Long Beach Freedom: What to do in Long Beach that is Free and Fun

Free is good, right?  Well, what is there to do in Long Beach that's free?  A lot of things!  Here's a short list to start, a sample of some of the fun and free things to do in Long Beach, year 'round.  I'll add to this list in future posts.

PARKS

Recreation Park - 211 acres in the middle of east Long Beach, it has two golf courses (fee), the Billie Jean King Tennis Center and Blair Field, in addition to a lawn bowling green, a dog park, casting pond and playground.  That little stage in the middle was home to many of my make-believe plays when I was a kid.  Great picnic areas, too.

Hill Top Park in Signal Hill - incredible views from Orange County to the Santa Monica mountains, to downtown L.A. to the San Gabriel mountains.  There are picnic areas and bathrooms and it's great for walking and jogging, giving you a good workout with the steep incline.

Gum Grove Park - Los Cerritos Wetlands nature walk.  See owls, herons, egrets, woodpeckers, coyotes, lizards, hawks, frogs, maybe even a gopher snake, and more.

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at Long Beach State - open Tuesday through Friday, 8a-3:30p and Sundays 12-4p.  A peaceful 1.3 acre oasis with a large koi pond where you can purchase koi pellets to feed the fish; sand gardens and bridges.

CULTURE

Long Beach Museum of Art - It's free on Fridays, usually $7 admission.

Rancho Los Alamitos Rancho and Gardens - open Wednesday through Sunday, from 1-5p.  Guided tours are available every 30 minutes from the docents.  The 7.5 acres are a microcosm of the regional story, granted in 1790 by the Spanish Crown, but also home to the original natives of the Los Angeles Basin and a sacred place.

Rancho Los Cerritos - open Wednesday through Sunday, from 1-5p.  Built in 1844, it is an historic site with an adobe home, research library and historic gardens.  The home is furnished to reflect the lifestyle of the occupants from 1860-1880.

HOLIDAYS

Well, you'll have to come back for those tips!  You can subscribe to my blog to make sure you get the latest entry.  They are focused on Long Beach and on real estate, sometimes even in the same entry.  If you'd like to receive my monthly e-newsletter or have any questions about real estate, you may reach me at katielarson@kw.com or by phone/text 562.673.5335. 

I'd love to hear what your favorite FREE things are to do in Long Beach!

Long Beach Summer 2014

We live in a city on the water with free resources and free cultural events throughout the neighborhoods.  Take advantage of this wonderful place we call home.  Long Beach… it will surprise you.

 

MUSIC

Long Beach Municipal Band:  A Summer Festival of Music

This is the band’s 105^th year!  Join them for free concerts this summer.  All concerts start at 6:30 p.m.

http://www.longbeach.gov/park/recreation/lb_municipal_band.asp

Whaley Park                       5620 Atherton Street                     July 1, 8

Los Cerritos Park              3750 Del Mar                                      July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Marine Stadium                Appian Way                                        July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Bluff/Bixby Park                Ocean and Junipero                        July 15, 22, 29

El Dorado Park                   2800 Studebaker                              July 11, 18, 25, Aug 1      

 

PORT TOURS

The Port of Long Beach offers both boat and train tours of the port, complimentary to the public.  The train tours are rare and fill up fast.  The Harbor tours, by boat, are offered May through November 1 on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of the month, at 10:00 a.m.  They also offer sunset cruises the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. through August and starting at 6:30 p.m. in September.

 

Harbor cruises fill up fast and are reserved by registering online the 1^st Monday of the month, at noon.  August tour registration begins Monday, July 7^th at noon.  July cruises and waitlists are full.

http://www.polb.com/community/tours/harbortours.asp

 

MOVIES

Free, family movies are offered throughout the city.  All movies start at dusk.  Pack up the family and bring the popcorn.

http://www.longbeach.gov/park/movies_in_the_park.asp

“Frozen”                              Whaley Park June 20 (Sing-a-long), Pan American June 23, Scherer June 25, Bixby June 27, DeForest August 25, El Dorado August 27 (Sing-a-long)

“The Nut Job”                    Admiral Kidd June 30, Orizaba July 2

“Monsters University”   Coolidge July 7, Stearns Champions July 9, Chavez July 7

“The Lego Movie”            Somerset July 14, McBride July 16, Houghton July 18

“Free Birds”                        Signal Hill July 21, Veterans July 23, Heartwell July 25

“Despicable Me 2”           Davenport July 28, Drake July 30, Wardlow August 1, Grace August 18

“Smurfs 2”                          Cherry August 4, King August 6, College Estates August 8

“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2”   Seaside August 11, Ramona August 13, Signal Hill August 15

“Planes”                               MacArthur August 20, Silverado August 22

“The True Story of an American Legend”               PG-13                    Blair Stadium July 19

 

 

MORE     check out http://100daysofsummer.org or 100daysofsummer@longbeach.gov