Rancho Los Cerritos

Rancho Los Cerritos is a National, State, and Long Beach Historic Landmark located at 4600 Virginia Road in the Bixby Knolls neighborhood of Long Beach, California. Built in 1844 by merchant Jonathan Temple, the two-story Monterey Colonial adobe house sits on 4.7 acres of historic gardens overlooking the Los Angeles River corridor and the adjacent Virginia Country Club. Originally the headquarters of a 27,000-acre cattle and sheep ranch carved from the 1784 Spanish land grant to Manuel Nieto, the property traces Southern California’s evolution from indigenous Tongva (Gabrielino) homeland (`Tevaaxa’anga`) through the Spanish, Mexican, and American ranching eras to the 1930s Spanish Colonial Revival renovation commissioned by Llewellyn Bixby Jr. Operated as a public museum since 1955, the site offers free admission, docent-led house and garden tours, a specialized California history research library, and seasonal cultural programs.

What to Expect at Rancho Los Cerritos

Stepping through the thick adobe perimeter walls into the central courtyard, visitors encounter the 1844 two-story main residence flanked by single-story wings that once functioned as wool storage rooms, a blacksmith shop, and ranch hands’ quarters. The interior rooms are restored and furnished to reflect both the 1866–1881 sheep-ranching era under Jotham Bixby—widely known as the “Father of Long Beach”—and the 1930s remodel by architect Kenneth Wing Sr. Guests can walk through the working ranch kitchen, the blacksmith shop, the foreman’s office, the formal parlor, and upstairs bedrooms while examining period artifacts, agricultural tools, and rotating exhibits in the Visitor Center gallery that explore the lives of the Tongva people, Mexican vaqueros, Chinese cooks, and Basque, Portuguese, and Native American sheep shearers who lived and worked on the land.

Surrounding the adobe is an expansive landscape designed in 1931 by prominent Southern California landscape architect Cornell, Bridgers & Troller (Ralph D. Cornell). The grounds feature a massive Moreton Bay fig tree planted in the 19th century, heritage fruit orchards with pomegranate, citrus, and olive trees, a formal rose and geranium garden, and the Arid Garden showcasing native California drought-tolerant flora. Visitors can pick up a self-guided tour brochure or scan QR codes along the garden paths, browse the museum gift shop for local history books and artisan crafts, or attend family programs such as Bilingual Storytime (`Storytime Bilingüe`) and Artful Storytelling Days via Rancho Los Cerritos.

• 1844 Monterey Colonial Adobe: One of the largest surviving two-story adobe residences in Southern California, featuring three-foot-thick sun-dried mud-brick walls, redwood ceiling beams, and rooms restored to the 1870s Bixby sheep-ranching era and 1930s residential period.
• Ralph D. Cornell Historic Gardens: Over four acres of grounds designed in 1931 by master landscape architect Ralph D. Cornell, anchored by a towering 19th-century Moreton Bay fig tree, heritage citrus and olive orchards, brick walkways, and native plant beds.
• Blacksmith Shop & Ranch Wings: Ground-floor utility rooms displaying 19th-century forge equipment, wool-baler tools, leather saddles, and kitchenware used during the height of the Bixby family’s sheep and dairy operations.
• California History Research Library: An on-site archive holding more than 3,000 volumes, primary ranch ledgers, historic photographs, and maps documenting early California ranchos and the development of Long Beach.
• Visitor Center & Rotating Exhibitions: The orientation hub housing temporary thematic exhibits on Tongva heritage, local water sustainability (including the stormwater capture cistern beneath the Arroyo), and a museum shop.

Rancho Los Cerritos at a Glance

Visiting Tips, Getting There & Nearby Pairings

Admission to Rancho Los Cerritos is free, though visitors are encouraged to book free timed RSVP tickets online at rancholoscerritos.org/visit/reserve prior to arrival. Public guided tours of the adobe interior and historic gardens typically depart on the hour between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM (with additional morning tours on Saturdays); arriving 15 minutes before the top of the hour ensures a spot in the next docent-led group. A free on-site parking lot is located directly at the entrance on Virginia Road. Travelers arriving by public transit can take the LA Metro A Line (formerly the Blue Line) to Wardlow Station and walk 20 minutes north through the quiet tree-lined streets of the Los Cerritos neighborhood, or take Long Beach Transit buses along Long Beach Boulevard.

The Visitor Center, restrooms, inner courtyard, ground-floor rooms of the adobe, and primary brick and decomposed-granite garden paths are wheelchair and stroller accessible; because the 1844 adobe is a protected historic structure without an elevator, the second-floor bedrooms are reached via stairs, with an interactive digital tour and photo binder available on the ground floor for guests avoiding steps. After touring the rancho, visitors are a five-minute walk or two-minute drive from the Atlantic Avenue dining and shopping corridor in Bixby Knolls, home to local bakeries, craft breweries, and cafes, as well as the neighboring Los Cerritos Park and the historic Dominguez Gap Wetlands trail along the Los Angeles River.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the opening hours and best times to visit Rancho Los Cerritos?

Rancho Los Cerritos is open Wednesday through Friday and Sunday from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and major holidays). Saturday mornings at 10:00 AM and Wednesday or Thursday afternoons at 1:00 PM offer the quietest conditions and comfortable temperatures for walking the outdoor gardens.

How much do tickets cost at Rancho Los Cerritos, and do I need reservations?

General admission and docent-led tours at Rancho Los Cerritos are completely free, with a suggested voluntary donation of $5 to $10 per person to support preservation and educational programming. Advance online RSVP tickets are recommended through the museum’s website, though walk-in visitors are accommodated whenever capacity allows.

How much time should I budget for a visit to Rancho Los Cerritos?

Plan to spend 1.5 to 2.5 hours on site. A guided tour of the historic adobe takes approximately 45 to 60 minutes, leaving an additional 45 to 60 minutes to explore the 4.7-acre gardens, view the Visitor Center exhibits, and browse the museum shop.

Is Rancho Los Cerritos accessible for wheelchairs and families with kids?

Yes, the Visitor Center, restrooms, central courtyard, ground-floor adobe exhibits, and main garden paths are step-free and navigable for wheelchairs and strollers, while a virtual display provides full access to the upstairs rooms. Families with children can take advantage of hands-on activity guides, weekend Storytime programs, and shaded garden benches.

When planning your Long Beach travel guide or comparing verified attractions and museums in Long Beach, pair this stop with standout local spots including Holiday Inn Long Beach Airport, an IHG Hotel, Harry Bridges Memorial Park, Long Beach Lifeguard Museum, and African American Cultural Center (1.1 km away).