Long Beach Airport

Home » Long Beach Airport (LGB) » About Us » 100th
Long Beach Airport's 100th Anniversary

As we mark our 100th anniversary, Long Beach Airport celebrates a rich past intertwined with the demands of today’s travelers. With our official anniversary on November 26, 2023, we invite you to join us in reflecting and commemorating a century of aviation at LGB as we embark on a yearlong celebration of the remarkable achievements and people who have shaped LGB into the thriving hub it is today.

Long Beach Airport is the oldest municpal airport in California. It’s also among the Best Airports in the United States. Air carriers at Long Beach Airport—including Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Hawaiian Airlines—currently offer service to 24 nonstop destinations around the nation, which is more nonstop service than at any time in LGB’s nearly 100-year history. 

Commemorative Centennial Poster Series

In celebration of its centennial year, Long Beach Airport released a series of four vintage-style posters designed to serve as a timeless tribute to the Airport’s past, present and future. Inviting viewers to embark on a journey through time, the 100th anniversary posters were specially designed to spotlight unique eras and facets of LGB's aviation history. Each is styled in an aesthetic reminiscent of the Work Projects Administration’s national park posters

 The first poster, “Early Days of Aviation,” inspired by the early 1900s, captures the pioneering spirit that marked those formative years before the official establishment of LGB in 1923, when Long Beach’s sandy shoreline served as a runway. Onlookers were amazed as early aviator Earl S. Daugherty—who later helped establish the Airport—soared through a serene expanse of blue sky in an early Curtiss Flyer Model D.  “Historic Terminal,” the second poster, pays homage to LGB’s Historic Terminal building, which was completed in 1941. A City-designated Historic Landmark , the architectural gem was designed by architects William Horace Austin and Kenneth Smith Wing in era-defining Streamline Moderne style. Reflected in its runway-facing windows, the silhouette of a Douglas DC-3 passenger plane emerges, proudly manufactured by the thousands in Long Beach.
 In "Keep 'Em Flying,” the third poster reflects on Long Beach Airport’s robust aircraft manufacturing history and its significant contributions during World War II. Here in Long Beach, women of all backgrounds became Rosie the Riveters and worked around the clock to produce military aircraft that were vital to the war effort—including the B-17 depicted in mid-flight—at Douglas Aircraft Company.   The final poster, “Welcome to Long Beach,” goes past the Golden Age of Aviation into the mid-century, celebrating how Long Beach’s unique climate, tourism and manufacturing industries helped the City thrive. A DC-3 flies above beach waves and an iconic skyline that includes the Villa Riviera and Breakers Hotel, as well as The Pike’s Cyclone Racer rollercoaster.
Historic Film Series

“Flying Through History: 100 Years at Long Beach Airport”

A four-part short film series titled “Flying Through History: 100 Years at Long Beach Airport,” created by LBTV, focuses on different aspects of the Airport’s history.

Early Days of Aviation in Long Beach 

 





Long Beach Airport's Historic Terminal 





World War II and Manufacturing in Long Beach



Lesser Known Stories in Local Aviation History 

Historic Report

“Long Beach Airport and Southern California: A Brief New Aviation and Aeronautics History (1900s-1980s)”

Researched and written by Alison Rose Jefferson and Philip S. Hart on behalf of the Historical Society of Long Beach, this project was commissioned by Long Beach Airport as part of its 100th anniversary celebration. The report illustrates the histories, significance and importance of Long Beach and Southern California aviation and aeronautics activities. An important component is the inclusion in this narrative of the histories of women and people of color (Black, Indigenous and People of Color – BIPOC) who participated and contributed to making the Southern California environs a global center of aviation and aerospace over the last century. 

 

Read the full report.

An executive summary brochure is also available. 

Related press release.

Historic Terminal Renovation
LGB’s Historic Terminal is undergoing a yearlong renovation that will include a seismic retrofit and restoration of many of its classic 1941 design elements. The Airport remains open and fully operational while work is underway through its expected completion in early 2024. Designed by William Horace Austin and Kenneth Smith Wing, the building was declared a Historic Landmark in 1990 by Long Beach’s Cultural Heritage Commission and bridges the transition from the Streamline Moderne style of the 1930s to the geometric abstraction of the post-war International Style.  
Historic Terminal Through the Years (1)
Historic Terminal Through the Years (2)
Historic Terminal Through the Years (3)
Historic Terminal Through the Years (4)
Historic Terminal Through the Years (5)
Historic Terminal Through the Years (6)
Mosaic Restoration
Renovations underway on the Historic Terminal include the careful unearthing and expert-led restoration of long unseen portions of a 1941 mosaic masterwork by artist Grace Clements.The entire mosaic is made up of nine vignettes comprised of an estimated 1.6 million hand-cut tiles.Clements, born in 1905, was hired through the Work Projects Administration to create the federally funded floor mosaic prior to the terminal’s opening. Collectively titled “Communication (Aviation and Navigation),” the design of Clements’ Long Beach-centric art showcases representational, stylized modes of communication and transportation. 
Mosaics (1)
Mosaics (2)
Mosaics (3)
Mosaics (4)
Mosaics (5)
Mosaics (6)
Mosaics (7)
Mosaics (8)
Upcoming Centennial Events

With the official centenary date falling on November 26, 2023, the oldest municipal airport in California has lined up a series of events designed to honor LGB's rich aviation history, underscore its role as an economic driver and convenient gateway to Southern California, and inspire future aviation professionals.  

October 2023’s Festival of Flight, which attracted more than 15,000 people to enjoy activities on the airfield, was the official launch of the yearlong centennial celebration, and a newly created 100th anniversary logo was unveiled.  

Other highlights of the campaign will include: a ribbon cutting for a large public art piece; a historic report; the release of four historic short films; a vintage poster series and other public signage; an open house for the re-opening of the Historic Terminal; and much more. Details about upcoming events will be posted here: 

November 26, 2023 – Long Beach Airport’s Official Anniversary. Giveaways and activities for travelers.

November 29, 2023 - 100th Anniversary Themed Artwork Unveiling  

January 25, 2024 - Historic report authors Jefferson and Hart will present their findings at the Billie Jean King Main Library.  

July 27, 2024 – Historic Terminal Grand Reopening

Summer 2024 - Careers Taking Flight Youth Programming

October 19, 2024 - Festival of Flight