Long Beach & San Pedro

Long Beach

San Pedro & Long Beach are the maritime muscles fueling LA's reputation as a great trading city. San Pedro supplies much of the manpower that operates the cranes, derricks, tugs, and railway systems in one of the most awesome seaports in the world. Through here pass the goods -automobiles, electronics, and foods - that will make their way to virtually every city in the Americas and Asia. Long Beach, on the other hand, is a city in metamorphosis. Shedding its working-class past, it has become a sophisticated cultural and financial hub. Long Beach's pulse beats strongest along Pine Avenue where indulgences range from Italian Barolo wines to music by Berlioz and belly dance. The grand ocean liner Queen Mary and a defining aquarium are the area's flagship sights.

Long Beach

Marine Aquarium

Housed in a modern building designed by Frank Gehry, this aquarium offers plenty to do apart from viewing marine life in its 34 saltwater tanks. Memorable experiences include observing newborn jellyfish in the aquatic nursery, listening to whale sounds, and viewing prickly urchins and sea stars in tidepools accessed through the short Cabrillo Coastal Park Trail.

3720 Stephen White Drive, San Pedro

Los Angeles Maritime La Museum

This Art Deco museum celebrates LA's seafaring tradition through displays of ship models, photographs, nautical equipment, and memorabilia. A highlight 13 the exhibit about the USS Los Angeles, a navy cruiser that saw battle in China and during the Korean War. A recreated 18-ft (5.4-m) model of the ill-fated Titanic is a crowd pleaser.

Berth 84, at foot of 6th St, San Pedro

Ports O' Call Village

This is a mock New England seaside village geared to catering to tourists. A cobblestone walkway links a variety of shops selling crafts and kitsch. There are also several restaurants, many of them with harbor views. Dine on platters of fresh shrimp, fried calamari rings, and whatever has been freshly caught that morning. For close-up views of supertankers and cargo and cruise ships, join a harbor cruise, which departs from the village. Whale-watching cruises operate from January to March.

San Pedro waterfront, Berth 77

Banning Residence Museum

The Greek Revival style home of Phineas Banning (1830-85), the "Father of Los Angeles Harbor," offers a glimpse into the life of one of the most influential of the city's pioneers. Tours take in the office, parlor, family and dining rooms, kitchen, and nursery, all filled with late 19th-century period furniture.

401 E M St, Wilmington

Queen Mary

On its maiden voyage in 1936, the Queen Mary was the most luxurious liner ever to sail the seven seas. Each crossing carried famous faces, along with thousands of regular vacationers and immigrants. During World War II, she whisked as many as 15,000 soldiers per trip from the USA to Europe. The elegant vessel retired in 1964 and became a tourist attraction three years later. Much of the Queen Mary, which also contains a hotel, can be explored on self-guided and guided tours.

1126 Queen Highway, Long Beach

Aquarium of the Pacific

One of Long Beach's flagship attractions, this high-tech zoo teems with 12,000 fish, birds, and mammals that make their home in the Pacific Ocean. A full-scale model of a blue whale greets visitors in the Great Hall. You'll come face to face with exotic giant spider crabs, playful sea otters, and even get to pet a shark. For a look at what it takes to keep the aquarium afloat, take a Behind-the-Scenes-Tour.

100 Aquarium Way Long Beach

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)

Part of Long Beach's emerging East Village Arts District, this lively museum is the only one in the western United States dedicated to showcasing the work of artists who've lived or worked in Latin America since 1945. The collection offers great insight into the culture and concerns of artists from Mexico to Tierra del Fuego and every country in between. The restaurant is a lovely spot for lunch.

628 Alamitos Ave, Long Beach

Long Beach Museum Art

This small community museum mounts several temporary exhibits annually in addition to showing selections from its permanent collection. A tour of the galleries yields encounters with paintings and drawings by early 20th-century European and Californian artists along with furniture and decorative objects from throughout American history. The museum is distinguished by a waterfront location with great views of Long Beach's famous offshore oil wells.

2300 E Ocean Blvd

Naples & Belmont Shore

Naples is an Italian-flavored peninsula in Alamitos Bay, which is connected by a causeway to Belmont Shore with its many shopping and dining options. Long Beach's poshest neighborhood, Naples was dreamed up by Arthur Parsons in 1903, around the same time Abbott Kinney conceived of Venice. Enjoy an authentic Venetian gondola ride.

Southern Long Beach

Ranches Los Alamitos & Los Cerritos

In 1784, Manuel Nieto, a corporal in the Spanish army, was granted 300,000 acres of land in recognition of his services. The land was later divided into five ranches, including Rancho Los Alamitos and Rancho Los Cerritos. The ranch houses are some of the state's oldest structures.

Rancho Los Alamitos, 6400 Bixby Hill Rd. Rancho Los Cerritos, 4600 Virginia Rd

Places to eat

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