It’s a nice stroll along the waterfront to the cylindrical, 1929 art deco casino, Avalon's biggest landmark. It's not a gambling casino but an entertainment hall where big bands once played, and it's still used for events, celebrations and nightly movie screenings. Otherwise, it's accessible only by tour, showing off the gorgeous murals, a massive pipe organ, twinkling ceiling in the movie theater and a fabulous ballroom.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
27.15 MILES
The best place to hunt for starfish, anemones and other tide-pool critters is in and around this rock-strewn eco-preserve. The walk down to the beach gets…
27.24 MILES
This WWII to Cold War–era battleship is now permanently moored in San Pedro Bay and open to visitors as a museum. It's massive – 887ft long (that's 5ft…
27.34 MILES
The most stunning non-natural attraction on Palos Verdes was built by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank) in 1951, and no matter where you stand among the great…
29.43 MILES
Long Beach’s most mesmerizing experience, the Aquarium of the Pacific is a vast, high-tech indoor ocean where sharks dart, jellyfish dance and sea lions…
28.91 MILES
Long Beach’s ‘flagship’ attraction is this grand – and supposedly haunted! – British luxury liner. Larger and more luxurious than even the Titanic…
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
28.82 MILES
You'd be forgiven for overlooking Bolsa Chica, at least on first glance. Against a backdrop of nodding oil derricks, this flat expanse of wetlands doesn't…
28.19 MILES
One of SoCal’s best beaches, the sand surrounding the pier at the foot of Main St gets packed on summer weekends with surfers, volleyball players,…
28.48 MILES
A 3-mile-long strip of sand favored by surfers, volleyball players and fishers, Bolsa Chica State Beach stretches alongside Pacific Coast Hwy between…
Nearby Los Angeles attractions
0.41 MILES
Opened in a spiffy new building in 2016, this museum has a permanent collection showcasing Catalina's history from the province of the indigenous people…
2. Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Gardens
1.77 MILES
About 1.5 miles inland from central Avalon, this nearly-38-acre park emphasizes indigenous California plants: agave, aloe, Catalina cherry, cedar, island…
24.65 MILES
Ostensibly the main visitor attraction in Point Fermin Park is this restored 1874 lighthouse, which looks like a Victorian home and is one of the oldest…
24.65 MILES
Locals come to this grassy community park on the bluffs to jog, picnic, watch wind- and kitesurfers, cool off in the shade of spreading magnolias, gaze at…
24.92 MILES
A gift from South Korea for the US bicentennial in 1976, this nearly 12ft-tall, 18.75 ton bronze chime dominates the hillside and makes for a fantastic…
25.08 MILES
This city-owned aquarium is the smaller, older, low-tech cousin of Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific. It’s also a lot lighter on your wallet and less…
7. White Point-Royal Palms Beach
25.23 MILES
This county-run beach features 1.5 miles of rocky shoreline and 30 acres of parkland. You can scramble among tide pools to see sea anemones and other…
8. White Point Nature Preserve
25.34 MILES
A former Nike missile site has gone back to nature in this 102-acre preserve of coastal sage-scrub habitat. Hiking trails run from from 0.8 miles to a 7…