Located in Cypress Park near the confluence of the Los Angeles River and the Arroyo Seco, and close to Elysian Park and downtown Los Angeles, the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens is a beautiful, mission-style park complex that serves as the focal point for the renewal of the Los Angeles River. The River Center is  a prime location for community gatherings, educational conferences, and special events.

Special features include stunning landscaped gardens, the Los Angeles River Visitor Center and exhibit hall, and the River Garden Park which features picnic areas and an artistic fountain replicating the Los Angeles River. A bicycle staging area services several bicycle trails connecting Griffith Park, Elysian Park, and the historic El Pueblo in Downtown Los Angeles.

In addition to housing administrative offices for the MRCA, the River Center is headquarters for many area nonprofits focused on the Los Angeles River including Friends of the Los Angeles River, Northeast Trees, the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, and Mujeres de la Tierra.