Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro

I have the perfect place to head to today that is not only fun and of course educational- it will only set you back a couple (think $5 or less) of dollars and provide you and your family with a memorable experience.

My kiddos have been obsessed with marine life recently as you can probably tell. I believe that learning should be through immersion and when my kids show an interest in something, I want them to experience things hands on. This past Friday we had a couple of hours to play and decided to take them to the Cabrillo Aquarium in San Pedro.

The Cabrillo Aquarium is a smaller aquarium that is steps away from the ocean. Many people are unaware of it’s existence. It was great because even on a busy 3rd of July, the aquarium was easy to maneuver around with a double stroller and it was nice not to bump into other people or strollers.

The Susan Lawrencz Miller Exhibit hall is home to three major environments- rocky shores, beaches and mudflats and open ocean. Your kiddos will be able to learn about the different marine life that lives in each habitat and much more.

The aquarium is also home to an aquatic nursery and this was a big hit with our family. The nursery at the aquarium is staffed by the friendliest and incredibly helpful volunteers. The volunteers were able to answer all of the kids questions and also explained what was going on in each tank. There is also a fun little craft area designed specifically for the kiddos, which was also a bit hit with our family.

I would have to say however, that our favorite part of the aquarium was the exploration center. The kids loved the ecological play area. They were able to dress up as different sea life and also able to put on a sea life puppet show. My personal favorite was the crawl in aquarium. You can crawl into a real life aquarium and be surrounded by different ocean life and never get wet. It’s the perfect photo opportunity. There is also a naturalist corner where you can study the different organisms through a microscope. My 13 year old niece absolutely loved this area.

We had a fantastic time learning about the wonderful sea life found in Southern California waters. You want to know the best part- we had a great time for only $7.Admission to the aquarium is FREE but donations are suggested. The suggested donation is $5 for adults and $1 for children or seniors. We had an incredible couple of hours for only a little more than $5. Parking is a $1 an hour – make sure to take cash with you.

The Cabrillo Aquarium is open Tue- Sun. The hours of operation are 12-5 Tue- Fri and 10am to 5pm on the weekends.

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
3720 Stephen M White Drive
San Pedro -90731

For additional information head on here. Have a wonderful weekend!!

Seal Day @ The Marine Mammal Care Center

The Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro is hosting it’s 17th annual Seal Day on Sunday May 17th from 11am to 4pm. The center is a hospital for ill, injured and orphaned marine mammals. The open house will feature live entertainment, games, activities, information booths and guest speakers. You will of course also be able to see the marine mammals and meet “Splash” the center’s mascot. You can also take a VIP tour and learn about the center and it’s mission. The best part is that admission is FREE!!

Marine Mammal Care Center

Fort Mcarthur

3601 Gaffey Street

San Pedro, CA

For additional info click here

A big thanks to reader Jessica for this great tip!

Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line

This past Saturday our family had the opportunity to take a little excursion to San Pedro and ride a red car. What is a red car you might be wondering? Well let me tell you- For sixty years, the Los Angeles area was served by a vast network of electric railway lines operated by the Pacific Electric Railway. Affectionately known as “Red Cars”, the Pacific Electric’s trolleys and interurban cars blanketed the Los Angeles area on more than 1000 miles of rail lines. The last remnant of the system was abandoned in 1961. Forty-two years later, a small piece of the system has been resurrected in San Pedro, as the Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line.

We first spent some time at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum which I will be posting about tomorrow and soon after started our ride on one of the historic red cars. The one and a half mile route connects the cruise ship terminal with the maritime museum and ports o’call village. We rode the train from the start of the route to the end of the route and back again. The kids had so much fun. The conductor gave them their very own conductor hats and coloring book that they were both thrilled with. It’s a great little adventure for the little ones. Parking is plentiful and free next to the maritime museum and in the ports o’call village. Children 6 and under are free and adult fare is $1.00 with unlimited rides all day.
The red car operates Friday through Monday from noon to 9pm.

P.S. Make sure to make a pit stop at the Fanfare at the San Pedro Gateway. It’s a great water show- kind of like a smaller version of the Bellagio water fountain show and also a stop at the cruise center to view the big cruise ships. Your kids will love it!!

We had a great time and I know your family will also!!
For additional information click here