the right to require proof of age at any time. Walk-In registration is welcome as long as space permits. Checks are to be made payable to “City of Los Angeles”.

Please consult with your physician before enrolling in any physically demanding class. Persons with disabilities are welcome to participate in our programs. Reasonable accommodations will be made with prior arrangements. Please notify the instructor prior to the start of class if you or your child has special needs.

Preschool Information: The South Seas House (SSH) Preschool program is located in our lovely historic facility. Children experience an enrichment based program that offers supervised play, social, cognitive and emotional interactions, organized activities, special events, and much, much more. Children will participate in circle time, music, story time, games, play and sensory table-top activities such as crafts and science. Our developmentally appropriate curriculum includes numbers, colors, shapes, name recognition and days of the week. We also offer daily enrichment classes Monday through Thursday to compliment the preschool program. Registration is determined on a first come first serve basis.

We have energetic teachers that are highly qualified and experienced in the preschool setting. We are very proud of our multicultural students and faculty and our staff to child ratio is typically 1:8 or smaller. Children must be toilet trained and able to participate without a parent or caregiver. For more information about this program, please call our office at 323-373-9483 or email at rap.southseashouse@lacity.org.

Picnic Permits: Our Pavilion picnic area is available to rent for private functions. It is equipped with 6 tables and 2 built-in barbeques available by reservation only. This area may not exceed 100 people.  Reservations must be made at least 2 weeks in advance for a small fee. There is also 3 separate picnic areas available on a first-come, first-serve basis during facility hours. These areas have 1 table and 1 built in barbeque. Grilling is only permitted at designated areas. Non permit usage may not exceed 25 people and may not have JUMPERS. Jumper usage is only for Pavilion reservations. NO grills or other equipment/ structures are allowed outside of the pavilion area without pre-approval from recreation center Director. Please note NO grilling or moon bounce structures are allowed at the park where the play structure is located.

Sports Information: We offer youth sports leagues for children 3-12 years of age, providing your child meets the age requirements. (Please see brochure for more specific information.) All games are played off-site at nearby parks and practices are held at Benny H. Potter Park, adjacent to the South Seas House.

Day Camp Information: South Seas offers day camp programs for children ages 2.8 to 12 (K-6th Grade). Camps are offered in the summer, winter, and spring based on the LAUSD school holiday breaks. Please note that we only offer Tiny Tots Day Camp during the summer.

The Park Advisory Board: Want to make a difference in your community? Want to help the South Seas House with our community events? Then this is the place to start. Please call the South Seas House at (323) 373-9483 and speak with the Director or email at rap.southseashouse@lacity.org.

Volunteers: Have a special talent or would just like to help out your community? Become a volunteer. South Seas House volunteers may help out year around with a variety of programs and events. Some examples include, coaching, Halloween, Easter, Summer Camp, After-school club and more. All volunteers must be fingerprinted. Please call the South Seas House at (323) 373-9483 or email at rap.southseashouse@lacity.org for more information.

ACTIVITY REFUND POLICY:

• A 15% fee will be assessed by the recreation center for any patron granted a refund, change, or transfer per class or sports league registration. After the first day of a session the recreation center issues a partial refund to patrons withdrawing from an activity.
• No full refunds will be issued unless a class or sports league is cancelled by the center.
• Credit or make-ups will not be given for classes missed by patrons
• There will be no prorating before the 4th week of classes, thereafter 20% will be prorated from the original class fee.
• We reserve the right to cancel/combine classes if the minimum enrollment is not met.

SPECIAL EVENTS AND HOLIDAYS

South Seas House offers the following special events: Spring Egg Hunt Event, Halloween Festival and the Holiday Showcase with Santa. Please note that our facility is closed on all city holidays.

Follow us on instagram @South_Seas_House for the latest South Seas news & activities!

THE CLASSES, PROGRAMS, AND EVENTS LISTED ON THIS WEBSITE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND OR CANCELLATION.

Class Programs

Class registration opens halfway through the prior season. Classes run between 8 to 10 weeks, or offered as a Pop-up. Class programs are offered in 4 seasons:

• Winter: January – March
• Spring: April – May
• Summer July – August
• Fall: September – November

Various class offerings for all ages from art, dance, enrichment, music, sports, clinics, fitness, nutrition, technology and more!

What to get involved?

VOLUNTEER | City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (laparks.org)