Appreciating History and Architecture with Long Beach Heritage
If you love history and architecture, you should check out Long Beach Heritage to learn more about the city’s oldest buildings and historic neighborhoods. Whether you are visiting the area, a local resident, or someone who simply loves Long Beach, you will enjoy exploring the city and learning about its history with Long Beach Heritage.
LONG BEACH HERITAGE
Long Beach Heritage is a local nonprofit organization that promotes historic preservation in Long Beach. In addition to advocacy and education programs, Long Beach Heritage owns and operates the historic Bembridge House and offers regular tours and events there, as well as monthly walking tours of the city’s historic corridors. The group also advocates to keep older buildings in active use, promotes the use of historic preservation incentives, and serves as a resource to local property owners looking to invest in older buildings.
SUMMER OF ARCHITECTURE
From June through August of 2026, Long Beach Heritage is hosting its Summer of Architecture, a citywide celebration of Long Beach’s historic homes, iconic landmarks, and architectural treasures. This event series offers the chance to join exclusive tours of local historic neighborhoods and buildings, including some that are rarely open to the public. Popular events in the series include a tour of the Long Beach Airport's historic terminal, an Art Deco tour with local historians, and a tour of Downtown Long Beach on bicycles. Plus, this year's series includes a tour of historic neon signs with an after party at Roxanne's. For details, visit the Long Beach Heritage events page. These tours sell out fast, so book early!
MONTHLY TOURS
Long Beach is home to a wide variety of historic architectural styles, from charming Victorian farm houses and Craftsman bungalows to Art Deco, Spanish Revival, and Streamline Moderne. Long Beach Heritage offers several monthly walking tours to see and learn more about some of the city’s most notable historic buildings. The neighborhoods you can tour include the East Village Arts District, Downtown Long Beach, North Pine Avenue, and Ocean Boulevard at the Pike. For a calendar of upcoming tours, visit their events page.
BEMBRIDGE HOUSE
The Bembridge House (953 Park Circle Dr) is a two-story Queen Anne Victorian house built in 1906 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is considered one of the most significant historic residences in Long Beach and remains in near-pristine condition, even housing period furniture from the early 1900s. It is open Tuesday afternoons and the fourth Saturday of the month for docent-led tours. The house is also available for group and school tours and special event rental and hosts many special events throughout the year including the Wilmore neighborhood’s annual holiday market.
Related
The East Village Arts District is an eclectic downtown Long Beach business district featuring independent boutiques, restaurants, art museums, and more amidst unique Art Deco architecture. A shopping and dining destination for visitors and locals alike, in the East Village you’ll find vintage and new sustainable fashion, home decor and lifestyle goods, beauty and wellness products, local art, and so much more. From four independent record stores, the city’s first package-free refill stores, a local pottery studio, a rooftop mezcal bar, and the famous Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles, there’s something for everyone in the East Village. Visit every Second Saturday to experience special pop-ups, activations, and entertainment!