San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building facts for kids
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San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building
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San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building, housing the Los Angeles Maritime Museum.
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | Sixth Street at Harbor Boulevard, San Pedro, Los Angeles, California |
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| Architect | Derwood Lydell Irvin, B. Irvin, Los Angeles Harbor Department |
| Architectural style | Streamline Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000392 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 12, 1996 |
The San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building is a special building in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California. It used to be a place where people caught ferries. Today, this historic building is home to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. It sits at Sixth Street and Harbor Boulevard.
History of the Ferry Building
The Municipal Ferry Building was built in 1941. It was part of a big project called the Works Project Administration (WPA). The WPA helped create jobs during a tough time in history.
An architect named Derwood Lydell Irvin designed the building. He worked for the Los Angeles Harbor Department. The building has a cool design style called Streamline Moderne. This style looks sleek and modern, like a fast ship or train. The building also has a tall, five-story clock tower.
This building was a busy ferry terminal from 1941 to 1963. Ferries connected San Pedro to Terminal Island in the Los Angeles Harbor. Two double-decked ferries, named "Islander" and "Ace," carried many people and cars. They traveled to places like tuna canneries, docks, shipyards, and military bases on Terminal Island.
In 1963, something new changed everything. The Vincent Thomas Bridge was finished. This bridge connected San Pedro directly to Terminal Island. Because of the bridge, the ferry service was no longer needed. The last ferry ran on November 14, 1963. The bridge opened the very next day.
After the ferries stopped, the San Pedro building was used as an office. The Los Angeles Harbor Department had offices there for many years. Sadly, the ferry building on the Terminal Island side was torn down in 1972. This was done to make more space for cargo ships.
The Building Becomes a Museum
Over time, the old ferry building started to get worn out. People in San Pedro wanted to save it. They worked hard to get the building recognized as important. In 1975, it was named a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. This means it's a special landmark that should be protected.
Starting in 1976, the building was fixed up. The outside was restored to look new again. The inside was changed to become a museum. In 1979, the Los Angeles Maritime Museum officially opened its doors. It is now the largest maritime museum on the West Coast.
In 1996, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is another important list that recognizes historic places across the country.
In Movies
The San Pedro Municipal Ferry Building has even been in a movie! Both the outside and inside of the building were shown in the 1947 film The Street With No Name.
