Westlake/MacArthur Park was the original western terminus of Red Line subway when it opened on January 30, 1993. The station was a terminus for the short 4.4 mile initial segment of this subway line for over 3 years until July 13, 1996 when the line was finally extended to Wilshire/Western that was the original Red Line and has now been renamed the Purple Line to differentiate the two subway routes.
The station has the usual island platform for the two track line. To exit the platform are three staircases/escalators and an elevator up to a mezzanine. Two of these and the elevator lead to one bank of turnstiles while the final one leads to its own bank of turnstiles across from the other two. On both far walls of the mezzanine (opposite the final staircase down to the platform) is El Sol / La Luna, 1993 by Francisco Letherier. These are two large ceramic tile murals that show the history of MacArhur Park abstractly. The actual walls of the longer mezzanine area has more, smaller murals MacArthur Park, Urban Oasis by Sonia Romero.
Above the center of the mezzanine (outside of fare control) is Into the Light, objects suspended in the ceiling. To finally leave the station passengers can go in either direction from the mezzanine to one of two escalators, one of these is a combined staircase/up escalator, the other is a staircase with two escalators, one in each direction (this has recently been retrofitted with a steel and glass canopy I assume to protect the escalators) there is also an elevator. These lead up to a plaza along the east side of Alvarado Street between Wilshire Blvd and 7th Street, Westlake is a block away through the plaza and a small 16 parking space lot that the Metro website claims is a park & ride. Photos 1-9 taken on 17 March, 2008, 10-20 on 23 June 2013
Wilshire/Vermont
Westlake/MacArthur Park 