Los Angeles Spiritual Oasis

Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens: A Hidden Sanctuary in LA

Los Angeles, California, United States

By the Wicked Cool Places editors · Published Fri, Aug 28, 2026

Why it’s cool

This historic West Adams estate combines an opulent 1913 mansion with a winding stone labyrinth and tranquil gardens. It provides a rare pocket of absolute silence within the busy urban landscape of Los Angeles.

West Coast Scenic

A person walks on a circular stone labyrinth in a lush garden with a long reflecting pool and leafy trees.

Tucked away in the West Adams district, a grand Italian villa serves as an unexpected portal to tranquility. This 1913 estate once belonged to Hollywood royalty, but today it functions as a center for reflection and spiritual study.

Visitors can wander through meticulously landscaped grounds that feel worlds away from the surrounding city traffic.

Why It Stands Out

The property began as a residence for the Gausti family before legendary choreographer Busby Berkeley took ownership in 1937. Since 1974, the site has served as the base of operations for the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness.

This group, established during the 1968 New Age wave in California, restored the Renaissance-style architecture to its former glory. The region also hosts the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, another site dedicated to spiritual study.

While the organization has faced scrutiny over the years, its focus remains on the concept of Soul Transcendence. The grounds are perhaps the greatest draw for the public.

A stone labyrinth, inspired by the 13th-century design at Chartres Cathedral in France, offers a winding path for walking meditation. Covering a third of a mile in a tight, spiraling footprint, the path encourages a slow pace and internal focus.

Adjacent to the labyrinth, a Japanese-style garden provides shaded nooks and water features. These spaces are designed for reading, sitting, or simply enjoying the stillness.

The atmosphere is welcoming and low-pressure, allowing guests to explore the spiritual concepts at their own pace or ignore them entirely in favor of the botanical beauty.

Before You Go

Access to the villa and its grounds is free, though the organization suggests making a donation to support maintenance. You must schedule your visit in advance through their online portal or by calling the center.

When you arrive at the gated entrance, use the buzzer to notify the staff. Docents are available to help guide you to the gardens or explain the history of the mansion.

Those interested in historic architecture might also enjoy the Heritage Square Museum. The site is a functioning spiritual center, so maintaining a quiet and respectful demeanor is expected while exploring the meditation areas.

Questions worth answering

How do I get inside the property?

You will find a gate for cars and people when you arrive. Use the buzzer to let the staff know you are there. They will let you in once you ring.

Is there a cost to walk the grounds?

The gardens and the stone path do not cost anything. We suggest leaving a donation to help with the upkeep. The staff appreciates the support.

What is the history of the house?

The Gausti family built this Italian villa in 1913. Busby Berkeley, the famous choreographer, lived here starting in 1937. It is now a spiritual center.

What should I expect from the atmosphere?

The site is very quiet and sits in the West Adams district. It feels like a hidden pocket of silence. You should keep a respectful tone while you explore.

Visit Snapshot

Visits are by appointment only and can be booked online. Entry is free but donations are encouraged.

Use the buzzer at the gated entrance for access. Staff members are on-site to assist visitors.

Location

Los Angeles, California

Know before you go

There is a gated entry for both cars and pedestrians. Just pull up and ring the call buzzer.

The docents are extremely kind and helpful when you visit. The gardens and labyrinth are free but donations are greatly appreciated.

Editorial source

Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens

Quiet graciousness awaits visitors at this spiritual retreat in the heart of Los Angeles. An Italian villa done in the style of a Renaissance mansion lies in the heart of Los Angeles.

Built for the Gausti family, the home was completed in 1913. In 1937, the property was bought by famed Hollywood director and choreographer, Busby Berkeley.

Over the next few decades, the villa was bought and sold until the Peace Theological Seminary (PTS) bought it in 1974. It is currently the headquarters for the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness.

The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, or "MSIA," was founded in California in 1968 during the rise of the West Coast New Age movement. Created by Roger Delano Hinkins, who later changed his name to John-Roger after a consciousness-expanding near-death experience, the movement's aim was to "teach Soul Transcendence, which is becoming aware of yourself as a Soul and as one with God, not as a theory, but as a living reality." The movement has a number of celebrity adherents (said to include Beach Boys Carl Wilson and Arianna Huffington) and has been criticized as a cult of personality.

However, even its critics tend to acknowledge that it is not particularly destructive. Unlike other more famous Hollywood religions, it does not ask anyone to break ties with friends or family and does not attempt to control the lives of its followers.

Meanwhile, its followers say that it is merely a practice that helps them find spiritual focus and meaning. Regardless of one's feelings about MSIA, the center has done well by the architecture they occupy.

MSIA has not only restored the villa to its original beauty, but has added both a meditation garden and labyrinth which is regularly open to the public by appointment via their center or online. The gardens are modeled after classic Japanese gardens and offer several quiet areas to sit.

Visitors will not be bothered and can choose to meditate, read or just relax. The labyrinth is modeled after the famous one on the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France.

It allows you to take a 1/3 mile walk in a condensed, spiraling space, where perhaps you will meditate on your soul, or just think about the last episode of Game of Thrones. Either way, it provides a lovely space for peaceful thought in a busy city.