The strings are pulled at Bob Baker Day. Photo by Chloe Rice, courtesy of the event.
LA Times Festival of Books, Bob Baker Day, and More Top Things To Do in Los Angeles This Weekend
Even in a dry year, California is bursting with gorgeous colors in the spring!
Stunning Spring Wildflower Hikes near Los Angeles
Treat mom to Mother's Day brunch on the coast. Photo courtesy of Terranea Resort
Best Mother’s Day Brunch in Los Angeles
GUIDE
Los Angeles Summer Camp Guide
Amplify’s one-of-a-kind music and arts camp attracts deeply creative kids from California and around the world.
  VIDEO
This Top LA Area Music and Arts Camp Still Has Spots Open
Watch the puppet masters at Bob Baker Day. Photo by Chloe Rice, courtesy of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater
Best Free and Fun Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids April 2024
Dino Valley means jurassic fun in LEGOLAND for kids of all ages.
NEW Dino Valley in LEGOLAND is Open for T-Rex-Sized Fun
Strawberries are that much sweeter when you pick them yourself. Photo courtesy of the Carlsbad Strawberry Company, Facebook
Go Strawberry Picking near Los Angeles: Family Farms Where Kids Can Pick Berries
Photo courtesy of The Flower Fields of Carlsbad
GUIDE
Spring Fun Guide for LA & OC Kids
Where else are kids going to learn archery, besides summer camp? Photo courtesy of Tom Sawyer Camp
Best Summer Day Camps in Los Angeles
Wander to a local waterfall, with excited kids in tow.
Best Waterfall Hikes Near Los Angeles for Families
Get your game on at sports summer camps. Photo courtesy of Saken Sports Camp
Top Sports Summer Camps in Los Angeles: Soccer Summer Camps, Baseball Camps, and More
Photo by Bill Soistmann
GUIDE
Los Angeles Visitors' Guide for Families
Dive into fun at the Cayton Children's Museum. Photo by Matthew Tucciarone
Best Children's Museums in Los Angeles and Orange County
Right this way to all the free fun in LA, especially at the Griffith Observatory! Photo by Gina Ragland
100 Fun Free Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids
Everything at the Cayton has been carefully crafted with one goal in mind: to help create a better world through the power of play.
Guide to the Cayton Children’s Museum in Santa Monica–A Parent Review
Step into an
NEW American Girl Store Opens in Los Angeles
Imaginative play for preschoolers is music to our ears. Photo courtesy of Pretend City
39 Things To Do with Preschoolers in Los Angeles Before They Turn 5
This 3 day itinerary will make you fall in love with LA. Photo by Roberto Nickson, via Pexels
3 Days in Los Angeles with Kids: Ultimate Itinerary by a Local Mom
Visit LACMA's Levitated Mass. Photo by Joey Zanetti
100 Things To Do in Los Angeles Before Kids Grow Up

30 Things To Do in Long Beach with Kids: Day Trip or Weekend

Selfie with the Queen! Photo by Mommy Poppins
Selfie with the Queen! Photo by Mommy Poppins
5/17/19 - By Roberta B

Like most Angelenos, I've been to Long Beach—but until recently I had never considered taking a weekend getaway there. Without traffic I can make it to Long Beach in roughly half an hour, meaning that a trip to the aquarium or to see the holiday lights at the Queen Mary is no big deal. So why would I commit to a full weekend there? The folks at the Long Beach Visitors Bureau invited me to find the answer to that rhetorical question, and I am so glad they did. What a wonderful surprise it was to discover that Long Beach is much more than just a busy port wrapped around an aquarium! In fact, this gem, hidden in plain sight, is a delightful beach town full of family activities and indulgent recreation.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

At the Aquarium of the Pacific, divers can talk to children from under water

Our home base for the weekend was the Courtyard by Marriott, which is well situated in the middle of town, has a great pool, offers lovely views of the harbor, and is very accommodating of families. The desk staff were helpful in figuring out our days' itineraries, and the in-house restaurant, James Republic, is so wonderful that it was hard to pry ourselves away to try other restaurants! We were able to get to most places without moving our car from the Courtyard's lot; we walked or used the local bus to move around.

Our favorite activity of the weekend was a gondola ride around Naples Island. What a treat! A tip to future travelers: had we known that we could bring a picnic and eat dinner on the gondola, we totally would have done that. The gondoliers can even put drinks on ice for you. Another of our favorite discoveries was the Aquabus: for $1 per ride, a long walk from dock to dock becomes a short boat ride instead—a big hit with the kids. And for some memorable meal ideas (other than dining on a gondola) consider the classic Parkers' Lighthouse, a sunset window table at Boathouse on the Bay, or lunch at the aquarium cafe with a view of the penguins.


Cruising around Naples Island in a gondola is a treat! Photo by Mommy Poppins

Here are our favorite 30 things to do around Long Beach with the family:

  1. Pet the stingrays in the touch tanks at the Aquarium of the Pacific, and feed the lorikeets before you go!
  2. Explore every corner of the Queen Mary, from radio room to Lego Room, with photo ops on every deck.
  3. Take a harbor cruise.
  4. Rent a bicycle or surrey and pedal the beach path.
  5. Go on a whale watching cruise.
  6. Indulge in a gondola ride around Naples Island.
  7. Check out the Museum of Latin American Art.
  8. Have a little shopping spree in Shoreline Village.
  9. Learn about women's contributions to WWII at Rosie the Riveter Park & Interpretive Center.

     
    El Dorado Nature Center
     
  10. Chill out at the El Dorado Nature Center.
  11. Ride the Aquabus between docks.
  12. Take out a paddle boat in Rainbow Lagoon.
  13. Have a beach day.
  14. Hit some balls at Ondeck Batting Cages.
  15. Get a speed fix cheering on the cars at the annual Long Beach Grand Prix.
  16. See free summer evening movies at Alfredo's Beach Club.
  17. See something at the historic Warner Grand Theatre.
  18. Or catch a show at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center.
  19. Go on an iconic midnight grunion run.


    Family ArtMaking Workshops take place on the Long Beach Museum of Art’s lawn. Photo courtesy of the museum
     
  20. Spend some time at the Long Beach Museum of Art—maybe do one of the Family ArtMaking Workshops.
  21. Go ice skating (or try speed skating!) at Lakewood Ice.
  22. Check out a 4D movie.
  23. Try a Glow Ride on a Hydrobike on Alamitos Bay.
  24. Have a haunted encounter on the Queen Mary.
  25. Get from A to B in a bicycle taxi.
  26. Try a Stand up and Paddle (SUP) lesson.
  27. Take a day trip to Catalina.
  28. Catch a show at the Long Beach Playhouse.
  29. Learn local history from the Tongva through today at Rancho Los Alamitos.
  30. Savor the incredible flavors at the decadently delicious Long Beach Creamery.

Typing our names in Morse code in the Queen Mary radio room. Photo by Mommy Poppins

For more ideas around Long Beach, check out the Long Beach Visitors'  Bureau website. And when you're done playing staycation in Long Beach, why not try 25 things to do in Laguna or Redondo Beach?

Photos courtesy of Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, unless otherwise noted