Long Beach Garden Tours all summer long at Rancho Los Cerritos.

Long Beach, Calif.--Garden Tours at Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site

DATE: Every 1st Sunday at 2:30 p.m. March through October.

LOCATION: Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site, 4600 Virginia Road, Long Beach (One block west of Long Beach Blvd. at San Antonio Drive).

COST: Free; by reservation only.

Rancho Los Cerritos is a lovely tour any time of year. But there's a special event that occurs during the summer months when locals and tourists celebrate the arrival of the spring and summer seasons with a guided tour of its lush grounds. Discover the history of the gardens as you stroll past the lovely gardens where the vibrant, colorful flowers are in bloom and delight in the refreshing citrus fragrances in the restored orchard.

The historic site boasts many unique plants and features. Some trees date back to the 1840s when John Temple, owner of the 27,000-acre Rancho from 1844-1866, started the garden. In 1931, renowned landscape architect Ralph Cornell redesigned the gardens for Llewellyn Bixby, Sr. and added more exotic plants and fruit trees. A water tower, a cast iron tallow pot from the 1840s, and an adobe horno are additional features you will explore during your tour.

Afterward, take a docent-led tour of the adobe house, browse through the Museum Gift Shop and purchase jam made from the Rancho’s organic fruit trees. For more information or reservations, call (562) 570-1755. The Rancho is open Wednesday – Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

For special accommodations, please call at least 48 hours in advance.
PRESENTED BY: This event is a joint presentation by Friends of Rancho Los Cerritos and Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site, Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, City of Long Beach.