Preparing For A New School Year | | |
For over 30 years, Rancho Los Alamitos has offered educational tours to local schoolchildren. These unique and unforgettable field trips are offered at no charge for over 3,000 students a year, and transportation scholarships are provided to underfunded schools.
Thank you to our incredible school docent volunteers and donors for making these experiences possible!
Check out a short film featuring our Tovaave Field Trip for 3rd graders below:
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August Summer Concert
Sunday, August 24, 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Gates open at 4:30 PM
Free admission: RSVP's are required.
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Our next Summer Concert is this Sunday! With a focus on highlighting community partnerships, our concert features local performers, Krooked Fingerz. and offers a chance to cool off during a hot summer night. Pack a picnic dinner and hang out with your family and friends on our Barns Lawn. Seaside Creamery will join us again and sell ice cream throughout the evening.
Free admission and parking! Parking is at CSULB Lot G13. Free shuttle service to and from the Rancho. Reservations required. We hope to see you there!
| | Thank you to our event sponsor, the Port of Long Beach! | | Cover Image by Millicent Harvey Photography | | |
There are many untold stories in our built environment. Our illustrious speaker, Dr. Christine Edstrom O’Hara, is the co-editor of California Eden: Heritage Landscapes of the Golden State, with Susan Chamberlin. Dr. O’Hara will look at the history of the state through the lens of cultural landscapes, in other words, landscapes that have been shaped by humans who have left their imprints on the natural world. The talk will examine how the California landscape was transformed by the Indigenous peoples, Spanish colonizers, settlers, nurserymen and women, among others, based on essays in the book. From the estate Green Gables, to Cypress Lawn Cemetery in San Mateo County, to the Japanese American gardens of San Diego, the essays speak to design as well as the challenges of historic preservation of these often ephemeral places.
Doors will open at 5:30 PM, and the lecture will start at 6:00 PM. Details are subject to change.
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See It Before You Snap It – Photo Workshop
Saturday, September 6, 2025
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
$20 per person, $15 for members
Spend the morning at Rancho Los Alamitos learning how to capture great shots using only your smartphone camera. Guided by an experienced instructor and Rancho photographer Doug Cox, you’ll explore how to adjust your view, perspective, and framing before even taking the photo. With his deep knowledge of the site and its history, Doug will show you how to spot the hidden picture within a picture. He will also share tips and highlight the best locations for unique and creative photos. This workshop takes place before our regular public hours, offering exclusive access to the grounds.
Recommended for ages 16 and up. Every participant will need to bring a smartphone; no other equipment is necessary.
| | Membership and Volunteer News | | Not yet a Rancho member? Join today! | | | | |
Joan Van Hooten has served as a Board Member and volunteer at Rancho Los Alamitos for three years. With a successful career in fundraising and leading non-profits in Southern California, Joan has always held a special passion for the arts and history. Joan has worked at the Orange County Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Public Corporation for the Arts, and was the Executive Director at the Arts Council for Long Beach.
Here at the Rancho, Joan plays an integral role in the Cottonwood Award Luncheon, Circle A membership program, and leads the Board's Development Committee.
| | Interested in volunteering at Rancho Los Alamitos? Learn more here | | |
Saturday, September 20, 2025 is the 7th Annual Ranchos Walk! Don’t miss out on this unique urban hike experience that explores a historic trail linking Long Beach's two ranchos. Choose between the 9, 6, or 3-mile start options and enjoy free entry to the celebration hosted by Rancho Los Cerritos at the end!
The City of Long Beach hosts the annual Ranchos Walk in partnership with Walk Long Beach, Rancho Los Alamitos, and Rancho Los Cerritos. Registration will open soon.
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Thank you for supporting our Long Beach Gives campaign in 2024. Thanks to you, over $5,000 was raised and new children's benches were purchased for Cool Crafts, field trips, and other youth events.
You may see the new benches sprinkled around the site as well.
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Did you know that August is “National Make-a-Will Month”?
It’s the perfect time to be reminded of the importance of drafting or updating your will to ensure your final wishes are executed as you intended. Thankfully, this does not need to be a lengthy or costly project. Rancho Los Alamitos has the resources to help you get started.
Learn more about creating a will
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The Mission of Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch & Gardens: Educating and engaging visitors by sharing our rich history, compelling stories, and authentic connections to California's past.
We are open Wednesday - Sunday, 1:00 - 5:00 PM. Free Admission.
Located within the gated community of Bixby Hill, accessed via the guard gate at Anaheim Rd. & Palo Verde Ave.
| | Rancho Los Alamitos is located on the ancestral and unceded land of the Tongva/Gabrielino people, who cared for this land for thousands of years and continue to do so today. The Rancho sits atop the village of Puvuun’nga - “the gathering place” - the sacred site of creation for the Tongva/Gabrielino peoples. Learn more by visiting gabrielinotribe.org. | | | | |
