Ship models, fishing industry artifacts and hands-on exhibits inside a 1941 Streamline Moderne ferry terminal.
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum tells the story of the Port of Los Angeles, on land and at sea, from inside the 1941 Streamline Moderne ferry terminal at the foot of 6th Street in San Pedro. It’s one of the largest maritime museums on the West Coast, and an easy stop on a walk along the Harbor Boulevard waterfront.
Plan your visit
- Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
- Admission: Adults $5, seniors $3, children free.
- Address: Berth 84, foot of 6th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731.
- Phone: 310-548-7618.
- Time needed: About an hour, or longer if you like ship models.
- Groups: The museum offers school tours and has a Spanish-language page on its website.
What you’ll see
- Navy Hall: Large ship models, including the Navy cruiser USS Los Angeles and the model of the SS Poseidon built for the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure.
- Fishing and canneries: San Pedro’s fishing fleet, purse seining, the Fishermen’s Fiesta and the Terminal Island tuna canneries that once fed the country.
- Commercial diving: The history of hard-hat diving in Los Angeles Harbor.
- Upstairs galleries: Merchant ship models, square-rigged sailing ships and sailboats, plus big windows over the main channel, where real container ships, tugs and cruise ships pass by.
- Ham radio station: A fully working amateur radio station run by volunteers.
- Research library: A library and archives of harbor history, with online collections and the museum’s newsletter, Channel Crossings.
The museum also has a gift shop and a virtual tour on its website for a preview before you go.
The ferry building
Before the Vincent Thomas Bridge, the only way across the main channel to Terminal Island was by ferry. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built this terminal in 1941 at Berth 84. Harbor Department architect Derwood Lydell Irvin designed it in the Streamline Moderne style, with a five-story octagonal tower. A twin terminal stood across the channel at Berth 234 on Terminal Island.
The ferries ran until November 14, 1963, the day before the bridge opened. The building then held harbor offices until the community rallied to save it. It became Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 146 in 1975, restoration began in 1976, and it opened as the Los Angeles Maritime Museum in 1979. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The interior was remodeled for the museum, but the original exterior survives.
The museum is run by the Friends of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, in partnership with the Port of Los Angeles and the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.
Nearby
Piazza Miramare, Little Italy’s new town square, is across Harbor Boulevard at 6th Street, and downtown San Pedro’s galleries, cafes and restaurants are a short walk up the hill. Just north along the promenade, at 5th Street, are the Fishing Industry Memorial and the USS Los Angeles Naval Memorial. Keep walking north to see the fireboat Ralph J. Scott and the LAFD Harbor Museum, then the Battleship USS Iowa.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Los Angeles Maritime Museum cost?
Adults pay $5 and seniors $3. Children get in free.
When is the Los Angeles Maritime Museum open?
Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m. It’s closed Monday and Tuesday.
Where is the Los Angeles Maritime Museum?
At Berth 84, at the foot of 6th Street on the San Pedro waterfront, across Harbor Boulevard from downtown San Pedro.
Is the Poseidon Adventure ship model really there?
Yes. The large model of the SS Poseidon from the 1972 film is on display in Navy Hall.
What building is the museum in?
The 1941 Municipal Ferry Building, which served the car ferry to Terminal Island until the Vincent Thomas Bridge opened in 1963. It’s a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument and is on the National Register of Historic Places.