Redondo Beach’s Historical Waterfront: A Guide to Los Angeles’ Beginnings

Without Redondo Beach, there would be no Los Angeles. From 1888 to about 1910, Redondo Beach was the preferred shipping port of LA, receiving most of the lumber that originally built the city. On this walking tour, you’ll discover how Redondo quickly became a popular seaside tourist attraction with magnificent buildings that captivated visitors from all over the country.

This 90-minute seaside stroll starts in Moonstone Park and ends in Veterans Park. As you take in Redondo’s waterfront, you’ll be transported back to an era more than 100 years ago, beginning at the time this neighborhood was founded in 1892 and into the 1920s. Along the way, you’ll hear about the area’s earliest inhabitants, how the port got its start, and a few bits of modern history.

I’ll help you reimagine the sites before you. Where condominiums are now, you’ll see Redondo’s old main street, and where there’s a parking structure, you’ll envision the grand indoor swimming pool and pavilion. Instead of an empty park, you’ll see a grand Victorian hotel. And where the ocean laps against the shoreline, you’ll picture a pier with rail cars on it. You’ll also hear about the people who shaped the area and left their mark here.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

• Learn about the American Indian tribe that first lived here
• Discover the origins of the first steam plant and the Pacific Electric Railway as you stroll through the marina, passing locations such as the Cheesecake Factory, Bluewater Grill and Shade Hotel
• Hear about Henry Huntington – an early developer who shaped Redondo Beach – and the pair of lumber barons that founded the city in 1892, while you explore around Seaside Lagoon
• Envision the grand buildings that made Redondo a wonderland in the 1900s, including the Plunge and the Pavilion as you make your way through the Redondo Beach Pier
• Meet brothers Bill and Bob Meistrell who developed the first personal wetsuit for diving and surfing
• Find out about George Freeth, the pioneer of professional surfing and modern lifeguarding

After taking this tour, I hope you’ll see Redondo Beach in a whole new light with an appreciation for the people and places that came before. Now let’s get going.