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The history of Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills grew from the Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas landscape into an independent city in 1914. Its history is visible in the street plan, gardens, hotels and the former Doheny estate at Greystone.
People who shaped Beverly Hills
These milestones are an introduction, not a complete local history. Follow the linked city and museum sources to explore the people and places behind them.Read the local historical account.
Watch the city’s history
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Birth of a City - Beverly Hills Historical Society
A local history film shared by Beverly Hills Historical Society Videos.
Watch on YouTube ↗Beverly Hills in old photos
See all 24 old photos
Famous people born in Beverly Hills
See all 48 famous people
- 1906
A townsite takes shape
Burton Green co-founded the Rodeo Land and Water Company, which helped develop the new community.
Love Beverly Hills ↗ - 1912
The Beverly Hills Hotel opens
Margaret Anderson built the Beverly Hills Hotel to attract prospective homebuyers and create a community gathering place.
Love Beverly Hills ↗ - 1914
An independent city
Beverly Hills incorporated on January 28, 1914.
Love Beverly Hills ↗ - 1928
Greystone is completed
Greystone was completed for Ned and Lucy Doheny and their family.
City of Beverly Hills ↗ - 1971
Greystone becomes a public park
After purchasing the property in 1965, Beverly Hills formally dedicated Greystone as a public park in 1971.
City of Beverly Hills ↗
See the history for yourself.
Walk North Rexford Drive to see Beverly Hills City Hall, a Spanish Revival landmark completed in 1932. Check current opening hours before visiting Greystone Mansion & Gardens.
For deeper research, the Beverly Hills library resources is a starting point for archival material and research help. Historic photographs have their own permissions; we link to the collection instead of treating every old image as free to reuse.
Selected milestones researched September 13, 2026. This is an introduction, not a complete account of the city’s history.