Rancho Los Cerritos

This place is beautiful and had lots of history! The outdoor area is suitable for families with children. However, I don't recommend the house for children. During our visit, we encountered an issue at the visitors center. The staff member, who appeared to be a taller Caucasian woman, barged out and did not greet us. Instead, she angrily asked about our service dog, questioning whether it was a legitimate service animal, and asked if we had made a reservation. Her approach was somewhat condescending, and her tone lacked the warmth usually expected in hospitality settings. She asked that I check in inside the visitors center and followed me in, and then left when I signed in on the iPad. No other conversation was had. This interaction was not very welcoming. Despite this, the ranch is pleasant and offers a great experience. It's a great opportunity to else a little about the Bixbys and be in nature.

I visited here with a couple other people and we had a volunteer give us a tour of the house and grounds, and we absolutely loved it. The guide was very knowledgeable (I believe his name was Tom) and the tour felt very personable and took about 2 hours, I absolutely recommend getting a tour if you can (it's free!). They also have a little gift shop that had items priced reasonably and I would love to come back when they have their preserves available, as they have multiple fruits on the property (some I'd never even heard of) that the guide told us they make their own preserves from.

A beautiful piece of history tucked away in Long Beach. This is a gem of a place that’s seldom visited. I would highly recommend doing the tour with the guide. Lovely garden that’s well kept and very peaceful.

Went on a weekend and had a tour with guide. Great weekend activity, it was informative and a nice time

Beautiful place. They can get pretty aggressive as our family was accused of taking commercial photos when we definitely weren’t. It’s very well-kept with the outdoor, interior and courtyard areas looking amazing.

Very cool place to spend an afternoon. So much history. It's great for the kids, but it's also interesting for adults. I have to disagree about this not being for children. I suppose it depends on age - probably not a lot of 3 years interested in history, but if you kids are old enough to get interested, I think they'll find a lot of it fascinating.

Very cool place to bring the family and walk around exploring. The kids will enjoy looking around and exploring in the back yard. Check out the huge tree and beautiful flowers. Make a reservation online to help out if possible and ask for a scavenger hunt sheet for the kiddos!

Rancho Los Cerritos is a beautiful historic estate that takes you back to California’s Rancho era. The adobe house, well-maintained gardens, and charming exhibits showcase life in the 19th century. Walking through the property feels peaceful and educational, making it perfect for history lovers and families alike. A calm, scenic spot to learn about California’s heritage and enjoy some quiet time. 🌿

Living history, within reach & free to visit/park https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA&select=8huRWg4LsxXD63dR14sRJg Rancho Los Cerritos, the homeland of the Tongva, Manuel Nieto, John Temple & the Bixby Estate, is a living backdrop of pre-California to 1955. Reservations can be made online, and walk-ins are easily accommodated. Visitors must first check-in at the Visitor's Center. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA&start=120&select=Uk3mxjofAwAAsYKxEbkFwQ Built in 1844, The Adobe Ranch House is the most important artifact at Rancho Los Cerritos. A bedroom, laundry room, furniture storeroom, food storeroom, blacksmith shop, non-circulating library, sunporch, parlor, living room & dining room are some of the sites to see. It was a pleasure to see some of the personal effects of those whom once lived in the house, such as handwritten letters & liniment. The second floor was closed off to the public, at the time. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA&start=96&select=V5q72Z3ocD9KusFNQhV9-g Bedroom https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA&start=96&select=mk-ehPzzYGfFw0M-XfVEoQ Laundry https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA&start=72&select=IG9KM01JNUJaGwB2xJZZ5w Library https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA&start=24&select=mSwtQjP2Pp4iSP4AUwbfMA Some objects in the various rooms & around the gardens are labelled as items allowed to be touched. Tactile learning helps immerse the holder into the time period, which photos aren't capable of doing. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA&start=72&select=yBwvYhj3KaP5gLyyGWKM8g https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA&start=48&select=HkT49sQTcVu2kMoVGXzSZg I'm not sure if these activities are available to the public, or just the schoolkids visiting that day, but there were a butter making station, laundry hanging station, and some playful outdoor game being played on a sunny SoCal day. The butter making station, in particular, I found was a great way to bring the public closer to their food & how it's made. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA&start=24&select=-lw6yvb654lWmTVSlD47xA The wisteria were in full bloom, and the encouragement of several of the staff members made a closeup pic an imperative. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA&select=rPkBMGOYKn02KpNWXhg8Eg A historical landmark, free to see & free to park. Visiting Rancho Los Cerritos was fascinating and worthwhile endeavor. Taking great pics, and revisiting the past of Californians before me, Rancho Los Cerritos is a must see. The property , while small, is rich with history, and would make a great venue for weddings and what not. I look forward to visiting again, soon. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=xsT4KZTu_KnOVavtuXn4RA&start=0&select=BAlRdJjITrnFeFPSZ3_NBg

Another piece of Long Beach history. It's right next to the very upscale Virginia Country Club. There is adequate parking. The grounds are beautiful with old trees. It's free to visit and volunteers lead tours. It is hard to imagine that Long Beach was largely a ranch owned by a very wealthy family at one time. A must visit.

Rancho Los Cerritos presents Fire on the Hill documentary and panel discussion. Beautiful venue and friendly staff. Id forgotten about the tours that are available. Lot of history not only about long beach but California overall

I can't believe I hadn't heard of this historical site before, and the only reason I knew about it was because of my randomly scanning through Google Maps one day. Rancho Los Cerritos (RLC) caught my eye because it was smack dab in the middle of a golf course, and I thought at first, it was like a country club. Well, not too far off, at least distance wise, since it is adjacent to the Virginia Country Club. However, RLC is its own entity that is open to the public albeit limited hours. RLC is located on the west side of Long Beach Blvd north of San Antonio. From San Antonio, simply go north on Virginia, and the historical site will be at the end. There is very limited parking by the site, and I think it's accessible parking only anyhow. However, there's a larger lot on the west side of Virginia that patrons and volunteers can park at. Besides those two lots, the only other lot nearby is for the Virginia Country Club, and I don't think you can park there unless you're a member. When you arrive, you'll have to check in at the Visitor Center. You'll be asked to provide contact information unless you fill out an RSVP form online indicating the day and hour you'd like to visit. On that form, you can also specify if you'd like a house tour, a garden tour, or both. On my first visit, I chose both, but the form doesn't specify how long the tours take. I signed up to visit from 4 to 5 PM on a Sunday, but I arrived a little earlier than that to find parking and my way around. After entering the Visitor Center, I checked in with the hostess, and there was a volunteer docent sitting behind her. The museum shop was next to them, but it's a really small shop. Don't expect anything like the Alamo Gift Shop in San Antonio (the city this time, not the street lol). The hostess asked me if I'd be interested in a tour, and I told her I specified on the online form I was interested in either a garden or a house tour. Since I came about an hour before closing, I was told I couldn't do both tours, but Martin, the volunteer behind her, could give me a tour of the house. At the time of my visit, there was a special event going on, which played really loud music that really didn't fit in with the vibe of a historical museum. Martin did what he could to show me around the adobe house and tell me more about each individual room. He had been volunteering with RLC for about 15 years, so he had an abundance of knowledge to share! Unfortunately, his knowledge base didn't encompass the garden tours, but his wife, Joyce, could give one. However, when Martin tried to call her, she didn't pick up, so he suggested I visit the California Native Garden and see if I could catch up to her somehow. After strolling through the native garden, which wasn't much acreage, I heard Joyce call me and ask if I'd like a garden tour, to which I responded affirmatively. Another visitor was with her, and I tagged along with them. She went through the various gardens around the site and talked about literally each plant there! In the time it took me to walk 5 seconds, she'd take just as many minutes to talk about the plants that I would pass by. During the tour, that other visitor mentioned Rancho Los Alamitos to me, and I made it a point to stop by to see how that one compared to Rancho Los Cerritos. With just a few minutes to go before the 5 PM closing time, Joyce was courteous enough to take me through the gardens all around the adobe house. It felt like a maze! Once the hour hand hit the 5, we had to make our way out of there, but I did get to thank Martin again for the house tour earlier. It was such a pleasure meeting both Martin and Joyce! I went a couple more times after that, both on Thursdays, and I had the pleasure of meeting another volunteer, Tom. Tom was great as well! He led me on a tour around the gardens the first time I met him. I was impressed at his wealth of knowledge of all the plants at the gardens despite the lack of signage. Some signs would have been more than helpful as I learned when I went the following Thursday. After checking in, the hostess offered me a laminated handout of a self-guided tour, which took me around the site and even gave directions along the way! However, I stumbled upon the parlor of the adobe house, which I mentioned to Tom, and he said the parlor was no longer open. He and another volunteer/staffer confirmed that the self-guided tour handout was actually out of date. Hopefully, they can update the self-guided tour soon so I can give it another go! Navigating the gardens was a challenge because I couldn't tell which green door the handout was referring to. There were multiple green doors! That was just one example, and with multiple paths around the gardens, it was tough to tell which section of the garden each paragraph was referring to. Overall, a must visit! The only reason I dropped the 5th star is because the special events can be disruptive to your experience at this fine historical site.

I was looking for a place that was free & to explore during a Sunday afternoon. I came on yelp & this place came up in my search. I signed up to visit from 1 to 2 PM on a Sunday. After entering the Visitor Center, I checked in with the hostess. I chose the self-guided tour. I visited the California Native Garden & the Adobe house & both were beautiful. The path through the gardens to the adobe house was like a little maze. Entrance is free with reservations. This was a good experience & learning about the historical site.

The man the the myth, the soft spoken but very knowledgeable Martin was our tour guide for the impromptu visit! Came upon this place after lunch and wanting to enjoy a nice walk outdoor and found this place on google maps. Driving up to this place, I thought it was part of the country club and I had accidentally navigated to the wrong location. But if you continue to the end, turn left to the parking and walk to the right is the Ranchos Los Cerritos historic location. Martin was such a great tour guide that lead us through the historic site and gave us a background of the location dating back to the 1800s during Spanish rule through to US ownership and onward. It was thought provoking to think that leather was the main export product of the past and steak was the byproduct in the past because refrigeration wasn't a thing. Could you believe that a prized steak and bbq ribs was merely a byproduct of leather production to be burned if not consumed in a timely manner. Just an overall fascinating site that took us through the ages of the location from a ranch to a lived in two story adobe home. Would definitely recommend visiting and picking up a passport booklet so you can learn about other historic sites located in socal to learn more about the history of this land we call home!

Beautiful, well-kept grounds. I arrived within an hour of closing. I will return because I heard that if I want a free tour, I should expect to prepare for 1-2 hours.

Looking for a place to explore and free? Come here! Our plan was to go CSULB Japanese Garden but required reservation and we're not prepared for a last minute spot. Rancho Los Cerritos is perfect to spent our afternoon after lunch. Traveling back in time to 1800s. Love historical site.

Jacqueline made my experience here awesome. I've lived in Long Beach for a while and had heard about this place and finally made it a point to visit. It's beautiful and a great peace of Long Beach history. Perfect place to have a party or event and parking is free! Big thanks to volunteer Jacqueline, a volunteer who gave my group and me a VIP experience!

My husband and I got married at Rancho Los Cerritos this spring, and I cannot begin to describe how perfect this was as a venue. It is absolutely stunning - our photographer loved it, because every single corner of the grounds is a gorgeous backdrop for wedding photos. Mallory, who manages their events, is incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and easy to work with. The front garden was a beautiful and peaceful place to have a ceremony. Having our reception and dance floor under the majestic tree in the back garden was so special - we even got a painting made of the tree so we can always remember how beautiful it was. We loved knowing the money we had set aside for a venue was supporting a nonprofit that focuses so much on the local community. This is a really special place, and it makes me so happy to know that it's a museum that we can visit throughout the years of our marriage!

Very relaxing location to meander through history. The area is relatively small but great for the size. The staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable of the Rancho history. Great place for a hike with family.

I cannot believe I just discovered this place after living in OC most of my life. I don't know what it's like during other seasons but spring is absolutely gorgeous here. The gardens are so well groomed and the flowers are all in bloom. They have picnic tables for you to rest and have a quick snack. The actual adobe is so well maintained. It's fascinating to get a glimpse of life in the past. Restrooms are at the entrance. The grounds aren't THAT big but you should wear comfortable shoes. Entrance is free with reservations. They do take walk ins but they might limit if it's crowded. They do close fir private events so make sure you check the website. And lastly they do take donations. Please bring some cash and support. I took my mom who loves flowers and gardens and she really enjoyed herself. It's now on our list of things to do in OC. I would love to come back on my own and take a tour to learn about the property and the history of SoCal. Can't wait to be back;)

I stopped in this weekend to just unwind and walk the grounds as I made some decisions and was so glad I chose this place to do so. I was unable to do the inside tour but a really sweet docent pointed out many points about the house and I was able to look into many of the rooms which really allows you to get a sense of former ranch life in California. Next to the entrance of the home is a cluster of orchard trees and in the middle of those is a winding pathway that leads to the back of the house. It was prettier than I was expecting and in the middle of it all is a giant Moretown Fig tree; just like the famous one in Santa Barbara. All around the tree are winding tree covered pathways and places to sit. In one corner is an old water tower that really shows the age of the place; it's beautiful in a rustic and worn way. On top of it all it is free. I know they host venues so I would encourage anyone interested in a good location to inquire but i can only truly recommend the experience I had. I was raised here in SoCal so love local history so anyone who would say the same would love this place or anyone looking to see anything beautiful. I see it as a botanical garden in a sort of way although understand why it would not be classified as such.

Totally a hidden gem, with history and gardens. Be sure to take a docent led tour as there's a lot you won't fully appreciate on your own. Allow an hour or so for your visit, it will be well worth it.

Very nice well preserved Ranch. Very peaceful and quiet grounds. A lot of history here with good exhibits.

My friend and I took the house and gardens tour with Tom. He shared a wealth of information and made it a nice, relaxing and interesting day for us. The grounds are very well kept and beautiful.

Fantastic place. The ranch house was beautiful. I reccomend spending the afternoon here atleast once. Also the gift shop was great.

We learned so much about L.A. and surrounding area history. I highly recommend. Be sure to make an online reservation for a free tour. Donations accepted and well deserved.

Nestled in the middle of a golf course is this historical site, an adobe ranch house from the mid-1800s that was later bought by the Bixby family. It now belongs to the City of Long Beach and is open free to the public (check the website for days & hours). I first stopped in the visitor center to get an overview of the history of the place and then went on the free tour of the home which lasts approximately an hour. The various rooms where work was performed (laundry, blacksmithing) as well as the rooms within the home itself were "decorated" with period proper tools, furnishings and accoutrements. The docent did a great job of explaining how life was lived back in those times and providing interesting local history. Worthwhile if you have any interest in history or artifacts of another era. Or if you just want to do something to entertain yourself for FREE.

This beautiful space is perfect for weddings and events. There are docents on site to give you an informative tour or you can wander on your own. It's free entrance and parking. There is a beautiful flower garden, a native plant garden, an exotic fruit garden, a building where you could see how the ranch was operated back in the day. It's a perfect outing for friends and family when they are in town. The place was small enough to leisurely walk for about an hour.

After visiting Rancho Los Alamitos several months ago and enjoying it so much, it was a lot for Rancho Los Cerritos to live up to, yet it did! We arrived there toward the end of their day on a Saturday. Preparations for a wedding were almost complete. Despite working around that, tours were still available to members of the public stopping by. The main parking lot is at the bottom of the hill, just past the entrance to the Virginia Country Club. This is a part of Long Beach we'd not seen before, and didn't know it existed. Once we strolled up the hill, we entered the Visitors' Center. A clean, modern space with a nicely done gift shop, the hostess suggested that we head downstairs for their video presentation before a tour. A number of the wedding guests were also there. After the conclusion of the very professional video, two docents came. One took the wedding group on a shortened tour, while the rest of us received the regular version. The adobe home at Los Cerritos is large, with a two-story section that's not all the common for the era. Our excellent guide plied us with tales of the various eras of the adobe's history, including when the floors were packed dirt, to later evolutions with more sophisticated finishes. A huge Moreton Bay Fig tree graces the side lawn, which was set up for the reception and dancing that would follow the wedding ceremony. The vows would take place in the inner courtyard of the adobe, with a tranquil water feature and the house as the backdrop. We didn't get to stroll the gardens, but got a glimpse of part of them on the house tour. This is a venue I'd like to return to for a more leisurely walk around the grounds. The Rancho occupies a special space as a local high point of land. Development in the area is quite high end, thanks to the Country Club. Uniquely designed large homes on big lots with wide streets are also part of the neighborhood scene. All were a pleasant surprise to discover as we traveled history's road.

I enjoy history and love historical homes. My mother and I enjoyed the tour very much and the staff was very friendly.

Rancho Los Cerritos is such a great little hidden gem in Long Beach - filled with history & beautiful gardens. We held our wedding "anniversary" party in the garden off of the back porch and everything was perfect. Mallory was super helpful and was easy to work through the whole process - through delaying the event due to COVID, getting us the info we needed, etc. She even took the time to check the cake before sending the delivery driver off, which was super helpful because the cake needed to be fixed. Thank you so much for having us - it was a magical night and such a great setting to celebrate with our friends & family.

This Saturday was our first visit to the creation station. They were making "stained glass" mitten window decorations, snow globes, and snowmen out of clay. We went to all three stations and had a great time, even though it was quite chilly out and started to rain. The only reason I'm deducting a star is because the volunteers were completely unenthusiastic. The woman in the front who was dressed in period wear was totally into her role, but the rest were almost all dead. There was an Asian kid at the snow globe station who was okay, and a Caucasian girl who was slightly peppy. However, I thought the girl at the mitten station was mute, and the guy at the snowman table was practically in a coma. I mean, you're working with kids! You need to at least have a pulse. It would have been better with no one manning the station and only a sign with provided directions. That would have been less awkward. It was still a good time and we'll drop by again next time. Maybe there will be different volunteers, or maybe they'll have some coffee ahead of time!

3.5 stars. Maybe not at the top of the list for a tourist making a quick visit into LA, but certainly worth a bit of a detour if you have the time. Based on the plants in the garden we were told about, it seems they always have something flowering or producing fruit no matter what time of year you visit. A great group of committed docents remain available even during the pandemic to offer safe and free tours. While the place is around 5 acres total, there were very willing to provide info on accessibility and advise us, for instance, that 100 yards of the orchard path and parts of the CA native garden would have less packed dirt whereas the backyard itself had firmly packed dirt and could be toured alone in about 30min. The shaded dirt path around the garden was nice on a hot summer day. Our customized tour covered the downstairs of the house for 25+ min and the garden for approx 60 min; we actually ended up spending a good amount of time there up til closing time. The not so good: I gave a sizeable donation and was promised a letter of acknowledgment/receipt so that I could have my employer match it, but it has been over a week since they took my $ and still nothing. Also, they have a sizeable bounty of fruit trees, but we were told most of the fruit is just left to rot or be eaten by wild animals; however, others like them often have an affiliation with a food bank or something like that so that fruit can be harvested and not just go to waste.

Thank you Jacqueline (sorry if i got it wrong) for touring my boyfriend and I! We loved how knowledgeable and accommodating you and the staff are. My boyfriend and I have lived in Cerritos/Long Beach for over 20 years and coming here we were able to learn a little bit more of where we live. The house and garden is beautiful! It was worth coming to see! I think it's a really cute place to take wedding photos especially if you're into the vintage aesthetics! We are definitely coming back!

Hidden gem in LB tucked into a residential area. The people there are very knowledgeable and will give you an honest history. Wish we would have toured 3 years ago before picking a wedding venue. Definitely a wonderful place to visit for a good hour or hour and a half.

Had a wonderful time today at the historic Rancho Los Cerritos site. Our docent William had a great sense of humor, and had plenty of knowledge about the home, he did a fantastic job. Make sure to stop in at the visitors center and buy a jar of the kumquat jam, it's delicious!!! Open to the public Wednesday - Sunday from 1:00 - 5:00 pm. Admission is FREE, donations welcomed.

I live a mile away. My boyfriend came over and we went to visit RLC. I swear I never knew it was there including the country club. Nice little hidden gem. We headed over to the visitor center and watched a film following by a private tour. So much interesting facts I did not know about Long Beach or Bixby knolls. The best part about it is it's free! We loved it.

Note: I have NOT explored the house of grounds. I went for a neighborhood jazz concert. Interestingly, I didn't know this park was in the neighborhood. I guess that's why they hosted the jazz concert in the clearing, to bring awareness to this little haven. Behind the golf course, it's well-nestled. It's actually too small to host popular concerts in the park like they do. However, it brings awareness to the adobe.

We got married at the Rancho Oct. 8, 2016. This was an amazing venue! First off, it's absolutely beautiful. So many trees and green lawn and history. The staff was very helpful. There is a list of vendors to chose from and every single vendor we chose was just perfect. The nice part about this venue is you get a blank canvas to start with. You get to chose the caterer, party rentals, DJ, and coordinator. They pretty relaxed about the items you want to bring in such as pallets and signs, you just can't nail anything into the trees but that makes sense since it's a historic property. The huge tree by our dance floor was my favorite part. Our DJ put lights around it and really made the tree pop at night! I highly recommend this venue. It's beautiful, easy to find, plenty of parking and seating for guests and will give you the most amazing wedding photos ever!

I went with 2 friends of mine. We really enjoyed looking at such old VINTAGE daily life items from ranch life centuries ago. The volunteered tour guides are friendly and you can tell they enjoy helping out there.

Great place to walk and catch up on the local history. I recommend taking the tour. Great people work or volunteer there. Leave a tip in the jar.

No reservation needed. Just show up and ask for a tour. It's beautiful, it's free, it's great.

My children and I had a wonderful time visiting the ranch. We took part in the new exhibit being showcased. Refreshments were served, staff was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. We are able to explore the main house and tour the various rooms. This a great FREE place to visit with family. This is also a great place for field trips and educational outings.

Held an event in the "backyard" and it was perfect. Friendly and helpful staff and such a beautiful location.

Tom and John were incredible! So knowledgeable, generous, entertaining and helpful towards us and made our trip so worth it! 10/10 recommend for any age, group, or person but especially for history and/or garden lovers! We had a wonderful time and learned so so much. Will definitely be returning for Christmas and Springtime.

Had our wedding last summer at Rancho Los Cerritos and absolutely loved it! The only downside is that your wedding has to start late (5:30) because of the tours, and be done by 10:30, but it was still PERFECT! :) The courtyard was the perfect place for the ceremony & we stood up on the patio with our wedding party which made it easy for everyone to see! We had 260 guests and everyone fit comfortably in the courtyard (I had been worried about this). We had such a fun reception in the backyard & it was a beautiful space that didn't even need much for decorations or flowers because of the natural beauty. There was plenty of space for everything in the backyard & was lit up beautifully with strands of lights. We used Primal Alchemy catering as our food vendor (the sight has 4 vendors to choose from) and they did a wonderful job as well. Overall, awesome & unique place for a wedding!! Highly recommend it!

This gets five stars from me because it is a cool, hidden historical site in Long Beach, and because it offers fun and free activities year-round. The best, in my opinion, are the free outdoor garden concerts in the summer months. But second to that are the Christmas candle-light tours. Try to check out this gem during one of those times and you won't be let down.

I revisited Rancho Los Cerritos today because I wanted to photograph some Old themed rooms and relics for a Photo Contest. I enjoyed my time of taking many photographs of this beautiful historic venue and adobe home. I first visited this historic site in the year 2000 with my Mother and Aunt, and we enjoyed touring the adobe home venue and especially the gardens! This historic site is a wonderful place to visit and learn more about the history of Long Beach and the Bixby Family's great influence to Long Beach's history. This Rancho adobe home and its gardens have all been very well-maintained. Their Staff are very friendly and helpful, and they make you feel welcomed. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit today, and felt like I was taken back into another era and world, when life was much simpler.

Awesome place. The original house and grounds date 200 years old and, through various renovations and multiple owners (including the Bixby family, of course), showcase life in this area in the 1800 and early 1900s. Home and garden tours are offered for free and are conducted by some highly knowledgeable and devoted folks! If you don't want to take the time for one of the tours (1hr each), you are free to walk around and enjoy the grounds. Every first Saturday they host a family day, with a couple kid's crafts and some period games (stick and hoop!). I haven't been to an event here, but I bet it would be beautiful and so unique!

I liked our tour of Rancho Los Cerritos. Their grounds and gardens are beautiful. A must see in the spring time. They have an interesting two story adobe. Although the adobe has been reconstructed in parts, it is still a testament to the rancho period of the past. :)

A tucked away yester-world of late 1800's life in a former sheep ranch located in now industrial Long Beach. I Experienced an amazing 4th grade field trip where 4 docents dressed in time period attire and charming character-driven personas help us tour the estate and mini mansion. Hands on activities provided with churning butter, learning medicinal and culinary herbs, old-timey children's games, library with authentic sheepshearing memorabilia, and tour of historical bedrooms and parlors. The volunteers were so poised and most likely former actors and actresses. Very caring staff. Clean and well taken care of facilities. Beautiful and fragrant gardens.

The Rancho is a historical garden oasis tucked in LB and our wedding there had a beautiful, heartwarming setting and a garden area for the caterer to prepare a knock-out dinner and then Elm St Band rocked the house. Thanks Rancho staff for maintaining the grounds so wonderfully and offering us a historic spot to always be a part of us. Mitch and Janice 5/6/17

If you're interested in local history, I recommend visiting the Rancho. It's like stepping back in time! Our your guide was friendly and an excellent story teller. She painted a very clear picture of what it might have been like to live back when the ranch was operational. Long Beach has come such a long way since then! Walking through the gardens after the tour was probably my favorite part - lots of shaded pathways with different types of flora everywhere! It was magical.

Randomly stumbled upon this gem while looking for things to do in Long Beach. Our hostess was awesome! She really took us back in time and I learned so much about Long Beach and the Bixby family.

If you are a history geek, I HIGHLY recommend coming during one of their Living History Tours. We were taken around by an older lady posing as Mrs. Bixby, and she was really absorbed in the role, answering questions in character and giving thorough responses. She was great, walking around the house, talking about it like it was really hers. She went on about being envious of the ladies at Rancho Los Alamitos for having flushing toilets while she still had to use the chamber pot, as represented in one of the bedrooms. They also do free tours, no costumes or characters, daily. Seems like the ranchos are primarily of interest to random locals who want to visit and students looking to earn some extra credit visiting a museum/historic place. Los Cerritos is definitely much more interesting when the tours come alive, but it's still well worth visiting any other day.

My mom had won a raffle for a private tour of RLC and surprisingly growing up all my childhood I had never been there. We spent the day on a tour with Mr. and Mrs. Bixby (an adorable couple who never broke character) and made us all feel like we had traveled back in time. We had about an hour and a half tour of the house and I was so impressed with all that these two knew about this time period and little details that made it feel so real! We asked tons of questions and had such a fantastic and fun experience. This tour far exceeded our expectations. If you've never been, definitely opt for a private tour with Mr. and Mrs. Bixby who will guide you through life as it was at RLC all those years ago. Our tour also included a private luncheon out in the garden which was fabulous food as well. Double bonus, great tour and great food!

RLC is a National Historic Treasure right here in Long Beach. This original adobe has been standing since it was built in 1843. Because the rancho was used for different purposes over time, like any piece of property, the different owners changed the adobe to suit them. Let's be thankful to Llewellyn Bixby for fixing up the adobe in the 1930s to save it from wearing away (adobe has to be cared in order for it to survive). He lived there and then, in the '50s sold/gave the property to the city of Long Beach. The tours are free. The grounds are beautiful and pastoral. There are free concerts here in the summer and activities for children and families throughout the year. It's one of my favorite relaxing, fun locations! P.S. You do not HAVE to watch the video to go on the tour. It's 14 minutes and it's a great little backstory from the point of view of a young girl ghost.