7 Ways to Spend the Day in Long Beach, CA

Long Beach, Calif., just 25 miles south of Los Angeles, is the perfect place to spend a relaxing, hassle-free, day along the Pacific Coast. 

With almost 500,000 residents, Long Beach is big and thriving, yet still feels warm and comfortable when spending a waterside day in and around the city’s Rainbow Harbor. Here are Take Note & Go’s favorite 7 ways to spend the day in Long Beach.

1. Tour Queen Mary

The proud grand dame of Long Beach is the Queen Mary. This former luxury liner was decommissioned and bought by the city in 1967. After some major renovations, it opened as a hotel and tourist attraction in 1971.

The RMS Queen Mary, which set sail in 1936, was big and fast. The ship twice held the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing and, at 1018 feet, was longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall. These attributes proved useful during WWII when the Queen Mary was refitted and used as a troopship dubbed “The Grey Ghost.” 

The Queen Mary’s history as a luxury liner is storied with a passenger list of the world’s rich, famous and powerful including Elizabeth Taylor, President John F. Kennedy and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Although permanently moored, the Queen Mary remains a unique lodging and dining experience. You don’t have to be an overnight guest to visit and enjoy the ship and its restaurants, however. 

The ship offers self-guided and guided tours for visitors (admission fee required). Guided tour themes included its Hollywood connection, the ship’s inner workings and haunted encounters (Queen Mary is considered one of the world’s most haunted places).

With its well-preserved art deco design and artwork, visiting the ship is an experience that still feels connected to its past. While walking its corridors, its easy to image the stars of Hollywood's Golden Age dressed for an elegant party and the hustle and bustle of crew members there to assist them. Throughout the ship are historic pictures, exhibits and signage that help tell Queen Mary’s story.

If you visit, here are Take Note and Go’s must-do list of onboard activities: 

• Walk the upper decks for the best views of the water.

• Get a drink or something light to eat in the former first class lounge, The Observation Bar. This gorgeous bar also opens to a deck with equally gorgeous water and skyline views.

• Admire art deco stylings throughout the ship, especially in The Observation Bar and the Promenade Deck, which was once the shopping area for first class passengers.

• Visit the Ship Model Gallery with scale models of numerous luxury liners on display. The models with cut-aways are especially interesting since they feature an inside look at all of a ship’s levels and rooms.

• Tour the huge engine room. In addition to seeing the mechanics and reading the accompanying information, you can also view the ship’s hull and one of its enormous propellers immersed in murky water. 

• Consider taking a guided history tour. The tour is informative and includes access to areas you might not see otherwise. Plus, it doesn’t take long, leaving time to explore on your own.

2. Aquarium of the Pacific

The blue jewel of Long Beach's Rainbow Harbor is the Aquarium of the Pacific. Many cities have aquariums, but this one is anything but typical and worth the visit.

Even the aquarium’s beautiful, blue glass design is unlike any other. Designed with natural forms in mind and covered with blue glass, the building is intended to represent the Pacific Ocean. Personally, I think it looks like a giant whale. 

The glass changes color as the sun moves through the sky and is quite beautiful (steps were also taken to ensure the glass doesn’t reflect any surrounding trees so as to not confuse and injure flying birds).

Inside the blue glass section of the aquarium is Pacific Visions, an incredible multimedia and interactive exhibit and theater space. 

One of the aquarium's must-see exhibits is “Jellies.” This large collection of sea jellies is spread across numerous displays each with special lighting to accentuate the color and gentle movement of these ancient creatures.

Another aquarium highlight is “Shark Lagoon” featuring numerous sharks of different sizes and types.  Overall, the aquarium features 19 major habitats and around 100 exhibits.

3. Explore Rainbow Harbor

A tree-lined, wide walkway hugs the waterline of Rainbow Harbor. The walkway stretches the entire length of the harbor from Shoreline Aquatic Park on one end to Shoreline Village on the other. The aquarium is somewhat in the middle.

Along the walkway, about halfway between the aquarium and Shoreline Village, is an elevated platform that connects to a footbridge for the neighboring convention center. Take the stairs up to the platform for a bird's-eye view of the water.  

For even better views, be sure to walk through Shoreline Aquatic Park. The park’s 12 acres of greenspace includes a replica lighthouse, officially called the Lions Lighthouse (representing the Lions Club’s efforts to help the blind). The lighthouse is atop a small hill - the perfect spot for 360° views. 

4. & 5. Lunch and Shop

Shoreline Village is a collection of restaurants and shops along the harbor and adjacent to two marinas (Rainbow Marina on one side and Long Beach Marina on the other).

For the best outdoor seating, choose Parkers’ Lighthouse. The food is delicious, the restaurant is beautifully decorated and, best of all, it’s positioned on a peninsula right at the harbor’s entrance. Unless it’s super windy, sit outside and enjoy! 

The shops in Shoreline Village are "mom and pop" and offer a variety of souvenirs and clothing. Kids will enjoy the pirate-themed store. 

For national retail shopping and entertainment, visit The Pike. The Pike’s history as an entertainment destination dates back to the early 1900s. Today, it features outlets, places to eat and a Ferris wheel. 

6. Water Activities

Interested in water recreation? Numerous sightseeing boat tours depart from Rainbow Harbor and Marina. There are sports fishing options, dinner cruises and more. The city offers a listing here.

Just next door to Rainbow Harbor is Rainbow Lagoon, where you can rent swan shaped paddle boats. During the holidays, the paddleboats are illuminated with LED lights for a special night time activity.

If you’d like to visit the beach while in the city, there are numerous choices, including a long stretch of beaches, one flowing right into another. Just around the corner from the harbor and marina is Alamitos Beach followed by Junipero, Long Beach City and Belmont beaches.

A paved walkway, Shoreline Way, passes through all of the beaches. There also also beachside parking options and parks.

These aren't Long Beach's only options, though. Check out this list that even includes a beach just for dogs.

7. Walk the Canals

A few miles from the city’s center is the Naples neighborhood, which is a series of islands on the Alamitos Bay connected by canals.

The neighborhood is named for Naples, Italy, hence its Italian street names. Not exactly sure why this is so because Venice, Italy, not Naples, has canals (but Naples, Fla. does). Doesn’t matter, the area is super charming! 

To walk the canals, park in Colonnade Park and then stroll the sidewalk that follows the water's path.

Lining the canals are beautiful homes, each uniquely different from the next. Enhancing the charm are the home's tiny yards, landscaped to perfection along with planting containers overflowing with flowers and greenery. During your walk you might see a gondola float by, which you can rent, too!

If you're interested in doing more in this area of Long Beach, there are plenty of activities to pick from. Naples is also near Mother's Beach on the Alamitos Bay. Check out this listing for more details.

Tips for Parking

Despite the fact the aquarium and The Pike are near each other, they each have their own parking garage with various pricing. If you’re planning to visit the aquarium, it’s the best option - only $8 a day with validation.

Shoreline Village is a short walk from the same parking garage, but it does have its own lot. The parking is fee based and most restaurants will validate.

The Queen Mary is not walkable from Rainbow Harbor (its across the bay from the harbor). Ample parking is available next to the Queen Mary for a fee. Some activities, such as dining and attending certain special events, provide a parking discount with validation.

For parking details, visit these links: Aquarium of the Pacific, The Pike, Shoreline Village, Queen Mary.