| Rancho Los Alamitos in LONG
BEACH, CALIFORNIA
California Museums
Perched
at the very top of the gated Bixby Hill in Long Beach, California is a
rambling rancho thatt's an oasis that allows visitors to travel back in time.
Under the shade of the large willow and cottonwood trees sits a rancho or
ranch house once owned by a prominent family instrumental in the growth
Southern California. No operated by the City of Long Beach, this tourist
attraction is popular for all ages and all times. On its perimeter one
direction is the campus of California State University Long Beach. Not far
away is one of the most active ports in the nation at the Port of Long
Beach. But on this hill, there are butterflies, hummingbirds, horses,
squirrels and a pace reflecting the era in which Rancho Los Alamitos was
established.
Rancho Los
Alamitos (Ranch of the Little Cottonwoods), which began as a
simple adobe building early in the 19th century, reflects
the physical and cultural changes that took place in
California from the Spanish colonial period, through the
Mexican territorial era, and into the modern American
period.
Originally constructed as the center of a cattle
ranch by Manuel Perez Nieto, a corporal in the Spanish army,
the ranch grew under the later ownership of Mexican Governor
José Figuero, the American Abel Sterns (the first alcalde,
or mayor, of Los Angeles during the Mexican period), and the
Bixby family. These owners transformed the small adobe
building into an elegant 18-room ranch house. In the early
20th century, the grounds were planted with extensive
landscaped gardens. The Bixby family donated the ranch house
and grounds to the city of Long Beach in the 1960s.
|
6400 Bixby Hill Road
Long Beach, Ca 90815
(Enter through residential
security gate
at the intersection of
Anaheim and Palo Verde)
562-431-3541
The history of this National
Register site spans 1500
years. The 7.5 acres are
comprised of six
agricultural buildings
(including a working
blacksmith shop), four acres
of award-winning gardens and
a sprawling adobe ranch
house (built c.1800). The
barns area is home to a
number of farm animals such
as draft horses, sheep,
goats and chickens. Rancho
Los Alamitos is open for
tours without reservations,
W-Su, 1-5 p.m. Groups of ten
or more are requested to
make a reservation to assure
accommodation. Tours are
approximately every half
hour and end at 4 p.m.
Curriculum based school
tours are offered by
reservation only. All tours
are free!
Rancho Los
Alamitos is located at 6400
Bixby Hill Rd. in Long
Beach. It is open Wednesday-Sunday,
1:00pm to 5:00pm. For more
information call Rancho Los
Alamitos Historic Ranch and
Gardens at 562-431-3541
|
|
|
|
|
