top of page

Private tours

The docents and staff of the Hermosa Beach Museum are always excited to discuss our exhibits during our normal open hours, but we are also happy to accommodate private tours if desired!

 

The Museum offers opportunities for groups of all ages to engage with local history. If you are interested in scheduling a group visit to the museum for your organization - or for a museum representative to visit you - please contact Museum Staff at hermosabeachmuseum@gmail.com. See if an option from our list of brief presentations below is right for you or contact us if you are interested in a customized experience!

IMG_6739.jpg
insomniac.png

Music of the Insomniac Cafe

​

From 1958 to 1965, the Insomniac Cafe stayed open well past 2am, giving patrons of the jazz-based Lighthouse Cafe somewhere to go after last call. The Insomniac featured a vast array of folk, blues, gospel, and jazz musicians, including Linda Ronstadt, the Chambers Brothers, and Dave Van Ronk. The coffeehouse was also home to an eclectic art scene. This presentation covers interactions between musical styles and the shift from Beatniks to hippies in countercultural movements.

oil.png

Organizing Oil

​

The oil industry has had a long and often contentious history in Hermosa Beach. This presentation focuses on key organizations, personalities, and events in the debate over local oil drilling from 1932 to the present.

Speakeasies.png

Seaside Speakeasies

​

A dry town since its founding in 1907, Hermosa Beach did not see broad legal alcohol sales until after national prohibition was lifted in 1933. This presentation covers Hermosa residents' shifting views on prohibition in the early 20th century alongside tales of bootlegging, moonshining, and speakeasies.

bottom of page