Rancho Los Cerritos: Find your place here.

Take a Fascinating History Tour of Long Beach!

By John Grossi

Photos by Izzy Juarez

This summer, many Long Beach residents will go on vacation and travel to another city where they’ll immerse themselves in that city’s history tours, museums, culture, and gardens.

Travel is great! But it can be easy to forget about the history museum right in our own backyard. Rancho Los Cerritos (RLC) just so happens to also feature gardens, acres of preserved land, and exhibits of local artifacts. Its garden and house tours cover the entirety of Long Beach history, including the many cultures who have called, and continue to call, this city home.

The RLC experience is a hidden gem, and offers that exact mix of learning, imagining, and decompressing that so many of us revel in while on vacation. Best of all, it’s free, family-friendly, and within 15 minutes of our homes.

Rancho Roots

Did you know that all of Long Beach (and many of its surrounding cities) was once part of just two Ranchos? Rancho Los Cerritos and Rancho Los Alamitos, both within current day Long Beach, were founded by Spanish land grants in the 1700s. Today at RLC, you can learn about the history of the Greater Long Beach area spanning back thousands of years; from the roots of the indigenous Tongva peoples, to the 27,000-acre Spanish land grant that created RLC and helped shape Southern California.

The Gardens

Best of all, you’re not just “learning about history,” you’re seeing it firsthand on the authentically preserved grounds and house where city forefathers owned and cultivated the land of Long Beach before a trace of a “modern city” ever existed. For many regular visitors, the gardens surrounding the house offer a serene escape for a weekly walk amongst native plants. The gardens also foster a sense of community, inspiring many local groups to meet and reconnect on the quiet grounds. 

Planning Your Visit

Rancho Los Cerritos is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday from 1-5pm, and Saturday from 10am-5pm. The space is also available to be used for meetings, company retreats, weddings, and other events. It offers a one-of-a-kind historical setting and naturalistic escape from the big city, while still being just minutes away in Long Beach.

RLC also hosts a number of monthly events including bird walks, children’s story times, and other special events. The current 2026 special exhibit is Seeds of Resilience: Barrio Americano, a look into Mexican American culture, experience, and impact throughout local history. 

For more info, visit RanchoLosCerritos.org. 

Fiesta Del Rancho

July 11th, 12pm-5pm

There’s no better excuse to come by RLC than Fiesta Del Rancho. This annual summer festival is a celebration of all things Long Beach, including history and culture. The Fiesta features music, food and drink vendors, and a variety of fun activities for both adults and children. Register at RanchoLosCerritos.org/events.

4600 N. Virginia Rd, 90807