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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 Art Deco museum celebrates LA’s seafaring tradition through displays of ship models, photographs, nautical equipment, and memorabilia. A highlight is 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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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 (see Santa Monica Bay). Enjoy an authentic Venetian gondola ride (see Gondola Getaway).

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.