Long Beach Attractions

>> Cheap airline tickets >> Long beach attractions

Though it sits in the shadow of Los Angeles, one of the world’s most famous and well-known cities, Long Beach is no mere suburb. It is an important port city with its own atmosphere. In many ways it is the polar opposite of its larger neighbor. In fact, there are enough tourist destinations within the city of Long Beach to make it the focus of a trip to the LA area.

Here are the best tourist attractions in Long Beach.

Budget

Area golf courses are quite popular. These range from decent municipal courses to 9-hole “executive course.” Prices are quite reasonable, ranging from $11 to $40. By West Coast standards, greens fees in Long Beach are downright cheap.

Value

Catalina Island sits about an hour of the coast of Long Beach. The high-speed Catalina Express takes passengers to and from the island. It is possible to do the trip in a day, though many visitors choose to at least overnight on Catalina. The boat trip itself is a good way to see the coastline, even if you don’t plan to spend multiple days on the island.

Museum of Latin American Art (628 Alamitos Ave.) is the only museum in California, and one of the few in the US, that exclusively exhibits Latin American contemporary art. There is a permanent exhibit as well as rotating traveling exhibits and arts related programs. The museum is the centerpiece of the newly developed East Village Arts District.

Splurge

The Queen Mary is a famous ocean liner with a history that dates back to World War II, when it was a troop transporter. Today, the ship sits in the port at Long Beach. A tour is not cheap ($22.95 for adults), but a discount is offered if you buy a combo ticket with the nearby Aquarium of the Pacific. The aquarium is one of the largest of its kind in the country. It features marine habitats from all over the Pacific Ocean.

If you are looking for a good place to shop (or window shop) Belmont Shores is the Long Beach version of a pedestrian-friendly retail street. In addition to designer boutiques from the likes of Gap, there are some independent retail operations. There are also many bars, cafés and restaurants along Belmont. The nearby Belmont Shore district is a pleasant beachfront community known throughout California as one of the best places to kite surf.