On the 4th Saturday of each month, explore the oldest residential development in Long Beach. Willmore City started in 1881 from a subdivision of the Rancho Los Cerritos and is home to the impressive Queen Anne Bembridge House and a variety of Victorian, Period Revival, and Craftsman styles that provide a cross-section of early 20th century Long Beach residential architecture. You will also visit Drake Park, named for Colonel Charles Rivers Drake who developed the Pike amusement complex and the Knoll Park housing development.
This tour is designed as an educational introduction to a cross-section of early 20th-century Long Beach residential architecture. There are numerous examples of variations on the Victorian style as well as turn-of-the-century transitional homes and the first modern architecture-the Craftsman. A few of the 1920’s revival styles such as the Spanish Colonial, Dutch Colonial, and Tudor are found in the area.
The tour will include a brief interior tour of the Bembridge House (special conditions apply in December) and, in contrast, a fully restored Queen Anne “workman’s” cottage, as well as a few surprises along the way!
DETAILS
- Schedule: 4th Saturday of every month – unless there is a private event.
- When: 9:30 am
- Where: Meets at the Bembridge House – 953 Park Circle (the west end of 10th Street)
- Parking: Street Parking
- Length: 2 1/2 hours
- Distance covered: About 1-1/2 miles total walking
- Walking difficulty: Moderate
- Cost: $15 donation per adult
All tickets will be held at will call at the start of the tour at the Bembridge House
In the event of significant rain, the tour will be canceled and you may arrange to attend a later tour
Special tours may be scheduled for groups of five or more people. Contact preservation@lbheritage.org