WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY – San Pedro
Discover the history of the Port of Los Angeles on land or at sea! Welcome to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum where our hardworking harbor tug ANGELS GATE provides educational tours while our historic museum building houses fascinating exhibits, a research library, a ham radio station, and a gift shop.
OPEN EVERY WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY FROM 12:00 pm TO 5:00 pm
FREE TO CHILDREN AGES 12 AND UNDER
Berth 84, Foot of 6th St., San Pedro, CA 90731
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum is housed in the former Municipal Ferry Terminal building, located on the main channel of the Los Angeles Harbor. It was designed in the Streamline Moderne style by architect Derwood Lydell Irvin of the Los Angeles Harbor Department. It was built in 1941 at Berth 84, by the Works Project Administration (WPA).
The ferry between San Pedro and Terminal Island ceased after the Vincent Thomas Bridge was opened to traffic in 1963. The building was then used for offices of the LA Harbor Department. The San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building is now a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum opened in 1979 as a result of widespread community efforts to save the historic building. It is the largest maritime museum on the West Coast. The museum’s interior renovation was designed by Modernist architect James Pulliam. The museum is operated by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.
EXHIBITS
ANGELS GATE TUGBOAT
The tugboat ANGELS GATE arrived at the Museum in 1992, after almost 50 years of providing general towing services and goodwill tours for the Port of Los Angeles.
TĀMINARU
In the early 20th century, Terminal Island (in the Port of Los Angeles) was home to approximately 3,000 Japanese-Americans who earned their livelihood from catching and cleaning fish. Residents of this community, known as “Terminal Islanders” were originally from the Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, and retained their language and customs after emigrating to Los Angeles harbor.
Tāminaru is a look back at this lost community. The exhibit is guest curated by author Naomi Hirahara, organized by Tara Fansler, and sponsored by the Friends of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum and the Japan Business Association with the assistance of the Terminal Islanders Club.
POSEIDON MODEL
There is a movie star on the second floor! The model of the SS POSEIDON was the original prop in the 1972 classic film “The Poseidon Adventure”.
Fifteen men built the model over a period of three months. POSEIDON is 21 .5 feet long and weighs one ton. The builders relied on the plans of the RMS QUEEN MARY, now permanently docked as an attraction in Long Beach, California.
NAVY HALL
The Museum building, built-in 1941, was originally used as a ferry terminal, transporting people and automobiles between San Pedro and Terminal Island. The area of the first floor where cars would enter and exit is now used as the Navy Hall.
ANGELS GATE LIGHT
The Angels Gate Lighthouse (officially known as Los Angeles Harbor Light) has marked the entrance of Los Angeles Harbor through times of war and peace, and even survived a tidal wave! The tower itself has undergone many changes through the years. The distinctive green flash of the Angels Gate Lighthouse remains a welcoming beacon to professional mariners and recreational boaters alike.
KIDS EXHIBIT
Kids of all ages will discover what’s going on in the harbor today through a series of interactive games and activities in the children’s exhibit. Grab a pair of binoculars and take a close-up look at the nation’s busiest container port! Learn how cranes work, imagine yourself in a variety of harbor professions, build your own wharves, test your knowledge of ships and cargo, or just settle down and enjoy a nautical story!
Due to Covid-19-related precautions, the toys and costumes have been temporarily removed.
CAUGHT, CANNED, AND EATEN
The Port of Los Angeles (San Pedro) was the fishing capital of the nation for much of the twentieth century. Generations of fishermen sold catches of tuna, sardines, mackerel, and squid to fish markets or canneries on nearby Terminal Island.
Today, the fishing fleet is greatly diminished and the canneries have closed, but the legacy of the fishing and canning industries endures.
COMMERCIAL DIVING
This exhibit is an introduction to just a few of the thousands of jobs performed by commercial divers and fishery divers in the South Bay, and was the inspiration of the late Torrance R. Parker, noted commercial diver and author of 20,000 Jobs Under the Sea.
SCHOOL TOURS
The museum is pleased to offer educational tours throughout the year at no charge.
The museum is located on the Main Channel of Los Angeles Harbor. Students will have a front-row opportunity to see the massive container ships in action and learn about international trade, ship terminology, sailor’s art, and the history of the working people who built Los Angeles harbor into the nation’s busiest container port.
Tours are free for grades K-12, Wednesday –Friday mornings, and reservations are REQUIRED. The museum is unable to accommodate group tours without a reservation.
Call the tour hotline at 310-548-2900 and schedule your tour today, or email info@lamaritimemuseum.org.
RESEARCH
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum Research Library is home to thousands of books, historic photographs and archival documents waiting for you to discover!
Research questions can be directed to info@lamaritimemuseum.org and 310-548-7618 ext. 215.
Portions of our collection have online finding aids and digital records:
Online Archive of California (OAC)
Suggested Donation:
Adults $5
Seniors (62+) $3
Children 12 & under FREE
Hours
Monday-Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday – Sunday: 12:00pm – 5:00pm
For additional information, visit the website @
www.lamaritimemuseum.org
Find more
