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Caretaker's Cottage at Rancho Los Alamitos

Caretaker's Cottage at Rancho Los Alamitos
 

Welcome to Rancho Los Alamitos!
Open Wednesday through Sunday, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Entrance gates close at 4:30 pm)

Discover the magic of the Rancho until it closes at 5:00 pm! While the site stays open until 5:00 pm, you'll need to arrive before 4:30 pm to enter. Come and immerse yourself in the history and beauty of Rancho Los Alamitos.

  • Enter at the Bixby Hill residential security gate at the intersection of East Anaheim Road and Palo Verde Avenue.
  • When you arrive, please check-in at the desk in the Rancho Center.
  • The last tour of the historic Ranch House begins at about 4:00 pm
  • Admission and parking are free.
  • Reservations are required for groups larger than 10.
  • Reservations must be made for all portrait and special event photography, which are not allowed during public hours.

Review the Rancho’s photography policy and site etiquette here.

For a list of dates that the Rancho will be closed to the public, please click here.

Sign up for Docent-Guided Tours of the Ranch House - Explore the Rancho’s history with a knowledgeable guide.
Visitors can reserve a 1-hour, docent-guided tour at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, or 4:00 pm. Walk-in tours are available as space permits. Email info@RanchoLosAlamitos.org or call (562) 431-3541 to make a reservation. Please include your name, contact information, and the number of people in your group. Masks are optional but encouraged on tours. All are welcome.

School Visits
The Rancho offers engaging school programs that complement California’s history and social science curriculum. For third-grade, Tovaave: A Tongva Cultural Program, shares the vibrant culture and history of the Tongva, the indigenous people of the L.A. Basin. For fourth-grade, Footprints on the Land explores California history through the site’s ranch house, gardens, and barnyard. Learn more about school programming here.

Virtual Visits 
Connect with Rancho Los Alamitos online! Get creative with history, explore digital resources, follow us on social media, take a virtual tour, and more.

Accessibility at the Rancho

Accessible Parking

Accessible parking spaces are available in the parking lot by the entrance to the Rancho Center.

Entering the Historic Site
All museum entrances and floors are accessible to visitors using wheeled devices or who have mobility difficulties. The maximum clearance to enter the historic Ranch House is 32”  and suitable wheelchairs are loaned free-of-charge.

The gardens are accessible.
Most are navigable by wheelchair. The historic Cutting Garden, Cypress Patio, Oleander Walk, and Rose Garden are accessible only by stairs and can be viewed from the driveway and Geranium Walk.

Accessible Restrooms
Every restroom at the Rancho is wheelchair accessible.

Wheelchairs
Manual wheelchairs are available and may be checked out free-of-charge.

Service Animal Policy
Rancho Los Alamitos is committed to welcoming a wide and diverse audience, including those assisted by trained service animals. Rancho Los Alamitos complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which defines service animals as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability. Rancho Los Alamitos allows service dogs in all public areas.

Rancho Los Alamitos does not allow Emotional Support Animals inside the historic site. Emotional Support Animals, Comfort Animals, or Therapy Animals do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

If the dog is out of control or not housebroken, the handler will be asked to remove the dog from the historic site.

 
Site Etiquette

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Rancho Los Alamitos, the “Ranch of the Little Cottonwoods,” is a Long Beach City Landmark and twice-listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Rancho is located on Tongva-Gabrielino land known as Povuun’nga. From the Tongva people who lived and gathered at Povuun’nga through waves of newcomers from Spain, Mexico, the United States, and more, the site has nurtured a great diversity of peoples and cultures over thousands of years. Today, the 7½-acre site includes four acres of nationally significant historic gardens, a ranch house (1790-1933), and a restored barnyard of the early 20th-century working ranch. Read more.

During your visit, wander garden trails, learn from knowledgeable docents and volunteers, meet the barnyard’s resident livestock (horses, sheep, goats, chickens, and ducks), and explore California history. Our mission is to inspire a sense of community by educating and engaging visitors with our rich history, our compelling stories, and our authentic connections to California’s past. We welcome you to join us.


 


© Rancho Los Alamitos, 6400 E. Bixby Hill Road, Long Beach, California 90815 - 562.431.3541