San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building, Maritime museum in San Pedro, Los Angeles, United States.
The San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building is a transport terminal and museum in one structure, featuring an octagonal clock tower in Streamline Moderne style. Built in 1941, it contains two floors displaying merchant ship models, fishing industry objects, and exhibits about commercial diving work.
The building opened in 1941 and operated as a ferry terminal connecting San Pedro and Terminal Island until 1963. Ferry service ended after the Vincent Thomas Bridge rendered water transportation no longer necessary.
The museum displays the work of fishers and merchants who shaped the harbor across generations. The exhibits show how these workers connected the city's life to their daily labor on the water.
The location sits directly along the harbor and is easy to reach on foot, especially from the nearby piers and museum districts. Visit in the morning or early afternoon to avoid crowds and take advantage of the light for photographs.
Inside, visitors can practice more than 60 different sailor's knots and even operate the steering wheel of a 19th-century sailing ship. These hands-on stations let you experience the practical skills that harbor workers once needed.
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