There’s always something new to learn.
Long Beach doesn’t try to be Los Angeles — and that’s its power. It’s the laid-back rebel with ocean in its lungs, murals on its walls, and a soul that pulses from the harbor to the horizon. There’s funk in its food, edge in its surf, and depth in the stories it tells.
It’s a city with nothing to prove and everything to offer.
Let’s see what we discover.
Things you didn’t know about Long Beach.
5. Long Beach has its own island skyline — but they’re fake.
The “THUMS Islands” floating off the coast look like upscale beach resorts, but they’re actually cleverly disguised oil rigs. Built in the 1960s with fountains and landscaping, they were designed to blend into the scenery and keep the city’s coastline looking pristine.
4. It once hosted one of the most dangerous auto races in the world.
The Long Beach Grand Prix has been a racing staple since 1975, and in its earlier days, the street course was considered one of the most hazardous due to tight turns and high-speed stretches. Today, it’s a major IndyCar event that turns the city into a roar of engines every spring.
3. Long Beach was home to the largest ocean liner ever built.
The RMS Queen Mary, now permanently docked here, was once the fastest and most luxurious ship on the seas. She carried soldiers, celebrities, and royalty — and is now rumored to be one of the most haunted spots in California.
2. Snoop Dogg put Long Beach on the hip-hop map.
Calvin Broadus Jr., better known as Snoop Dogg, is one of the city’s most iconic exports. His West Coast sound and laid-back charisma helped define 90s rap — and he’s still repping Long Beach every chance he gets.
1. There’s a whale buried beneath the streets.
During construction downtown in the early 20th century, workers uncovered a massive whale skeleton buried under the city. Rather than relocate it, they paved right over — and it remains entombed beneath Long Beach to this day.
Bottom line.
Long Beach is all attitude and authenticity — a coastal city that doesn’t coast. It’s got history, grit, and a rhythm all its own. Come curious, and you’ll leave with a story worth telling.
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