You are invited to our Annual Holiday Party at the Hermosa Beach Museum! Save the date and be sure to join us for some holiday festivities- tasty drinks & treats, live music, unique holiday gifts for purchase, raffle prizes as well as a reading of the Surfing Santa Story by Kevin Cody.

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All are welcome- no registration needed.

History enthusiasts, architecture aficionados, and the local community will soon have a unique opportunity to uncover Hermosa Beach’s past, as two of its most iconic homes open their doors to the public for the first time on September 10th. We invite you to step back in time and join us to celebrate this historic home designation.

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From 1-4 PM, Park Avenue between Monterey Boulevard and Loma Drive will be closed for a neighborhood block party to celebrate the designation of 2204 Monterey (Building Permit 62, built in 1913 and owned by Marsha Majka), as the first community residence to proudly bear historic landmark status. During the block party, the doors of this classic California beach bungalow will be open to tour. At 1:30 PM, speakers from the City Council, the Hermosa Beach Museum and the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce will mark the occasion and will install a Museum-provided plaque.

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Also open for public tour will be 2160 Monterey Boulevard, directly across Park Avenue from Marsha’s home. This International Moderne icon (Building Permits 358/1822 and built in 1938) was originally designed by noted mid-century architect Earl Heitschmidt.  Apart from delving into these architectural treasures, attendees can revel in the spirited ambience of the event, with food, drink and music. All are welcome!

Thank you for attending our latest installment of Happy Hour with History! This month we were be joined by the South Bay Parkland Conservancy (SBPC) for a dynamic presentation from their President Jim Light on the Hermosa Greenbelt Rewilding.

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This presentation provided an overview of the SBPC mission and their work on the Greenbelt. It also explored the history of the Greenbelt and learn more about the endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly, the overwintering Monarchs, why ice plant is being removed, and the future goals of the SBPC.

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CLICK HERE to watch a recording of this presentation on our YouTube Channel.

The Hermosa Beach Museum is proud to recognize 50 Years of Iron Man as the subject of our summer rotating exhibit. This historic South Bay tradition has become the triathlon event for Hermosa Beach every July 4th weekend, and also the supporter of local nonprofits and citizens in need. Featuring the catch phrase run, paddle, chug this event never fails to be described as the last of the wild, old school, local community beach events that keeps Hermosa, Hermosa. Join us at the Hermosa Beach Museum as we celebrate this cultural legacy and unveil a new exhibit. We will also have at the event a special edition coffee table book by local photographer Chris Miller for sale, and special edition Iron Man Anniversary prints by local artist Daniel Inez. This exhibit will run from June 30th to September 29th, with the opening event taking place at the Museum on Friday June 30th from 5-9 PM.

Join the Hermosa Beach Museum, City of Hermosa Beach and the South Bay Boardriders Club for the 2023 Surfers Walk of Fame Kick off Party at the Hermosa Beach Community Center.

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All are welcome at the reception- no ticket reservation necessary

Join the Hermosa Beach Museum for our Annual Membership Meeting Sunday March 26th at 3 PM. This year's meeting will be held at a historic home on The Strand in Hermosa Beach.

The address of the home will be revealed in your registration confirmation email.

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To attend this meeting, you must be a current and up-to-date member with the Museum. To check the status of your membership, please email staff at hermosabeachmuseum@gmail.com. If you register for the event and are not a current member, staff will reach out to help renew your membership or cancel your ticket reservation.

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This is a limited capacity event - tickets will not be available at the door the day of the event. Registration will close on Friday March 24th at noon.

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THANK YOU TO TOWER 12 FOR SPONSORING THIS EVENT!

The Hermosa Beach Historical Society was excited to have artist, John Van Hamersveld, give a talk at the Hermosa Beach Museum. Thanks for joining us for an evening of art, culture, and history!

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CLICK HERE to watch a recording of the Q&A with John on our YouTube Channel today!

RECEPTION:

Hermosa Beach Museum @ 5-7PM

CEREMONY:

Community Theatre @7PM

Thank you for joining us online for a presentation on early South Bay History with Mark Shoemaker from the Hermosa Beach Historical Society Board of Directors. Mark explored the beginnings of our local harbors, railroads and real estate in a comprehensive presentation with vivid historical photographs.

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CLICK HERE to watch a recording on our YouTube Chanel today!

We are pleased to announce the return of our Annual Gala Fundraising Event benefiting the Hermosa Beach Historical Society & Museum! Join us on August 27th at St. Cross Church to celebrate history together under the stars.
 

Doors open at 6 PM for a night of dancing, live music, raffle prizes, drinks, and food provided by The Bottle Inn & Slay Beach.
 

This year's theme is "Beach Through the Decades".

Thank you for joining the Hermosa Beach Historical Society at the Hermosa Beach Museum for the June installment of Happy Hour with History! We were joined by Producer and Director Carl Ackerman for a screening of his latest documentary THE LIFESTORY OF DOC BALL. 

At the meeting we reviewed the upcoming activities strategic plan as well as a general overview of the Museum operations.

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CLICK HERE to watch a recording of the meeting online.

Thank you for joining the Hermosa Beach Museum on Saturday March 5th at 4:30 PM for a presentation with author Bruce Gabrielson on Southland Surf Clubs from the mid 50s to the mid 70s.

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Thank you for joining us at the Hermosa Beach Community Center to celebrate the life of the late photographer and artist Robi Hutas.

To see the video presentation that was shared in the Community Theatre, click here!

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This exhibition will be on display through March of 2022.

The Hermosa Beach Historical Society was pleased to participate in the 2021 Fiesta Hermosa Locale by hosting an educational booth in the Garden.

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Thank you to everyone who volunteered- it was wonderful to see our community once again out and about in Hermosa!

Welcome back to Happy Hour with History at the Hermosa Beach Museum!

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This month we will be joined by professional skateboarder Cindy Whitehead to explore the history of skateboarding in Hermosa Beach from the 1960's to present day.

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Click here to watch a recording of this presentation!

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We are proud to announce the opening of our first ever Student Curated Exhibition SKATEBOARDING, THEN by HBHS Collections Volunteer Dylan Lombardo.

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This exhibition will be on display through summer 2021, and can be explored during our standard hours of operation. Click here to learn more about this exhibit!​​

Join us in February for a presentation on the history of Loreto, Hermosa Beach's sister city in Baja California Sur, Mexico. We will also explore the story behind how these two beach towns came together in 1967, and how the Hermosa Beach Sister City Association has built a United States Congressionally Recognized Program that continues to impact the community of Loreto today. Click here to read watch this presentation online today!

Join the Hermosa Beach Historical Society & Museum on October 29th at 6:30 PM to hear some chilling stories set in our very own Hermosa Beach and South Bay Communities. You can register for free on zoom. Some of the tales are based on local legends, some are based on first hand accounts, and some are just for fun! Click here to watch our spooky program from the month of October!

Join us online for the second installment of our virtual lecture series, featuring Willie Aron and the history of Jazz in Los Angeles. Spots are limited, so register on Zoom to secure yours today! Click here to learn more about this past presentation.

Join us at the Hermosa Beach Museum to celebrate our new exhibition, and enjoy film documentary GOING ATTRACTIONS by local producer April Wright in the Community Theatre. Tickets can be purchased online and at the door.

Join us at the Hermosa Beach Museum for a reception at 5:30pm, and a screening in the Community Theatre at 7:30 to celebrate the life and work of Warren Miller.

Join us at the Hermosa Beach Community Center for the annual California Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. There will be a welcome reception in the Hermosa Beach Museum from 5-7 PM. followed by the ceremony in the Community Theatre at 7PM.

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CLICK HERE to learn about the 2023 Inductees.

Thanks for joining us at the Hermosa Beach Museum to celebrate the legacy of Dale Velzy, and reveal his commemorative plaque that recognizes his contributions to surf culture before its installation in Manhattan Beach.

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Dale Velzy grew up, and learned to surf, and shape surfboards in Hermosa Beach. A plaque honoring him, for what is recognized by many as the worlds first commercial surfboard shop, will be installed on the northeast corner of Manhattan Beach Blvd. and Ocean Drive.

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At the event, there will be an open microphone signup list for people to share their memories of Dale Velzy, kicked off by the one and only Bing Copeland.

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CLICK HERE to watch a recording of the speakers from the event.

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CLICK HERE to watch a recording of the powerpoint presentation from the event.

Thank you for attending our latest Museum Open House, and Iron Man Speaker Panel!

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CLICK HERE to watch a recording of this presentation on our YouTube Channel.

Thank you for joining us for this event!

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ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY:

The documentary Grandpa Cherry Blossom by Mira Costa High School Student Maddox Chen explores the life of Francis Uyematsu, a Japanese immigrant, told through the words of Mary Uyematsu Kao, his granddaughter, and Chuck Currier, a local historian and former teacher. Francis Uyematsu created a successful flower nursery, owning over 130 acres of land, until the Japanese Internment during World War II, when he was forced to sell his land. Entire neighborhoods now sit on his former land, filled with hundreds of homes and high schools, and the flowers he created are no longer his.

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Join the Hermosa Beach Historical Society & Museum for the opening of our latest rotating exhibit Proutyline Products.

Thank you for joining the Hermosa Beach Historical Society on SUNDAY, February 26th at 3:00PM for our February installment of Happy Hour with History.

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Historian Helen Yoshida expanded upon the history of World War II incarceration through oral history interviews and archival documents about the U.S. Department of Justice camps that interned Japanese, Germans, Italians, Japanese Peruvians, and their children.

ABOUT Helen Yoshida:

Helen Yoshida, an oral historian, works as the Communications Writer at the Japanese American National Museum. She holds a BA in English from the University of California, Irvine, and an MA in History, with a focus on oral history, from California State University, Fullerton. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Oral History Review, The Southern California Review, Discover Nikkei, and the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation’s magazine, Kokoro Kara, among others.

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CLICK HERE to watch a recording of this presentation on our YouTube Channel today.

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Join the Hermosa Beach Historical Society & Museum and {pages} a bookstore for an evening of nautical noir! The Dark Waves of Winter is a follow-up to the critically acclaimed anthology, The Silver Waves of Summer. In this installment, we have again compiled stories from some of the greatest short story writers alive. From Bram Stoker Award winners, to National Bestsellers, to Mystery Writers of America Grand Masters. These sun bleached noir stories sink their formidable literary hooks in, and don't let go until the exciting end. A must read, this cold, wet winter.

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Tickets are $5

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Museum Members receive a drink ticket at the door.

Click HERE to reserve your ticket.

Join us at the Hermosa Beach Museum for the CARRIE Pre- Movie Reception on October 13th at 6:30 PM. 

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Wear your best 70s Prom Attire- winners will be crowned!

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Reception will have popcorn, cotton candy, and a bar! We hope to see you there!

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Tickets for the screening in the Community Theatre can be purchased online with the City of Hermosa Beach by clicking here.

Join us at the Museum for our upcoming Docent Open House! Being a Museum docent is a wonderful volunteer opportunity where you can learn more about our community, work with AMAZING people, plan fun educational events and share YOUR Hermosa story with visitors!

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RSVP to Museum Staff at hermosabeachmuseum@gmail.com

Join the Hermosa Beach Historical Society at the Hermosa Beach Museum for the July installment of Happy Hour with History! We will be joined by author Jim Kempton for a reading of his latest publication, WOMEN ON WAVES- A Cultural History: from Ancient Goddesses and Hawaiian Queens to Malibu Movie Stars and Millennial Champions.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

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Ticket registration through Eventbrite is required for this event click here to get your ticket!

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HBHS Members will receive a drink ticket at the door.

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We strongly recommend that all attendees wear a mask at this event. Thank you for helping us keep our guests and staff safe.

Hand sanitizer and social distance signage are throughout the galleries.

Thank you for joining us at the Hermosa Beach Museum to honor you- the Founders, Charter Members and Life Members of Hermosa Beach Historical Society.

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We had a wonderful afternoon of sharing stories, celebrating our progress as a nonprofit museum, and looking forward to our future as a fully accredited museum.

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CLICK HERE to watch the recording online today!

Join the Hermosa Beach Historical Society at the Hermosa Beach Museum & Community Center for the kick off party!

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​CLICK HERE to read more about the event and the honorees.

Thank you for joining the Hermosa Beach Historical Society AT THE LIGHTHOUSE CAFE on Monday February 28th at 6:00PM for a presentation on the historical significance and impact of the Lighthouse Cafe with Jacques Lesure.

We were very excited to be able to support The Lighthouse Cafe! Here was an outline for the evening:

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6:00-6:30 PM: Arrival- grab your drinks, some food, and find a seat!

6:30 PM: Lecture with Jacques Lesure followed by Jazz music!
 

To read more about Jacques Lesure and connect with him, please visit his website: https://jacqueslesure.com/

Join us at the Hermosa Beach Museum for a screening of CARRIE.

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FREE ADMISSION - $2 for pizza

Masks will be required regardless of vaccination status.

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This event is hosted by students from Mira Costa and Redondo Union High Schools.

The Hermosa Beach Historical Society and {pages} a bookstore and are pleased to present an evening celebrating the launch of The Silver Waves of Summer. Join us on Thursday, August 5th at 6 pm along with Michael Scott Moore, Tod Goldberg, Naomi Hirahara, Antoine Wilson, and other contributing authors who will be sharing stories and signing books.

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If you purchased a book copy and were unable to pick it up at the event, they will be available for pick up during open hours W-Sun from 2-4 PM.

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Click here to watch a recording of this presentation!

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MEMBERS: please join us for our Annual Membership Meeting at the Museum. We will have limited capacity seating by reservation.

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Join us online in April to meet Captain Nancy Caruso. Nancy will tell us the story of her work to protect our local sea life, her community programs that consist of 12,000 school children and more than 250 volunteer divers, and the historical significance of the species she is devoted to restoring. Click here to watch online today!

Join us in January for a presentation on our latest additions to the Hermosa Beach Museum Collections & Archives accessioned in 2020. While our museum doors were closed to visitors, we were able to accomplish some exciting collections work we would like to share with you! This presentation will be led by our HBHS Staff, and Collections Management Volunteers. Click here to watch this presentation online today!

Join us online for the fourth installment of our virtual lecture series, featuring Domenic Priore on South Bay Surf Music from Westchester to Haggerty's, 1960-1965. Spots are limited, so register on Zoom to secure yours today! Click here to learn more about this past presentation. 

Join us online for the first installment of our virtual lecture series, featuring Corinne Laverty and her book North American Galapagos: The Historic Channel Islands Biological Survey. Spots are limited, so register on Zoom to secure yours today! Click here to learn more about this past presentation.

Join us at the Hermosa Beach Museum for the opening of our new temporary exhibition that will explore over 80 years of entertainment in Hermosa Beach. 

>> Learn More

Join us at the Hermosa Beach Museum & Community Theatre to celebrate the inductees for 2019!

>> Learn More

Thank you for joining the Hermosa Beach Museum for our October webinar with the DNA Doe Project, and how they are employing modern technology to solve historical crime cases. We were joined by guest speaker Carl Koppelman, a lifetime resident of South Bay who has spent the past 14 years in the effort to restore the names to the unidentified deceased, and resolve decades-old missing persons cases with the DNA Doe Project. Carl will be exploring how the organization operates, as well as reviewing case studies such as the recent identification of Catherine Parker-Johnson whose remains were found in Redondo Beach in 2001. Through his forensic artwork, he is able to bring attention to these cases via social media, and through internet sleuthing, has located eight previously missing persons as John Does and Jane Does. Carl has been profiled in numerous media sources, including: Crime Watch Daily, Vice Media, AARP Magazine, ABC Channel 7 Eyewitness News in Los Angeles, A&E’s The Killing Season docuseries, and Atavist Magazine’s The Girl in the Picture. He is currently a volunteer for the non-profit DNA Doe Project, which employs a methodology called Investigative Genetic Genealogy. The DNA Doe Project has restored the identities of over 100 persons who were found deceased, and whom authorities were unable to identify by traditional means.

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CLICK HERE to watch a recording of this webinar on our YouTube Channel.

Thank you or joining us at our 7th Annual Gala Fundraising Event benefiting the Hermosa Beach Museum! Join us on August 26th at St. Cross Church to celebrate history together under the stars.

Doors open at 6 PM for a night of dancing, live music, raffle prizes, dinner & drinks!

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LIVE MUSIC by Jukebox

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DRINKS provided by Uncorked & Hermosa Brewing

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DINNER provided by The Bottle Inn.

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Apres-Beach attire. This event is 21+ only.

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Thank you to everyone who attended!

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ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY:

The documentary Grandpa Cherry Blossom by Mira Costa High School Student Maddox Chen explores the life of Francis Uyematsu, a Japanese immigrant, told through the words of Mary Uyematsu Kao, his granddaughter, and Chuck Currier, a local historian and former teacher. Francis Uyematsu created a successful flower nursery, owning over 130 acres of land, until the Japanese Internment during World War II, when he was forced to sell his land. Entire neighborhoods now sit on his former land, filled with hundreds of homes and high schools, and the flowers he created are no longer his.

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Bring your friends and feel the warm waves of surf and community for the Hermosa Beach premiere screening of To Be Frank, a feel-good surf film told through an inspiring waterman that digs into what's BEHIND the surf, and perhaps behind everything we do, whether on land or in the water.

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Raffle tickets available -- $5 each for a custom surfboard by Barahona Surfboards. All raffle proceeds to benefit Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation.

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Yes, we will be feeding you hungry surfers, too! Pizza/beer style. Pizza is free, bring your laundry quarters for PBR -- all beer proceeds direct to Hermosa Museum.

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CLICK HERE to reserve your ticket.

In preparation for the opening of our latest Exhibit Proutyline Products, thank you for joining us online with local historian and Hermosa Beach Museum Board Member Mark Shoemaker and our Museum Director & Curator Jamie Erickson for an in depth exploration of the founding of Hermosa Tile by T.C. Prouty and his lengthy career that included the manufacturing of door hangers, speed indicators, electrical supplies, tile, porcelain, neon signs as well as numerous patents for revolutionary equipment and formulas. 

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CLICK HERE to watching a recording of this webinar on our YouTube Channel today!

Join us at the Hermosa Beach Community Center for the premier of Hail Mary, a new surf film featuring Balaram Stack.

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Reception: Hermosa Beach Museum

Surf Film: Community Theatre

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Admission is free- all are welcome!

Come celebrate the past year with mirth and merriment, and the Legend of Surfing Santa with Easy Reader's Kevin Cody.

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Doors open at 6PM

Join us at the Hermosa Beach Museum for the opening of our latest rotating exhibition ONE WALL AT A TIME. This exhibition will feature the Hermosa Beach Murals Project and their decade long legacy of bringing public art to life in the City of Hermosa Beach.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the HBMP.

Join the Hermosa Beach Historical Society for the world premiere of PATTI ASTOR'S TRUE STORY based on the fabulous life of our very own, Patti Astor, the Queen of the Downtown Scene.

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Opening reception in the Hermosa Beach Museum. Film screening in the Community Theatre, followed by a Q & A session hosted by Dency Nelson.

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Reception starts at 6:00pm. (doors at 5:30) Have a drink or two and enjoy the Museum's exhibits with a personal twist - mini tours given by the HBHS expert docents! A true advocate for local art and culture, Patti has been a docent at the HB Museum for 10 years and wanted to celebrate the premier of her first film by giving back!

Tickets $10

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CLICK HERE to purchase your screening tickets online!

Proceeds benefit the HBHS Docent Program.

We will be hosting a little impromptu open house tomorrow night at the Museum from 5-7 PM. ALL ARE WELCOME!

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If you have wanted to learn more about volunteering, or perhaps you have a neighbor who has yet to visit us- this is a great time to drop by for a drink and say hello!

Cross Step Content announces the premiere of its first film, ‘Gender Outlaw, a bodysurfing story’, a documentary profiling
transgender athlete Tyler Wilde. Directed by Cross Step Content founder Peter Williams. The film will be premiering at the Hermosa Beach Museum on Saturday, June 4th 2022.
 

Gender Outlaw, a bodysurfing story, is a documentary that navigates the tumultuous waters that Tyler Wilde, a transgender bodysurfer and teacher has had to move through as he searched for
big surf, his true self and his chosen family.
This is a story about the resilience and acceptance that Tyler found, and that many transgender individuals have had to explore in their personal journeys as they go through their transition. Tyler is honest and raw about the process, but he also shows us how the joys in his life; bodysurfing and his unexpected community have helped him find his true self.

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To celebrate the story of Tyler and the documentary premier, we will also have a some items on display from the Gillis Beach Bodysurfing Association for this event.

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Thank you to everyone who attended the event! Stay tuned for more screening opportunities in the greater Los Angeles area.

Thank you for joining us at the Hermosa Beach Historical Society at the Hermosa Beach Museum for the March installment of Happy Hour with History! We were joined by author Kevin Salk for a reading of his latest publication, PUNK: PHOTOS FROM A FAN'S PERSPECTIVE. 

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Special Guest Appearance by DEZ CADENA of Black Flag.

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CLICK HRE TO WATCH THIS PRESENTATION RECORDING ONLINE!

Join us at the Hermosa Beach Community Center to celebrate Warren Miller. There will be a reception in the Museum at 6 PM, followed by the film screening upstairs in the Theatre at 7:30 PM.

The Hermosa Beach Historical Society will be hosting a booth at the Hermosa Harmony Festival, between 10th and 11th Street on the sand.

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To sign up as a volunteer and claim your free ticket, click here!

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Interested in becoming a docent? Join us at the Museum for a workshop to learn more about our most important volunteer team at the Museum. All are welcome, no experience necessary!

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RSVP to Museum Staff at:

hermosabeachmuseum@gmail.com

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Join us for our June webinar on Los Angeles Car Culture with guest panelists Alec Carlson, Anne Williams, and Tom Zimmerman! We will hit the road with our panelists to explore our history with cars, and how the joy of driving has brought all of us together. We will also get a glimpse into a new generation of LA car enthusiasts who are already busy in their garages making history today. Click here to watch this presentation online today!

Join us online in March as representatives from the Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach Historical Societies team up to present a history of their beach city piers! Click here to watch this presentation online today!

The Hermosa Beach Historical Society & Museum is proud to present our annual Tongva Experience Field Trip virtually for our Hermosa Beach 4th Grade Students this year. We would like to thank the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis Club for sponsoring this program.

We are thrilled to welcome back Julia Bogany, a Tribal Council Member and the Cultural Consultant for the Tongva-Gabrielino, the native people of the South Bay. Julia will be sharing the history, stories, and culture of the Tongva Tribe with our students to help fulfill their California History educational requirement.

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Click here to take this field trip online!

Join us online for the third installment of our virtual lecture series, featuring Jared Nigro from the Los Angeles Railroad Heritage Foundation on the story of Southern California's Pacific Electric Railway Cars. Spots are limited, so register on Zoom to secure yours today! Click here to learn more about this past presentation!

Join us at the Hermosa Beach Museum for our 2020 Docent Training Class. We welcome all members in the community to attend, and empower you to become a steward of history today by joining our amazing docent team! Please RSVP to hbhs.erickson@gmail.com if you are interested in attending. 

A huge thanks to everyone who keeps our Museum running all year long, and to the McNally Family for hosting at their home!

Join us at St. Cross Church for our Annual Gala Fundraising Event!

>> Learn More