Visiting Rancho Los Alamitos

Summer is almost over and I’m in a festive fall mood! Seasons don’t exactly exist in Southern California, but I decided to do the best I can with what I got.

That being said, I’m going to be putting out cottagecore-related content this September to really get into a cozy fall feel.

My first cottagecore related post is this one, a visit to Rancho Los Alamitos, (aka rancho of the little cottonwoods) a historic site in Long Beach, CA.

I wasn’t sure of what to expect of this place before I stepped foot inside. Is it a garden? A museum? Ok, so it’s both!

Located at 6400 E Bixby Hill Rd, this historical site is next to my Alma Mater, CSULB. I, however, never knew of its existence when I was a college student because its located in a gated community next to the school.

I had always seen the gate and assumed it was condos or townhomes, turns out it’s an entire neighborhood that is pretty affluent.

The assumption my cousin Yanny and I made (she came with me on the visit), is that the community is gated to keep students from parking there.

Right off the bat, both Yanny and I were entranced by the greenery and beauty of this place. New to both of us, I only discovered it after doing some research for cottagecore content.

Visiting is completely free and consists of walking the rancho’s gardens and touring the home. As I mentioned earlier, this is a historical site.

The land was once inhabited by the Tongva people. The home, however, has been around since the 1800s….very old for Southern California (practically ancient).

The house is small and sections are roped off, but it’s a marvel nonetheless. The image above is from the living room. If you’re interested in learning more about the house, there is a quick tour that supplies fast facts.

Can we take a second to appreciate this bathroom? It’s definitely cursed (but in a good way). Anyways, I digress. Let’s discuss some history of the rancho because this is, after all, a farm.

As I briefly mentioned, the land was once Native American land. It’s eventually given to Manuel Nieto as a gift from the Spanish Crown. To save you from boring information, it eventually ends up in the hands of John and Susan Bixby from Maine.

After their deaths, their son, Fred Bixby, and his wife Florence, take over. They end up being the last private residences of the home and rancho. In 1968, a few years after their deaths, the Bixby’s heirs gave the land and home over to the city of Long Beach.

Thus, it’s eventually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and opens up to the public for tours and educational purposes.

Besides touring the home, you can walk the gorgeous grounds and say hello to the farm animals. I say this in almost all my posts that center around visiting gardens, but I did for a moment, forget that I was in Long Beach and not somewhere rural.

Due to its vast open space and classic country feel, I thought it was perfect for the cottagecore theme I was going for. There is even a gift shop that is quaint and rustic.

Here, they sell several home-related goods including decor, tea towels, jam, candles, and more. It was the perfect way to end our time at the rancho.

If you’re looking for a place in the city to enjoy the outdoors and briefly feel like you’re in a different time, then Rancho Los Alamitos is the spot for you!

Rancho Los Alamitos is open Wednesday-Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm. It’s completely free to visit as long as you reserve a time online. To see more of my visit, check out my TikTok below!

@lesliestefv

Join me as I visit Rancho Los Alamitos in Long Beach, CA with @bravoyanny 💞🌼 ##cottagecore ##fyp ##longbeach ##longbeachcalifornia

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