The best things to do in Long Beach in 2026 are the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Queen Mary ocean liner, a gondola ride through the Naples canals, the Museum of Latin American Art and an evening at Shoreline Village. Belmont Shore's Second Street and the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden round out a day.
Long Beach is about 25 miles south of downtown LA, at the end of the Metro A Line. Most sights cluster on the downtown waterfront, with Belmont Shore and Naples a few miles east.
LA County's largest aquarium, with sharks, otters and lorikeets.
The Aquarium of the Pacific covers Pacific Ocean life from Baja to the Bering Sea, with sea otters, a shark lagoon and the Lorikeet Forest.
Pacific Visions adds an immersive theater.
Good to know: Book ahead on weekends. Parking structure across the street.
100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
A 1936 ocean liner turned hotel, museum and event venue.
The Queen Mary sailed the Atlantic from 1936 and has been docked in Long Beach since 1967. Tours cover the art deco interiors, engine rooms and its wartime history as a troop ship.
You can also stay overnight in the original cabins.
Good to know: Book a guided tour; the ghost tours are popular around Halloween.
1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802
Gondola rides through the canals of Naples Island.
Naples is a neighborhood of small islands and canals in eastern Long Beach. Gondola Getaway runs gondola cruises past the waterfront homes, with bread, cheese and salami included.
Walking the canal paths is free.
Good to know: Book the gondola well ahead around the holidays, when the homes are lit up.
5437 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90803
The only US museum focused on modern Latin American art.
MOLAA shows modern and contemporary art from Latin America and Latino artists in the US, with a sculpture garden.
It is compact and easy to see in an hour or two.
Good to know: Check the site for free admission days.
628 Alamitos Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802
Waterfront shops, restaurants and harbor cruises.
Shoreline Village is a small waterfront complex of shops and restaurants on Rainbow Harbor, with a vintage carousel and boats leaving for harbor and whale-watching cruises.
The harbor path connects it to the aquarium.
Good to know: Walk the harbor at sunset with the Queen Mary across the water.
419 Shoreline Village Dr, Long Beach, CA 90802
Long Beach's main strip of shops, cafés and bars.
Second Street in Belmont Shore is a walkable strip of independent shops, restaurants and bars a few blocks from the beach.
It leads into Naples at its eastern end.
Good to know: Street parking is metered; the beach lots are an alternative.
5000 E 2nd St, Long Beach, CA 90803
A calm Japanese garden with koi ponds on the university campus.
The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at Cal State Long Beach is a small, peaceful garden with a koi pond, a teahouse and a zigzag bridge.
It is free; check open days.
Good to know: Campus parking requires a permit from the pay stations.
1250 N Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840
A small art museum in a 1912 mansion on the ocean bluff.
The Long Beach Museum of Art sits on the bluffs above the beach in a historic house and modern wing. Exhibits focus on California art.
The café has ocean views.
Good to know: Walk along the Bluff Park path afterward.
2300 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90803
A historic ranch house and gardens, free to visit.
Rancho Los Alamitos preserves a ranch house dating back to around 1800, historic barns and gardens on a hilltop. Admission is free.
Docents lead tours of the house.
Good to know: Enter through the gated neighborhood; tell the guard you are visiting the Rancho.
6400 E Bixby Hill Rd, Long Beach, CA 90815
Take the Metro A Line from downtown LA to its southern end in downtown Long Beach, about an hour. By car it is 30 to 45 minutes via the 710 or 405.
Yes. The Queen Mary is open for tours, dining and overnight stays. Check its website for current tours and hours.
The Aquarium of the Pacific, the Queen Mary, the Grand Prix of Long Beach, a busy port and the canals of Naples.
Yes. Gondola Getaway runs gondola cruises through the Naples canals, a popular date-night activity.
Downtown and the waterfront are walkable, and a free Passport shuttle has served downtown. Belmont Shore's Second Street is also good on foot.