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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.

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.

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.

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.

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 closeup 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.

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 (see Ghost & Legends Tour).

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 ranchos, including Rancho Los Alamitos and Rancho Los Cerritos. The ranch houses are some of the state’s oldest structures.