Day Trip Attractions Around Long Beach, California

As the 5^th largest city in California and situated along the beach, Long Beach offers many attractions to compliment any trip to Southern California. I live in Long Beach and occasionally day trip in my town. Here are five attractions to consider when visiting Long Beach.

1. The Aquarium of the Pacific is a tourist-friendly center for conversation and education. Its galleries feature more than 500 species found in the Pacific Ocean. They also have a shark tank, touch pools with rays and smaller sharks, a sea lion/seal enclosure, a sea-bird aviary and Lorikeet Forest, where visitors can walk among those birds. Admission is $20.95 for adults, $11.95 for children 3 -11 and $17.95 for seniors 62+. Other admission options include a behind the scenes tour, a harbor cruise and admission to the Queen Mary (but cannot combine all four). It is open 9:00 - 6:00 daily, except December 25, and "Grand Prix Weekend" (one weekend each April) when the "Grand Prix of Long Beach" is held. From the 110 south, exit at Vincent Thomas Bridge onto Ocean Blvd. Follow the signs. From the 710 south, exit at Shoreline Drive and follow the signs. From the 605 South or 405 North, exit at 22 West/7^th Street, turn left at Alamitos, which turns into Shoreline Drive past Ocean Blvd. Follow the signs.

2. The Queen Mary is a titanic-class ship now an attraction and hotel. Admission allows non-hotel visitors to walk around the ship self-guided. On certain nights, ghost-themed tours and programs are available. Regular hours are 10:00 - 6:00 daily. General Admission is $24.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors 55+ and military, and $12.95 for children 5 -11. They offer combination tickets with the aquarium and also with the "Scorpion," a Soviet submarine (but not for all three). Nighttime hours and admission depend on event. From the 710 south, take the Queensway bay exit and follow the signs, from the 110 South, 405 north, or the 605 South, take the same exits as going to the aquarium and follow the signs.