Welcome to the Long Beach Historical Society

The Historical Society of Long Beach
4260 Atlantic Avenue Long Beach, CA 90807 (562)424-2220

General Historical Cemetery Tour Info 10/25/08

Historical Cemetery Tour Sponsorship Info (pdf)

Historical Cemetery Tour Volunteer Info

Suburban Architecture

HSLB Lights Up Atlantic Avenue!
"Members and Donors Join HSLB to Celebrate Grand Opening of History Museum
and Research Center. North Long Beach Exhibit is a Hit with the Crowd."

Researching History

"Tell Me Your Story: Women's History Project"

September 2007 Newsletter (pdf)

Visit our Cafe Press Store

Visit our Ebay Store

"[Our] connection to the past... is through the stuff that's left behind. It's not an imaginative connection, although imagination is part of it. It's about documents , it's about sources, it's about clues, it's about the leavings, the shards, the remnants of people who once live and don't live anymore. Without the documents, there's no history."--Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Welcome to the Historical Society of Long Beach

Hours:

Monday and Sunday Closed

Tuesday 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Wednesday 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Thursdays 1:00-7:00 p.m.

Fridays 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Saturdays 11:00-5:00 p.m.

Non-Member Research Fees
For those who are not yet members conducting research at the HSLB will now cost a $25 fee that will support the research center. The fee will be credited toward any photograph reproductions purchased on the day you conduct your research.

By choosing to invest in the HSLB and to become a member you may access historical materials free for an entire year during our public hours. Membership begins at $40 annually.

On Exhibition Now
Greetings from Long Beach
Featuring vintage postcards form the Historical Society of Long Beach’s archives

cemetary tour

Still showing Suburban Architecture

Researching Long Beach History

A display in the South Gallery about conducting research at the HSLB, sponsored by Jan & Sybil Van Dijs will be on view beginning June 6th.

City Directories, platt maps, obituaries, biographical materials and more will be on display. We hope that this will give you an idea of the kind of materials that you can ask to see when researching at the HSLB.

Mission
The Historical Society of Long Beach preserves the past for the future, connecting people to history and to the place they live. We help develop an inclusive community narrative that gives residents a greater understanding of their role in the story of their neighborhood, the City, and the larger world. Through our programs, exhibitions, collections, and lectures we engage the community in thinking about what makes Long Beach unique.

Programs
Annual Historical Cemetery Tour: Started in 1996, the Cemetery Tour is our signature event. With costumed actors telling the stories of those buried in the city’s two oldest cemeteries, history, literally, comes to life. Held on the Saturday before Halloween, the Cemetery Tour is a great way to have fun and learn a little about the city and its colorful past.

“Tell Me Your Story” Oral History Education: Students, grade 3 through 12, are given a lesson in oral history collection and asked to select an older person to interview about his or her life’s experiences. Students prepare essays about their storytellers. The best essays are selected for a public presentation by the student and his or her storyteller. This program is deeply moving to all who attend.

Exhibits & Presentations: Over the years, many exhibits and presentations have been created and delivered by the HSLB. A few of the most popular were “Icons of the Pike,” “The Navy in Long Beach: A Century of Collaboration,” and “Heroines of Long Beach.”

Publications: The HSLB has published a number of books about the City’s history including “The Pike on the Silver Strand,” “A Step Back in Time,” “Mary Dell Butler,” “Making A Difference Long Beach, Olivia Herrera” and “Shades of the Past.” They are available for purchase at www.historicalsocietylb.org.