Stand at the end of the fishing pier off Oliver Vickery Circle Way and the harbour opens up in front of you: the breakwater running out to Angel's Gate Lighthouse, the Vincent Thomas Bridge behind it, and the decks of a World War II battleship a short walk back along the waterfront. San Pedro is a working port that has kept its history on display rather than behind glass, and most of it sits within a few blocks of the water.
This guide suits travellers who like ships, lighthouses and small museums with real objects in them, and who are happy to spend a day on foot between the harbour, the park on the bluff and the waterfront museums. It covers the sights and experiences named in the source material, with the practical details you need to fit them into a day.
Top things to do in San Pedro
1. Battleship Iowa
A WWII-era battleship, the USS Iowa, moored at 250 S. Harbor Blvd and open for tours daily from 10AM to 4PM. You walk the decks of a ship that saw service in the Pacific, which makes it the single most substantial thing to see on this waterfront.
Admission is $29.95 for adults, $26.95 for seniors 62+ and military, $21.95 for youth 6-11, and free for children 5 and under. Pair it with the American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial, which is a short walk away on South Harbor Blvd.
2. S.S. Lane Victory
A World War II-era Merchant Marine vessel that carried cargo for the war effort, now open to explore at Berth 49, with two museums, one in each of its cargo holds. It is the counterpart to the Iowa: a working cargo ship rather than a warship, and the difference is the point.
It is open daily from 9AM to 3PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, $5 for children aged 5 to 14, and free for active military with ID. To reach it, take the Harbor Blvd. exit from either the 110 or 47 and continue straight down Harbor Blvd to the end of Miner St.
3. Point Fermin Lighthouse and Park
A lighthouse built in 1874 at 807 Paseo Del Mar, no longer in active use and with a history that includes service as a military lookout post during World War II. Tours of the interior run every hour during opening hours, Tuesday to Sunday, 1-4PM, and the highlight is the climb to the tower.
The lighthouse itself can be seen seven days a week from the park surrounding it, so the grounds are worth a stop even outside tour hours. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult, and children under 40 inches in height may not be admitted to the tower. Entry is free, with donations requested.
4. Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
A small but complete aquarium at 3720 Stephen White Dr, covering the natural history of the area through live exhibits, beach tours and classes. It is the best introduction to what you are looking at when you stand on the shore here.
It opens Tuesday to Friday noon-5PM and Saturday and Sunday 10AM-5PM, and is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Entry is free, with suggested donations of $5 for adults and $1 for children and seniors. Parking is $1 per hour, capped at $7 from October through May and $9 from June through September.
5. Korean Bell of Friendship and Bell Pavilion
A bell presented to the people of Los Angeles by the people of the Republic of Korea in 1976, set in its pavilion at Gaffey and 37th Street in Angels Gate Park. The bell is rung four times each year: the Fourth of July, August 15 for Korean Independence Day, New Year's Eve, and every September to coincide with bell ringings around the country for Constitution week.
Entry is free. If your visit does not fall on one of those dates, the pavilion and its setting in the park are still the reason to come, and it combines naturally with the other sights in Angels Gate Park.
6. Fort MacArthur Museum (Battery Osgood-Farley Historic Site)
A museum at 3601 S. Gaffey St in Angels Gate Park, open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays from noon to 5PM. It occupies the historic battery site, which is what gives the visit its scale.
It sits in the same park as the Korean Bell of Friendship and the Marine Mammal Care Center, so the three fit into one stop. Call ahead on +1 310 548-2631 if you are making a special trip.
7. Los Angeles Maritime Museum
A museum of maritime history at 600 Sampson Way, Berth 84 at the foot of 6th Street, housed in the former San Pedro Ferry Terminal building. It holds 700 ship models along with other nautical paraphernalia, which makes it the place to go if the ships themselves have caught your interest.
It is open Tuesday to Saturday 10AM-5PM and Sunday noon-5PM. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for youth and senior citizens, and free for children. It is a short walk from the American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial.
8. American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial
A monument on South Harbor Blvd at West 6th Street to the men of the United States Merchant Marine Service, who took the same risk as U.S. Navy vessels without the benefit of an armed and armoured ship while carrying supplies to Allied forces in the Europe and Pacific theatres.
It is free to visit and sits right by the waterfront, so it works as a stop on the way between the Maritime Museum and the Iowa rather than as a separate trip.
9. Angel's Gate Lighthouse
A historic lighthouse that has stood watch over the Port of Los Angeles since 1913, at the end of the Los Angeles Harbor breakwater. You cannot walk out to it, but the closest land viewpoint is from the fishing pier at the end of Oliver Vickery Circle Way.
Go for the view rather than the building itself, and combine it with the harbour boat tours that pass it. It is also one of the landmarks you will see from the water on a Port of Los Angeles cruise.
10. LA Waterfront Cruises
Boat tours of the Port of Los Angeles departing from 1150 Nagoya Way, with highlights including the Angels Gate Lighthouse, the Vincent Thomas Bridge, the L.A. Harbor Clock Tower and the S.S. Lane Victory. The same operator runs whale watching and deep sea fishing trips.
Call +1-310-547-9916 for tour dates and hours, since these are not fixed. Seeing the port from the water is the best way to understand how the pieces you have walked past fit together.
11. Marine Mammal Care Center
At 3601 S. Gaffey St in Angels Gate Park, where you can watch while volunteers tend to recuperating seals, sea lions and other animals. It is free, and open during daylight hours.
Because it is in Angels Gate Park, it slots in between the Fort MacArthur Museum and the Korean Bell of Friendship. Call +1 310 548-5677 to check before you go.
12. Muller House Museum
A restored Colonial Revival house at 1542 South Beacon St, built in 1899, furnished with examples of Arts and Crafts furnishings and hosting rotating exhibits. Tours of the interior run 1PM-4PM on the first three Sundays of the month, and by appointment.
There is an onsite gift shop, and entry is free with donations appreciated. Because the opening days are limited, plan this one around the calendar rather than fitting it in on the spur of the moment.
13. Los Angeles City Fire Department San Pedro Museum 36
A museum in the old Los Angeles City Fire Department Station 36 at 639 S. Harbor Blvd, with historical fire apparatus and an account of some of the most historical fires in the Harbor area, including a section dedicated to marine firefighting. It is open Saturdays 10AM-3PM.
Entry is free with donations suggested. It is on the same stretch of Harbor Blvd as the waterfront sights, so a Saturday visit can take it in on foot.
14. Angels Gate Cultural Center
At 3601 South Gaffey St, offering a year-round schedule of gallery exhibitions, cultural events and classes, and providing work-studio space for 52 artists and musicians. Check the website for the event calendar before you go.
It shares its address with the Fort MacArthur Museum and the Marine Mammal Care Center, so it is best treated as part of a longer stop in Angels Gate Park rather than a destination on its own.
15. Grunion run
From March to June, a small, silvery fish called a grunion comes up on the shore to spawn in the late night hours. The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium at 3720 Stephen White Dr offers a series of "Meet the Grunion" presentations, and you can see the run on the beach for free.
In March and June, grunion may be taken by hand, though a California fishing license, which must be displayed, is required unless you are under 16. Check the website for predicted run times, and bring warm clothing and a flashlight. The aquarium programme costs $5 for adults and $1 for seniors, students and children.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Battleship Iowa when it opens at 10AM and give it the time it deserves. Walk the short distance to the American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial on South Harbor Blvd afterwards, then head to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum at the foot of 6th Street, open from 10AM.
Afternoon. Drive or walk up to Angels Gate Park and work through it in one pass: the Fort MacArthur Museum, the Marine Mammal Care Center and the Korean Bell of Friendship and Bell Pavilion. Finish at Point Fermin Lighthouse and Park, where interior tours run hourly from 1PM to 4PM and the climb to the tower is the highlight. If time allows, stop at the S.S. Lane Victory at Berth 49 before it closes at 3PM.
Evening. End the day at the fishing pier at the end of Oliver Vickery Circle Way for the closest land view of Angel's Gate Lighthouse, with the breakwater and the harbour in front of you. If you would rather see the port from the water, book a LA Waterfront Cruises boat tour instead and call ahead for dates and hours.
Frequently asked questions
When can I tour the inside of Point Fermin Lighthouse?
Interior tours run every hour from 1PM to 4PM, Tuesday to Sunday. The lighthouse can be seen seven days a week from the surrounding park. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult, and children under 40 inches in height may not be admitted to the tower.
Is there a good time of year to visit the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for the grunion run?
The grunion run happens from March to June, in the late night hours, and the aquarium runs "Meet the Grunion" presentations. Check the website for predicted run times, and bring warm clothing and a flashlight.
How do I get to the S.S. Lane Victory?
It is at Berth 49. Take the Harbor Blvd. exit from either the 110 or 47 and continue straight down Harbor Blvd to the end of Miner St. It is open daily from 9AM to 3PM.
Which sights are free?
The American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial, the Korean Bell of Friendship and Bell Pavilion, the Marine Mammal Care Center, Point Fermin Lighthouse and Park, the Muller House Museum and the Los Angeles City Fire Department San Pedro Museum 36 are all free, with donations requested or suggested at several of them. The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is also free, with suggested donations.
Decide which ships and lighthouses you want to see first, check the opening days for the places with limited hours, and start building your San Pedro itinerary around them.