The tour at the Banning Museum was an absolute fiasco…read more We arrived at the front house and were told the tour started in a building behind it. The welcome staff sorta chided us saying there was a sign with a pointing hand showing where to go, but all four visitors interpreted the sign as pointing toward the front door of the house instead. Once we found the correct building, my husband realized he had left his bag in the car. I told the guide I'd wait outside while he grabbed it. When he came back, they told us we had to pay $5 each. He handed over $20, and the Tour Guide immediately seemed irritated that we didn't have exact change and had to go get change from another room. Strange energy from the beginning. Then she announced to the room of... four visitors... that the tour was "running late" and starting behind schedule. The tour was scheduled for 1:30 PM. It was literally 1:33 PM. She explained the rules and specifically said, "No photography in the house." While we were still in the reception building, I took photos of the displays and the family tree. She suddenly scolded me and said photography wasn't allowed at all. I clarified because she specifically said "in the house," and we were not in the house yet. She doubled down and said no photography anywhere. Fine. I immediately put my phone away and even checked that my ringer was off so there would be zero disruption. Then we walked to the front yard of the house. Everyone stood in the grass, but I stayed nearby on the sidewalk because ants tend to crawl on and bite me. I could still hear her perfectly and remained with the group. Suddenly she stopped the tour again and looked visibly distressed. She told me I should leave if I was uncomfortable. I reassured her I was fine and wanted to continue the tour. At that point, she started breathing heavily, covered her face with her hands, then held up her hand in a "stop" gesture and announced that SHE was uncomfortable continuing the tour. I asked if she was saying she wanted me to leave because she felt uncomfortable. My husband finally said we should just go because it was obvious she no longer wanted us there. We got our money back, ironically the same money exchange that supposedly caused the entire massive 3-minute delay. Also worth noting: the website says the $5 is a voluntary donation, but in person it was presented as mandatory. Her treatment of us and reactions felt disproportionate to the situation. We were polite, cooperative, and excited for the tour, yet left feeling singled out and unwelcome. Really disappointing because my husband and I were genuinely looking forward to learning about the history.

We came to the Banning Mansion for their 1874 Victorian Christmas celebration. For no charge we…read moretoured the mansion, rode in a horse drawn carriage, toured the one room school house, saw amazing period carolers, snacked on delectable delights and traditional coffee, saw incredible Victorian dancing and MORE You can book a tour any time of year! Right in the heart of Wilmington!

I would wait until April, as the second floor remodel will be completed and one can visit much more…read moreHistory of the Port of LA, San Pedro etc. Had a great time seeing the exhibit s available but, also planning on revisiting after the big reopening in April.

Very nice little maritime museum in what was once the ferry terminal. Terrific models, flags,…read moreposters, and a recreation of the flying bridge of the USS Los Angeles. Well, worth taking the time to visit..

This place is an oasis. Small, personal, but comfortable. It is directly behind the Torrance Art…read moreMuseum. Please donate to the Museum if you go and they are open. Pine Wind Garden is aesthetically pleasing and a cool place to hangout in peace and quiet. Do not feed the fish. Respect the property and enjoy your stay.

Beautiful and serene. Pine Wind Garden is a hidden gem behind the Torrance Civic Center. This…read moreJapanese garden is a lovely spot that is quiet and a perfect place for relaxation and reflection. I've visited this garden after some classes I've taken at the Civic Center as well as after some events. I love the pretty landscaping, the koi pond and the waterfalls. There's plenty of stone pathways to walk around. It's so picturesque. This is one of my favorite gardens in the South Bay.

Rich history, here, walk around a beautiful ocean view all kinds of cool old military equipment…read more There's even a military dog cemetery vibrationally there is a spiritual vibe here when it's quiet, you could almost hear the sounds. Of the troops sometimes you hear things here great birdwatching and please be mindful don't play music or speakerphone. You can hear everything from far away here that's why there's the Korean Bell nearby enjoy a beautiful quiet walk in a serene surrounding dog friendly.

I often hike at Joan Flores Park it is such a privilege to see the exterior of Fort MacArthur…read moreMuseum. I have been hiking here since the late 90's from time to time. You just may get lucky and find someone working on the property. On my last visit to Joan Flores Park, I tried finding out information on when the museum would reopen and ran into a sign. Durning the pandemic, I was lucky to have run into an employee who gave us tons of interesting information.

The interpretive center itself (as in the museum) was closed when I came here with my parents a few…read moreyears ago, but my mom did manage to find an unlocked public ladies' room, so she, at least, experienced an interior part of the building. And I'm sure the building is neat and informative and lovely, but if it's light out, why are you wasting your time indoors when you could be experiencing the absolute wonder that is Point Vicente? Assuming your lens isn't smudged and you're in focus and there's still light left in the day, it's impossible to take anything but an absolutely gorgeous photo here. In addition to the center and the billion-dollar views, there are grassy areas, dirt trails, some attractive protective fencing, and picnic tables. There are some gorgeous trees and cacti as well. When we were here, three or four volunteers were doing a whale census. They were recording every whale and dolphin that passed by, and when possible, they were recording the species and any identifying markings. No whales passed while we were here, but the friendliest of the volunteers told us that pod of migrating bottlenose dolphins had passed just before we arrived. He also let me use his binoculars so I could observe the ocean.

Free educational museum. We enjoyed our visit on a cloudy day when the lighthouse wasn't very…read morevisible. We went on a Saturday & there was plenty of free parking.

I've heard about this museum but never got the chance to visit. Today I parked here to attend the…read moreLomita Founder's Day event and decided to check out the museum at 4 pm on Sunday before heading home. The museum is small but packed with a lot of historical artifacts. My preschooler was enamored with the wooden toy train set and wouldn't stop playing. It was cool to check out the trains outside, and I was surprised to find out that the yellow caboose was actually a little library. I read two Thomas the Train books to my kiddo in there. :) The bathroom is clean, and the inside of the museum is air-conditioned, so it was very comfortable on a hot summer day.

For some reason, it took over 30 years for me to finally check out Lomita Railroad Museum despite…read moregrowing up in South Bay. It's free, it's cute, and it's a fun little venture. It's a railroad museum with a few railroad cars and a small museum displaying vintage items, models, and what not. The curator is very passionate about this museum and locomotives and can give you a detailed explanation or tour about, well, anything railroad. And the best part? It's all free! But still strongly consider donating or supporting via their gift shop, this is a gem within Lomita and we gotta make sure it stays around for a long time. They also allow for venue renting of the grassy space and across the street as well for any events you want so keep that in mind as well! Small parking lot but there's plenty of street parking too!

Love the LPS poetry night and the venue space is great for performances of all kinds!read more

I saw a live music show here and am so excited for this space. The room is bright with exposed…read morebrick and fantastic acoustics! In addition to a wide array of programming, Collage gives back to the community with children's instrument donation and jam sessions. Richard is a warm person with a true passion for this venue. Check them out or book your programming here!

Amazing Gallery! James knows what he's talking about despite his age. They're so nice in there and…read morethere are unlimited amount of stories about the art that you want to hear. Would recommend to anyone

AMAZING GALLERY! I love taking classes here, James is such a great teacher and all of the staff is…read moreincredibly nice. Take some classes yourself or just stop by to check out the art. Either way, I promise you won't be disappointed