Long Beach is one of those cities that casually acts like it’s just about the beach, when in reality it is absolutely serving art, murals, museums, and creative neighborhood energy on a silver platter. If you know where to look, you can spend an entire day wandering from murals to gallery walls to museum exhibitions without ever getting bored, lost, or accidentally ending up in a chain restaurant parking lot — a true miracle.
So if you’re looking for art in Long Beach, you’re in luck, because this city has a whole lot more going on than beaches and boats. From murals and public art to museums, galleries, and creative neighborhoods, Long Beach makes it easy to spend a day soaking up local culture without trying too hard
East Village Arts District
If you’re starting your Long Beach art crawl anywhere, make it here. The East Village Arts District is a wonderfully weird creative neighborhood near downtown, with galleries, murals, public art, and the kind of energy you only get when artists actually live and work in a place rather than just being priced into it from somewhere else.
The anchor is East Village Arts Park at 150 Elm Avenue (between Broadway and Elm Streets), a neighborhood showcase featuring mosaics and art installations made by local artists. It’s the kind of public art that feels like it belongs — woven into the sidewalk and the story of the neighborhood rather than dropped in by a city committee. The park is open to the public, though hours shift seasonally, so check before you go.
Also in the district: Hellada Gallery at 117 Linden Ave, a community-rooted fine art gallery and art center that’s been a Downtown Long Beach fixture since 1996. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 2–7pm, it’s one of the most reliable places to catch rotating local work, photography, and the occasional live blues performance on weekends — no cover, donations welcome.
Clay on First is a pottery studio offering classes, workshops, and open studio space for all skill levels. One of those places that makes you want to pick up a new hobby immediately. Cone 11 Studio is a gallery space connected to Clay on First Pottery Studio, showcasing ceramic and mixed media work by local artists. They are located at 408 E 1st St.
Long Beach’s original paint-and-sip experience, Brushstrokes + Beverages is a fun art experience, whether you’re an artist or just someone who paints better with a glass of wine in hand (no judgment). Located at 501 E Broadway.
And Hellbent Silversmith offers custom silver jewelry design and silversmithing workshops. If you’ve ever wanted to make something you can actually wear, this is your spot. Located at 433 E 1st St.
Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum (PIEAM)
Long Beach has always punched above its weight when it comes to cultural institutions, and PIEAM is one of the best reasons why. The Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum is the only Pacific Island museum in the continental United States — a fact that should stop you in your tracks, because that’s not a small thing. It’s right here, tucked into the East Village Arts District at 695 Alamitos Ave, a short walk from MOLAA, and it is absolutely worth your time.
Recent exhibitions have included work by Fa’afafine Samoan artist Dan Taulapapa McMullin, whose pieces embody the fa’asamoa understanding that the body itself is an archive, carrying ancestral and personal memory through the mana of social and environmental relationships.
General admission is $5, with discounts for seniors and students, and free for children 11 and under. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am–4:30pm. Combine it with a visit to MOLAA next door and you’ve got yourself a genuinely world-class cultural afternoon in one square block of Long Beach.
Long Beach Museum of Art (LBMA)
The Long Beach Museum of Art has been collecting and exhibiting art in all media since its origin as the Municipal Art Center in 1950. Today it operates across two locations — LBMA Ocean on the bluff overlooking the harbor and Catalina Island, and LBMA Downtown in the heart of the city. General admission is $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, with half-price admission every Friday. LBMA members and children under 12 are always free.
Current exhibitions include Robert Williams: Fearless Depictions, featuring 57 paintings spanning from 2001 to the present, along with two large-scale sculptures, and Holding Time: The Works of Elyse Pignolet and MyungJin Kim, which opened March 20, 2026. The Coulter Jacobs show closes April 19, 2026, so catch it while you can. Check lbma.org for the latest before you go — exhibitions rotate regularly.
If you’re staying for lunch (and you should), Claire’s at the Museum offers oceanfront dining with an unobstructed view of the Queen Mary, Catalina Island, and a stunning water sculpture by artist Claire Falkenstein. That’s what we call a whole experience.
Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)
MOLAA is the only museum in the United States dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art, and it lives right here in Long Beach at 628 Alamitos Ave. The museum is housed in what was once a roller skating rink called the Hippodrome, built in the late 1920s — the high vaulted ceilings and wooden floors are stunning.
Visitors can stroll the galleries, enjoy the outdoor sculpture garden, and shop the gift store. MOLAA’s annual festivals include a Día de los Muertos celebration, an Afro-Latinx Festival, and the Latino Comics Expo. Sundays are free admission. If you’re new to MOLAA, this is your sign to finally go.
CSULB Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum
Situated on the campus of California State University, Long Beach, this museum showcases contemporary art in Long Beach from emerging and established artists, with unique exhibitions that often challenge and inspire. It’s a solid pick if you want something a little more experimental and off the beaten tourist track — university museums tend to take more risks, and this one is no exception. Check their programming calendar before visiting, as hours and exhibitions change throughout the semester.
Long Beach Creative Group / Rod Briggs Gallery
Located at 2221 E Broadway in Long Beach, the gallery is open Friday through Sunday from 1–4pm, with free admission. This community-run non-profit seeks out and exhibits the work of many emerging and established artists who live and work in the greater Long Beach area, with a dedicated inclusive approach that recognizes the contributions of a diverse population. Upcoming exhibitions include photography shows, sculptural work, and tributes to the late Long Beach artist Rod Briggs. Low-key, local, and genuinely supportive of the art community — the kind of gallery that reminds you why this stuff matters.
Flux Art Space
Founded in 2018, Flux Art Space is a curated project space located in the beautiful Belmont Heights neighborhood of Long Beach at 410 Termino Ave., connecting emerging and mid-career artists with each other and with members of the Southern California community through exhibitions, workshops, and events. It’s intimate and personal in the best possible way — run by working artist Betsy Lohrer Hall out of her own studio storefront. Follow them on Instagram (@fluxartspace) to catch upcoming shows.
LBCC Art Gallery
Don’t sleep on the Long Beach City College gallery. The LBCC Art Gallery regularly presents dynamic exhibitions showcasing the creative talents of the college’s Visual and Media Arts faculty and students, with works spanning photography, jewelry, metalsmithing, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, painting, ceramics, and film. It’s free, it’s community-forward, and it consistently shows work you won’t find in a commercial gallery. Check their website for current exhibition dates.
Public Art & Murals
Long Beach has one of the strongest public art scenes in SoCal, and you don’t need a museum ticket to access any of it. The Arts Council for Long Beach offers a Public Art Map at artslb.org to help you find murals, sculptures, and installations around the city — bookmark it before you go.
The crown jewel of the mural world here is Long Beach Walls & Art Renzei, a citywide festival that has helped create more than 100 murals across over 40 square miles over the past decade. The event for 2026 is scheduled for June 8th through the 13th and is free and open to the public, with mural viewing, bike tours, live music, food, and a marketplace featuring local artists and vendors.
You’ll also want to check out the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium Mural at Harvey Milk Promenade Park, a standout on the city’s self-guided mural tour circuit. Then work your way through Tristan Eaton’s pop-art “The American Way,” Felipe Pantone’s neon-gradient future-glitch chaos, Bumblebeelovesyou’s chill “Deuces” scene, Dave Van Patten’s gloriously weird walruses-in-ties behind Hotel Royal, and Dragon76’s bold fantasy brushwork from the Long Beach Walls festival. All you need are comfortable shoes, a fully charged phone, and a willingness to look up. Download the GPSmyCity app (Apple or Google Play) for the self-guided GPS tour — it works offline, so no excuses.
Coffee Shops with Local Art Vibes
Art doesn’t always live in a white-walled gallery. Sometimes it’s hanging above your oat milk cortado.
Confidential Coffee — Family-owned and community-centered, Confidential Coffee is a safe and inclusive space that regularly hosts community events and art shows that bring people together. Owner Denise Maldonado brings her Mexican heritage to the menu with standout drinks like the cajeta latte and mazapán latte — equal parts coffee shop and cultural experience. 137 W. 6th St., Open daily.
The Library Coffee House — Photography for sale hangs over the seating areas, and the walls are dressed in splattered artwork — all available for purchase. The vibe is exactly what it sounds like: cozy, dim, lined floor-to-ceiling with books, and genuinely one of the most character-rich rooms in Long Beach. 3418 E Broadway. Open daily 6am–11pm.
Wolf’s Brew Coffee — Don’t let the strip mall location fool you. Wolf’s Brew doubles as a proper art gallery — not just art-on-the-walls, but a totally separate room with a dedicated gallery feel, founded by Long Beach native Bryer Garcia, who holds a fine art photography degree. Central American coffees, local pastries, and actual rotating exhibitions under one roof. 4145 Norse Way.
Art in Long Beach is Amazing
Long Beach is one of those cities where art is everywhere once you start paying attention — on the walls, in the parks, in museum galleries overlooking the Pacific, and yes, on the chalkboard behind the coffee counter. Whether you’re into sweeping museum shows, neighborhood galleries run by actual working artists, or just wandering around until a mural stops you in your tracks, there’s no shortage of creative things to see here.
You don’t need to be an art expert. You just need comfortable shoes, a little curiosity, and ideally a coffee in hand.
FAQs
Long Beach has a genuinely impressive museum scene for a city its size. The top picks are the Long Beach Museum of Art (with two locations — Ocean and Downtown), the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum at CSULB, and the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum (PIEAM) — the only Pacific Island museum in the continental United States. Each one brings something completely different to the table, so if you have time, do all four.
Yes — several. MOLAA offers free admission every Sunday. The Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum at CSULB is free and open to the public. The Long Beach Museum of Art offers half-price admission every Friday, and LBMA members and children under 12 always get in free. The Long Beach Creative Group / Rod Briggs Gallery at 2221 E Broadway is also free, open Friday through Sunday.
The East Village Arts District is located in downtown Long Beach, roughly centered around 1st Street, Broadway, Linden Avenue, and Elm Avenue. It’s walkable, packed with galleries, murals, public art, workshops, and creative businesses, and is home to MOLAA, PIEAM, Hellada Gallery, the Dark Art Emporium (now closed), and East Village Arts Park. It’s the cultural heart of the city and the best place to start any Long Beach art crawl.
Long Beach has one of the strongest public mural scenes in Southern California. Start with the Arts Council for Long Beach’s Public Art Map at artslb.org, which catalogs murals, sculptures, and installations citywide. The Long Beach Walls & Art Renzei festival has produced more than 100 murals across the city over the past decade. For a guided experience, download the GPSmyCity app and follow the self-guided Long Beach Murals Walking Tour, which includes landmarks like the 1938 Long Beach Municipal Auditorium Mural at Harvey Milk Promenade Park and works by Tristan Eaton, Felipe Pantone, and Dave Van Patten.
Long Beach Walls & Art Renzei is a free, citywide mural and public art festival that has produced more than 100 murals across over 40 square miles of Long Beach over the past decade. The annual event features live mural painting, bike tours, live music, food, and a marketplace with local artists and vendors. It is one of the best ways to experience Long Beach’s public art scene and is open to the public at no cost.
