Doors Open Peninsula 2023

Battery Barnes (also referred to as Battery 240) is a fixed artillery site located just west of the Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall buildings.  Formerly part of the Point Vicente Military Reservation, it is now owned by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Battery once housed 6” guns that had a range of 15 miles and targeted enemy ships.  These weapons were phased out for anti-aircraft weapons.  Though the inside of the bunker is not accessible, the exterior doors and mounts are still visible. 

Site included in Alta Vicente Reserve hike conducted by Los Serenos docents starting at 9:00 am. See losserenos.org/pdfs/CurrentHikeFlyer.pdf

Visitors will take in the breathtaking views, and observe birds and butterflies on this short walk around two acres of newly vegetated oceanfront native habitat.  A community driven project of the Lunada Bay Homeowners Association in partnership with the City of PVE and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, The Beautify Lunada Bay Pilot is an example of restoring a neglected parkland area with attractive, locally native, drought tolerant plantings. Comfortable walking paths and informal boulder seating make the area accessible all year round. 

Information and hand-outs about Native plants, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, the California Native Plant Society and the Lunada Bay Homeowners Association will be available.

Cabrillo Beach Aquarium was founded in 1935 in response to beach-goers' questions about local sea life. From its modest beginnings as an enthusiastically displayed collection of shells to today's Frank Gehry-designed center for teaching and research, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium serves as an essential resource for conservation, environmental and marine science education. Located on the edge of one of the largest and busiest ports in the world, the Aquarium and its Cabrillo Beach surroundings represent several seashore habitats, making it a unique and diverse opportunity to experience the urban and ocean relationship.  Visitors can view Exploration Center and Aquatic Nursery and view short film. Call site for touch tank, grunion hatching and feeding presentation schedule.

The General Store Building was designed by renowned architect Paul R. Williams in 1939.  Now home to Kelly’s Korner sandwich shop, the wood board and red-roof building has served as a grocery store, post office, clothing and feed store, town hall and clubhouse for community activities.  An addition was added in 1957 and is now the New Horizons Child Development Center.  Jim Kelly opened Kelly’s Korner in 1984 and the family has operated the popular sandwich shop since. Visitors can grab a bite to eat and walk around the exterior of the historically designated site. No access to the building interior.

The Muller House Museum is owned and operated by the San Pedro Bay Historical Society. It was the home of William A. Muller, a pioneer shipbuilder in the Los Angeles Harbor.  Built in 1899, the exterior features Colonial Revival embellishments, echoed inside through Muller’s own skilled woodworking. The furnishings reflect the early 20th century, and some pieces are original to the Muller family. The Historical Society acquired the house in 1985, and after careful restoration opened it to the public in 1990. Visitors will have a docent-led tour of the house and learn about the Muller family and San Pedro history. Tours last about 40 minutes.  Second floor accessible by
stairs only.

Palos Verdes College was a private, two-year, co-ed, liberal arts college which opened in 1947 on the grounds of a former Army Air Force complex of barracks. The site was temporary pending the construction of a large permanent campus on and promised and later gifted by the Vanderlip family. The campus buildings were grouped, moved, and altered under the supervision of Los Angeles architect Harwell Hamilton Harris. Landscaping was planned by Hammond Sadler, a member of the Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architects firm, which was part of the original Palos Verdes Project team. 

Early attendees included the Hormel family, dancer/actress Leslie Caron, and Elizabeth Taylor’s older brother Howard. The Korean War (1950-1953) had a major effect on the College with enrollment dropping, causing a major financial drain which ultimately led to the College’s closure in 1955. The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District eventually purchased the property for one of its school sites.  Remnants of the old campus and barracks are visible from the fence at the entrance of the property.
 

Completed in 1961, Palos Verdes High School was the first public high school on the Peninsula. Designed by Richard Neutra and Robert Alexander with local architect Carrington Lewis, the plant includes a mix of Mid-Century modern and traditional gabled tile roofs and stucco walls. Neutra enthusiasts will recognize the classic “spider leg” metal supports on the canopies.  Visitors are welcome to walk about the grounds. 

The original 32,000 sq. ft Peninsula Center Library was designed by pioneers in “green” design, A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons in 1967.  In 1995, architects Zimmer, Gunsul, Fransca (ZGF) renovated and expanded the space, nearly doubling its size.  Visitors can see the original architectural models for both design phases, public art integral to the Library redesign and exhibits on loan from the PV Historical Society.

Designed in collaboration with the Gabrieleño/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians this monument was dedicated by the City of RPV October 2021. The monument honors the Indigenous people of Los Angeles at a site where the Tongva people once fished for abalone.  Designed by Santa Fe New Mexico artist and sculptor, Geri Jimenez Gould, the plaque depicts a Tongva village with a young family, and fishermen preparing the daily catch, with Catalina Island visible in the background. 

Tom Steers, local resident and champion of the project, involved active tribe leaders and elders in the design process to ensure historical and cultural accuracy, including Chief Anthony Morales, the late Tribal Council Elder Julia Bogany, Ms.Gould, and Jesus Gutierrez, who are both Tongva-descendant elders.