Philosophical Research Society

A Scholar’s Dream in Los Feliz

Walk through the terra cotta archway at 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard and you enter a space frozen somewhere between 1934 and now. The Philosophical Research Society campus sits at the corner of Los Feliz and Griffith Park Boulevard, its clay-colored Mayan Revival buildings standing as one of LA’s more unusual architectural statements. Robert Stacy-Judd designed the complex specifically to house Manly P. Hall’s growing collection of esoteric books and artifacts. The result feels more like stumbling into a private scholar’s estate than visiting a typical museum or library.

The two-story library anchors the campus. Glass-fronted cabinets line the walls, protecting thousands of rare volumes on subjects you won’t find grouped together anywhere else: alchemy, ancient Egyptian religion, Rosicrucianism, Tibetan Buddhism, Hermeticism. Some books date back to before 1800. Others document 20th century spiritual movements that bloomed and faded in Southern California. The Library of Congress considered the collection valuable enough during World War II to request microfilm copies in case of bombing.

This is a research library, not a lending library. You can’t check books out. But you can spend hours reading at the wooden tables, surrounded by statues of buddhas and antiquarian art. The staff knows the collection and can point you toward relevant sections if you’re researching a specific topic.

What Happens Here

Events fill most evenings and many afternoons. The calendar swings from academic lectures on mythology to experimental film screenings to crystal bowl sound baths. Recent offerings included a Rumi poetry discussion, a magic lantern show, and performances by local musicians. Most tickets run $15-30. The 90-seat auditorium books quickly for popular events.

The bookstore operates during library hours, stocking current editions of Hall’s books alongside works on tarot, astrology, world religions, and philosophical texts. Many visitors discover PRS through “The Secret Teachings of All Ages,” Hall’s 1928 encyclopedia of symbolic philosophy that remains in print. Used books sometimes turn up for a few dollars.

The Hansell Gallery mounts rotating art exhibitions that interpret wisdom traditions through contemporary visual art. Past shows featured Ukrainian collage artists, installation pieces about earth remediation, and paintings exploring metaphysical themes.

The Founder’s Legacy

Manly P. Hall started lecturing on philosophy and mysticism as a teenager after moving to Los Angeles from Canada. He spent years traveling the world, buying rare books at European auction houses and building relationships with scholars and mystics. PRS became his permanent home for these collections and a base for his work writing, teaching, and publishing.

Hall wrote over 150 books before his death in 1990. He befriended surrealist photographer William Mortensen and actor Bela Lugosi. He married Charles Bukowski and Linda Lee Beighle in 1985. Marianne Williamson gave early “Course in Miracles” talks here in the 1980s. Musician Korla Pandit played the Hammond organ in the auditorium. The space attracted people at the intersection of LA’s arts, counterculture, and spiritual communities.

Visiting Practically

The library and bookstore open Tuesday through Friday from noon to 6pm. You can browse freely. Library access requires no membership or fee, though they welcome donations. Guided tours happen monthly for a suggested $15 donation, covering the buildings, collections, and history.

Parking is limited but manageable. The front lot off Los Feliz Boulevard fits maybe 15 cars. Street parking works after 7pm on Los Feliz or anytime on Griffith Park Boulevard (watch for street cleaning restrictions Wednesday and Friday afternoons). Three ADA parking spaces serve the campus. The library, auditorium, and bookstore are wheelchair accessible via ramps from the courtyard. The upstairs lecture room has stairs only.

Plan an hour if you’re just browsing the library and bookstore. Add time for events. The space encourages lingering. You might find yourself absorbed in a 19th century alchemical manuscript or drawn into conversation with a regular who’s been coming for decades. PRS doesn’t push any particular belief system. The vibe is exploratory rather than evangelical.

This isn’t a mainstream tourist stop. You won’t find tour buses or gift shop tchotchkes. What you will find is a functioning repository of knowledge that takes human spiritual curiosity seriously, preserved in buildings that deserve landmark status, run by people who genuinely care about making wisdom traditions accessible to anyone willing to look.