Audio Guide: Long Beach Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Long Beach

Sprawling comfortably along the sunny coast of Southern California, Long Beach is the kind of place where beachwear and business suits peacefully coexist-and where a morning stroll can lead you from seaside boardwalks to Art Deco facades without missing a beat. It's a city with sand between its toes and history in its bones.

Before it became all sunshine and beachside charm, Long Beach was home to the Tongva people, who lived here for over 10,000 years-until Spanish colonization in the 1500s, and later American expansion, reshaped the land and its future. In the late 1700s, the Spanish crown granted a huge stretch of land-The Nieto Ranch-to a soldier named Manuel Nieto. Over time, that land was divided, and one portion became Ranch of the Little Hills. By the mid-1800s, what was once quiet ranch land caught the attention of eager developers. They sketched out a town called “Willmore City,” but the name didn’t last. The real star, as it turned out, was the long, scenic stretch of beach that gave the city its name-Long Beach.

By the 1920s, Long Beach had hit an oily jackpot. The discovery of local oil fields supercharged the economy, and with the port expanding and Navy ships docking nearby, the city found itself front and center during World War II. It even played a cameo role in the mysterious “Battle of Los Angeles” (an 1942 incident that saw anti-aircraft guns light up the night sky over the region, triggered by what turned out to be a false alarm-no enemy aircraft, just nerves on edge and searchlights chasing shadows). With war came manufacturing-and with that, a population boom that’s never quite slowed down.

Downtown Long Beach still wears its past well. Pine Avenue, once a turn-of-the-century shopping hub, now buzzes with bars, restaurants, and a dose of neon nostalgia. Keep an eye out for the Dr. Rowan Building, a 1930 Art Deco standout where a “credit dentist” once promised smiles on a budget. A short walk away, the grand Breakers Hotel-a onetime celebrity magnet-is being lovingly restored, bringing back its Roaring Twenties glamour. And for modern crowds and mega-events, the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center stands ready, framed by murals and palm trees.

For a breath of salty air and people-watching galore, The Pike at Rainbow Harbor offers everything from restaurants to a Ferris wheel with skyline views. Right next door, the Aquarium of the Pacific invites you to meet sea otters, touch moon jellies, and rethink your relationship with the ocean. Round things out at Shoreline Village, where quirky shops, ice cream cones, and breezy harbor views await.

Long Beach delivers, no matter your preferences. So, look around, take in the breeze of the ocean, and let the city do what it does best: surprise you.