Los Angeles Maritime Museum — Attraction in Los Angeles

A fine museum that is perhaps showing its age.

The core of the museum is the history of San Pedro, Wilmington, and LA Harbor which is basically shown in a long series of photographs with some narrative text. The entire LA Port Fight barely gets even a vague reference, and the vast environmental changes brought about in the building of the harbor get only a cursory glance. Further, the main history stops at 1980 when the museum was opened, which misses the massive changes that have taken place in area in the past 50 years (e.g. rise of container shipping).

There was a good look at the rise and fall of the fish canneries and the immigrants who owned and worked in them as well as a fine look at "Fish Harbor," a Japanese fishing town that existed for a little over two decades before Executive Order 9066 bought about the internment of Japanese-Americans in relocation camps and the end of Fish Harbor. Also, a very good display about deep sea diving and construction which beats any other display on the topic I've ever seen.

Most of the remainder of the museum is made up of large ship models from ancient craft to a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and everything in between. I geek out on nautical history like this, but if you're not into ship models the museum might not hold your interest too much. But admission is just a suggested $5 donation and there's free parking, so it is worth seeing if you have a particular interest in the area or in...

I have been wanting to come here for awhile ever since it was closed due to Covid and after the reopening I was pretty disappointed with my visit. You can tell the intention of this place is great, and the staff is really nice, but somewhere along the line the budget must have really been cut because the exhibits are really old and there is so much wasted space throughout it. It’s pretty much one and a half floors and as you walk up toward the second floor the whole second floor is blocked off and along the walkway up to the second floor are a bunch of models of old ships. Not really something I think most people are interested in seeing at least in such a large scale.

It would also be so nice to have the outside area in the back to be more of an outdoor display area or a shaded lookout spot visitors would want to hang out. At least have some thing else out there aside from just the platform. Would love to see a window maybe that you could look out toward the water or even under partly under the water there’s just so many more things that it could be but obviously the funding must’ve ran out at some point. Hopefully in the future it is revitalized because it is a great location and the subject is something I am truly passionate about and there is so much history in the area to be displayed. They have plenty of parking on site however it was closed the day I went for...

🌊 Los Angeles Maritime Museum – A Hidden Gem by the Harbor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Los Angeles Maritime Museum is a fantastic place for anyone interested in local history, ships, and the sea. Tucked away in the charming port town of San Pedro, this museum gives visitors a unique glimpse into LA’s rich maritime past—from tuna canneries and commercial diving to Navy vessels and shipbuilding.

The exhibits are surprisingly detailed and engaging, especially the model ships, historic photos, and hands-on displays like knot-tying and steering a ship wheel. It’s housed in a beautiful old ferry terminal that adds even more character to the experience.

Staff were friendly and informative, and the suggested donation ($5) makes it an affordable outing for families or solo travelers. You don’t need more than 1–2 hours to explore, but every minute is worth it.

Highly recommended if you love history, boats, or just want something different than the usual LA attractions. A peaceful, educational, and truly...