Fun Things to Do in Manhattan Beach: The Local Anchor Guide
Looking for fun things to do in Manhattan Beach? This nearly four-square mile beach city packs in a historic pier and aquarium, one of the most consistent surf breaks in the South Bay, an art gallery and wine scene, a piece of civil rights history, and a calendar of events that draws visitors from across Los Angeles. This guide covers the city beyond the beach chairs. If you are traveling with young kids, pair this with Local Anchor’s Fun Things To Do With Kids In Manhattan Beach for playground and camp specific picks.
About this guide: Local Anchor is a South Bay community media platform covering local events, restaurants, and things to do since 2017. We update this list regularly based on firsthand experience and community input.
Manhattan Beach at a Glance
Manhattan Beach covers 3.94 square miles with 2.1 miles of beachfront and about 35,700 residents, making it one of the larger beach cities in the South Bay. Local lore says the city’s name was settled by a coin flip, and much of the original sand dunes that once covered the land were shipped out to help build up Waikiki Beach in Hawaii.
Start at the Pier and Roundhouse Aquarium
The Manhattan Beach Pier was built between 1917 and 1920 and is one of the oldest concrete piers on the West Coast. Look down at the pier deck and you will spot the Volleyball Walk of Fame, bronze plaques honoring champions of the AVP Manhattan Beach Open.
At the end of the pier sits the Roundhouse, originally built as a pavilion in 1922 and converted into a marine science teaching center in 1979. The Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium officially opened in 1981 and now draws more than 300,000 visitors a year. It is free to visit, with a suggested donation of $5 per person or $10 per family. It reopened in 2018 after a $4 million renovation that updated the exhibits while preserving the historic building.
Surf El Porto
Head to the northern end of town, near Rosecrans Avenue, for one of the best and most consistent surf breaks in the South Bay. El Porto is a classic beach break with shifting sandbars that faces directly into west and northwest swells, so it tends to hold more size than neighboring beaches. Fall through spring generally brings the most consistent conditions. The El Porto Surf Shop rents boards and wetsuits, and for lessons, Aqua Surf offers instruction for everyone from first-timers to advanced surfers.
Sand Dune Park
At 33rd and Bell Ave sits one of Manhattan Beach’s most distinctive landmarks: a 100-foot sand slope on a converted dump site, built by local residents in 1964. What started as a neighborhood dune has become a citywide workout spot, with people climbing and running the slope for exercise. The city runs a reservation system for one hour sessions with a 30-minute closure in between, and the surrounding park has a playground, picnic areas, and nature preserve trails.
Bruce’s Beach
Bruce’s Beach holds one of the most significant civil rights stories in Manhattan Beach. In 1912, Willa and Charles Bruce purchased land along the coast and built a resort that, by 1916, included a restaurant, dance hall, and changing rooms. It became one of the few Southern California beaches open to Black families in the 1920s. As racial tension grew alongside rising property values, the city seized the land through eminent domain, and the buildings were razed in 1927. The site sat vacant for decades before a park was built there in 1956, and it was not officially renamed Bruce’s Beach until 2007. In July 2022, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors returned the land to Willa and Charles Bruce’s descendants, the first time in the nation’s history that a government returned property to a Black family. It is worth a quiet stop and a read of the site’s history before continuing down the coast.
Downtown and Shopping
Downtown Manhattan Beach runs along Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Highland Avenue, lined with boutiques and cafes on the walk down to the pier. Manhattan Village rounds out the shopping scene with more than 80 stores and restaurants, including Macy’s and Apple.
Pages: A Bookstore is one of our favorite stops downtown, an independent, full service bookstore a block from the Strand that has been hosting author events, story times, and book clubs since 2010.
Manhattan Beach Creamery
Manhattan Beach Creamery is a staple dessert shop for a hand scooped ice cream cone or an iconic ice cream sandwich to finish off a beach day. For more South Bay options, see Local Anchor’s Tastiest Ice Cream in the South Bay.
Wine Tasting in Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach has a genuine wine scene worth building an evening around. mbWINEco offers daily tastings and weekly winemaker events on N Sepulveda Blvd, with live music on the patio Friday and Saturday nights. Barsha Wines and Spirits, open since 2012, is a boutique shop specializing in small production international wines with a tasting room and rotating monthly selection. Uncorked is another local option worth a stop for tastings and bottles to go.
Live Music
Between wine bar patios and restaurant terraces, Manhattan Beach has more live music than it gets credit for. zinc@shade pairs craft cocktails and seafood with live music on the terrace, and mbWINEco books music most weekends. For a full rundown of where to catch a show across the region, see Local Anchor’s South Bay Live Music Venues Guide.
Arts and Culture
The Manhattan Beach Creative Arts Center, also known as the Art Center, is a gallery at 1560 Manhattan Beach Blvd that shows work from local, national, and international artists. Bo Bridges Gallery, a few blocks away on Manhattan Ave, is one of only three Bo Bridges galleries in the world, showing the photographer’s action sports, adventure, and lifestyle work. The city’s Art in Public Places program adds sculptures, mosaics, and memorials throughout town, including a buried time capsule, through a self-guided tour from the Cultural Arts Commission.
Movies at CinemaWest Beach Cities
A short drive away in El Segundo, CinemaWest Beach Cities offers 4DX to the South Bay with motion enabled seats, wind, fog, and scent effects synced to the film, along with a ScreenX auditorium and Dolby Atmos sound. Local Anchor has the full rundown in 4DX Has Arrived at CinemaWest Beach Cities.
History and Culture
The Manhattan Beach Historical Society preserves the city’s history through the Beach Cottage Museum, a 1905 beach cottage that was relocated to Polliwog Park in 1986 and restored by the city, the Neptunian Woman’s Club, and the Historical Society. The cottage houses photographs and artifacts tracing Manhattan Beach’s evolution from Rancho Sausal Redondo to the beach city it is today.
Parks and Recreation
Polliwog Park is the largest park in the South Bay at 18 acres, with a large pond, an amphitheater, three gazebos, two playgrounds, a dog park, and a free open air fitness center. On the westernmost edge sits Begg Pool, open year round for lap swimming and other aquatics, and the volunteer run Manhattan Beach Botanical Garden, a free native plant garden that opened on Earth Day 2001.
Live Oak Park and Dorsey Field host the Hometown Fair every fall, and the Strand, the beach bike path connecting Manhattan Beach to Hermosa and Redondo Beach, ties the whole city together for walkers, runners, and cyclists.
Famous Manhattan Beach Filming Locations
Manhattan Beach has a longer Hollywood resume than most visitors realize. The O.C. was set in Newport Beach, but most of its exterior scenes filmed here, and CSI: Miami used Manhattan Beach as a stand in for Miami Beach. The Manhattan Beach Studios Media Campus has hosted productions including the Avengers films, Captain America, Iron Man 2, The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, and Jane the Virgin.
Where to Eat, Drink, and Plan a Date Night
The Strand House offers 180-degree ocean views and Coastal California cuisine, and Love & Salt serves Italian inspired dishes and wood fired pizza just steps from the pier. Tin Roof Bistro brings a wine country feel with chef inspired plates, and for something more casual, Shellback Tavern is one of our favorite spots: a legendary dive bar on Manhattan Beach Blvd that has been pouring drinks since 1927, just steps from the sand.
For a more curated list, Local Anchor’s Best South Bay Date Night Restaurants roundup includes several more Manhattan Beach standouts worth booking ahead for.
Two Farmers Markets
Manhattan Beach runs two farmers markets. The Downtown Manhattan Beach Farmers Market sets up Tuesdays from 11am to 3pm at 326 13th Street, with local produce, sustainably sourced seafood, and artisanal foods, plus seasonal events like Easter egg hunts. Manhattan Village also hosts its own farmers market. For more South Bay market days and locations, see Local Anchor’s guide to South Bay farmers markets.
Signature Events and Local Traditions in Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach’s events calendar draws crowds from across Los Angeles, not just the South Bay.
The AVP Manhattan Beach Open, established in 1960, is the longest running and most prestigious beach volleyball tournament in the country. Held pier-side, it draws more than 60,000 people over three days, and champions are memorialized on the Volleyball Walk of Fame.
Tour de Pier transforms the Strand into Southern California’s largest pop-up spin class each May, with 325 stationary bikes, a Health and Fitness Expo, and a Cardio Kids Zone. Since it began, the event has raised more than $16 million for cancer charities including the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
The Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair has run since 1972 and opens with a parade down Manhattan Beach Blvd before settling into Live Oak Park, Dorsey Field, and the Joslyn Center. Local Anchor covers it in Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, Over 50 Years Strong.
Concerts in the Park brings free live music to Polliwog Park every Sunday all summer, and Local Anchor has the details in Manhattan Beach Free Concerts in the Park. The season closes with the Manhattan Beach Fireworks over the pier each December, covered in Local Anchor’s Manhattan Beach Fireworks post.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Manhattan Beach known for?
Manhattan Beach is known for its pier and Roundhouse Aquarium, the AVP Manhattan Beach Open beach volleyball tournament, El Porto’s surf break, and a downtown filled with boutiques, wine bars, and restaurants just blocks from the sand.
Is Manhattan Beach worth visiting?
Yes. Between the pier, downtown shopping, the surf at El Porto, and a full calendar of events, Manhattan Beach has enough to fill a day trip or an entire weekend.
What is the Roundhouse Aquarium at Manhattan Beach Pier?
The Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium sits at the end of the Manhattan Beach Pier in a building that dates to 1922. It has operated as a free, donation supported marine science teaching center since 1981 and draws more than 300,000 visitors a year.
What happened at Bruce’s Beach?
Bruce’s Beach was a thriving beach resort built by Willa and Charles Bruce in 1912 that served Black beachgoers when few Southern California beaches would. The city seized the land through eminent domain in 1923 and razed the buildings in 1927. In July 2022, Los Angeles County returned the land to the Bruce family’s descendants.
What events happen in Manhattan Beach every year?
Manhattan Beach hosts the AVP Manhattan Beach Open, Tour de Pier, the Hometown Fair, Concerts in the Park at Polliwog Park, and the Manhattan Beach Fireworks over the pier each December, among other annual traditions.
What movies and TV shows were filmed in Manhattan Beach?
The O.C. filmed most of its exterior scenes in Manhattan Beach, CSI: Miami used the city as a stand in for Miami Beach, and the Manhattan Beach Studios Media Campus has hosted productions including the Avengers films, The Mandalorian, and Jane the Virgin.
Plan Your Visit
Manhattan Beach rewards a full day: start at the pier and Roundhouse Aquarium, walk the dune or paddle out at El Porto, and let downtown’s shops, galleries, and wine bars fill in the rest. Traveling with kids? Pair this guide with Local Anchor’s Fun Things To Do With Kids In Manhattan Beach for playground and camp picks. For more of the South Bay, browse Local Anchor’s full City Guides, including Fun Things to Do in Hermosa Beach and Fun Things to Do With Kids in Redondo Beach, and subscribe to the Local Anchor newsletter for weekly South Bay event roundups delivered straight to your inbox.
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DISCLOSURE: Event schedules are subject to change. Please contact the event host or venue to confirm event details.
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