Museums in Long Beach And Palos Verdes

Cabrillo Marine

Aquarium 83720 Stephen White Drive, San Pedro
Tel (310) 548 -7562
Timing: noon–5pm Tue–Fri; 10am –5pm Sat & Sun.
WEB: www.cabrilloaq.org

Designed by architect Frank Gehry and surrounded by a geometric chain-link fence, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium houses one of the largest collections of Southern California marine life. Sharks, moray wheels, and rays thrill thousands of visitors each year. The exhibition hall includes interpretive displays that explain the typical plants and animals of the region. It is divided into three environments – rocky shores, beaches and mudflats, and open ocean.
An outdoor rock pool tank contains sea cucumbers, sea anemones, starfish, and sea urchins that visitors are permitted to touch. This small museum also boasts 14,150 gallons (64,400 liters) of circulating sea water, as well as a tidal tank that allows viewers to see below a wave.
Another exhibit shows how human activities have altered Los Angeles Harbor.

Los Angeles Maritime Museum

Berth 84, 6th St, San Pedro
Tel (310) 548-7618
Timing: 10am –5pm Tue–Sat, noon–5pm
WEB: www.lamaritimemuseum.org

Housed in a restored ferry terminal building, the Los Angeles Maritime Museum contains an array of nautical paintings and memorabilia, including a wooden figurehead of British Queen Victoria. An extensive model ship collection includes an 18-ft (5.5-m) scale model of the Titanic. Begun in 1971 by a 14-year-old boy, it took five years to complete.
Also on display is the bow and bridge of US Navy cruiser USS Los Angeles. Early 20th-century Monterey fishing boats can be seen in the museum’s dock.