School Tours

October - June

9:30 a.m. - Noon

Wednesday & Thursday Mornings

Adobe Days Revisited, an award-winning school program for local fourth-graders, supplements the state history curriculum with an educational adventure at one of California's best preserved 19th century ranchos!

Teachers prepare their students for a visit to Rancho Los Cerritos with classroom lessons and background information provided in our "Teacher Resource Manual." When students arrive at the Rancho, they are asked to step back in time, to the year 1878, when the Bixby family operated a sheep ranch here. As our young guests tour the site and participate in various hands-on activities, their exposure to and appreciation of life in 19th century rural California is extended far beyond what they might learn from their textbook.

Jointly created by Rancho Los Cerritos and the Long Beach Unified School District, Adobe Days Revisited can accommodate up to 72 students per day. Our costumed, volunteer docents conduct tours on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, October through June. Tour groups are expected to arrive at the Rancho by 9:30 a.m., and the tour lasts until noon. Rancho Los Cerritos also has picnic tables, where students can enjoy their bag lunches after the tour.

To book a tour, please contact the office at (562) 570-1755 to ask for a school tour request form; notification will be sent in October for the school year. View our flyer for more information

“Adobe Days Revisited” Tour Request Form*
*This is an interactive PDF; please fill-out, print and mail to the Rancho or email to meighan.maguire@longbeach.gov

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Summer Adventures

This history-themed day camp is designed for children ages 6-11 years old.  Participants will learn about life in Old California through historic crafts, hands-on activities, games and stories.  Programming will focus on daily life at the rancho—participants will get to churn butter, dip candles, punch tin, tool leather, stomp mud and more!  
 

$90 per session; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Session 1: July 15 - July 19
Session 2: July 22 - July 26
Session 3: July 29 - August 2

To register your child please call (562) 570-1755 or fill out the application and drop it off at one of our offices or the visitor center.

Scholarships are available for families who qualify. For those interested in a scholarship, please fill out the form below:

Summer Adventures Scholarship Form

Teacher Kit available for

4th grade classes!

KIT #1

"Handling History: Exploring Daily Life on the Rancho in the 1840s"

This teacher kit provides a rich understanding of daily life on one of Southern California's great cattle ranches during the 1840s. The "Handling History Curriculum Guide" includes five integrated, comprehensive units that focus on the daily activities or rancheros, ranch workers and their families at Rancho Los Cerritos during the 1840s, as well as the factors that helped speed the demise of the cattle ranching era in Southern California.

KIT #2

"Through Children's Eyes: Rancho Life with Harry and Sarah"

This unique educational outreach kit dramatically enhances student understanding of daily life on a nineteenth century Southern California Sheep ranch. By looking through the eyes of the rancho children-Harry & Sarah Bixby-students will learn about daily work and workers, domestic lifestyles, and the similarities and differences between their own lives and those of the Bixby family. "Through Children's Eyes" includes detailed lesson plans, creative classroom activities, a video, and a wide selection of artifacts and photographs. These provide classroom teachers with the tools they need to present interactive explorations of California's ranching history during the 1870s period.

After attending a training session, you will be eligible to borrow "Handling History" or "Through Children's Eyes." 4th grade teachers who would like to borrow this kit should contact the Rancho's Education Department at 562-570-1755.

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Rancho Los Cerritos offers a variety of exciting speakers for your group's next program or meeting. Our informed presenters bring to life a bygone era with vivid images and lively dialog. Each program covers a different aspect of the Rancho:

Rancho Los Cerritos: The Roots of Long Beach (slides, 45 minutes). Trace the history of Rancho Los Cerritos from its origins as a Spanish land grant to its transformation into a historic site. This presentation touches upon the history of the Rancho, our current educational programs, and our plans for the future.

Rancho Los Cerritos: A Brief Overview (slides, 20 minutes). Find out why Rancho Los Cerritos is one of southern California's most important historic sites. This short presentation is designed for community-based groups that want to learn more about one of Long Beach's cultural treasures.

Return to Adobe Days: Memoir of a California Girl (slides & audio, 25 minutes). Explore early California through the eyes of Sarah Bixby Smith, who often visited the Rancho in the late 19th century as a young girl. In this presentation, Sarah's colorful words are paired with striking images of Rancho Los Cerritos during the 1870s.

All in the Families: A Tale of Rancho Los Cerritos (slides, 30 minutes). Rancho Los Cerritos was home to three prominent families between the 1840s and 1940s. Learn what brought these families out west, and discover how their efforts helped shape the destiny of Long Beach and other surrounding communities.

California Native Plants of Rancho Los Cerritos (slides, 40 minutes). This informative presentation discusses the native plants, while also calling attention to some of our earliest botanical immigrants. Discover how early settlers used these plants in their daily lives.

The Gardens of Rancho Los Cerritos (slides, 30 minutes). Rancho Los Cerritos was home to one of the earliest private gardens in southern California. Learn about the plants introduced in the 1850s by John Temple, who built the adobe. Trace the garden's subsequent evolution, including the major redesign by landscape architect Ralph Cornell, in 1931. Discover our plans for maintaining and restoring these beautiful gardens.

Voices from the Past (video, 18 minutes). Experience the sights and sounds of early California as your group explores the history of the Rancho through various eyes: a Chinese cook, an Irish foreman, a Mexican vaquero, and Mr. & Mrs. Jotham Bixby.

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