Visiting the Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center is the best introduction to Venice Beach’s history. It’s essentially the creative epicenter of the area. The center was founded in 1968 as an experimental literary magazine. Today, it boasts a diverse array of literary and arts programs such as readings and workshops. This Venice Beach attraction is home to the largest collection of new poetry books for sale. The center also has an archive that houses over 40,000 books. These include limited-edition publications chronicling the history of poetry movements in Los Angeles and beyond.