On 18 acres, away from the beach, this nature center offers kid-friendly exhibits on conservation efforts and a self-guided wetlands nature trail.
Shipley Nature Center
Huntington Beach
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
9.7 MILES
What started as a simple berry farm is now a sprawling 160-acre operation with rides, live shows and lovable Peanuts characters roaming the grounds. Knott…
24.3 MILES
Famous for its swallows that fly back to town every year on March 19 (though sometimes they’re just a bit early), San Juan Capistrano is home to the …
Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
29.92 MILES
One of the most delightful, inspirational spots in LA, the Huntington is rightly a highlight of any trip to California thanks to a world-class mix of art,…
27.89 MILES
From the instant it opened in September 2015, the Broad (rhymes with 'road') became a must-visit for contemporary-art fans. It houses the world-class…
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
27.97 MILES
LA is unlike any other city, and this cathedral is unlike any other cathedral. Seat of the US's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese (some five million…
9.05 MILES
From its stately, Spanish Colonial–style shell, the Bowers Museum explodes onto the scene every year or so with remarkable exhibits that remind LA-centric…
21.03 MILES
The three 'Gothic' spires of the fabulous Watts Towers rank among the world’s greatest monuments of folk art. In 1921 Italian immigrant Simon Rodia set…
27.93 MILES
A molten blend of steel, music and psychedelic architecture, this iconic concert venue is the home base of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, but has also…
Nearby Huntington Beach attractions
2.09 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…
2. Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
2.27 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…
2.55 MILES
Dogs can romp in the surf at Huntington Dog Beach, between Goldenwest St and Seapoint Ave, north of Huntington City Beach. Nearly a mile long, it’s a…
4. Bolsa Chica Conservancy Interpretive Center
3.09 MILES
Galleries in this 1400 sq ft facility feature tanks showing off local marine life and reptiles, and there's taxidermy of land and bird species. It's on…
5. International Surfing Museum
3.1 MILES
The world's biggest surfboard (in the Guinness World Records) fronts this small museum, an entertaining stop for surf-culture enthusiasts. Temporary…
3.23 MILES
To date, some 65 surfing legends have left their hand- and footprints in the concrete of this sidewalk, styled after Grauman's Chinese Theatre in…
3.26 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,…
3.36 MILES
The 1853ft Huntington Pier is one of the West Coast's longest. It has been here – in one form or another – since 1904, though the mighty Pacific has…