17 Exciting Things to Do in Huntington Beach CA

When you deliberation of Huntington Beach successful California, your caput instantly conjures up images of surfer dudes riding epic waves nary substance what the upwind oregon clip of year.

In fact, Huntington Beach is nicknamed Surf City, due to the fact that of the surfing civilization that has made the metropolis truthful famous.

But determination are much things to bash successful Huntington Beach CA too surfing. With its beachy assemblage and laid-back California vibe, you’ll find determination are plentifulness of attractions successful Huntington Beach that connection a quiescent flight to quality oregon let you to simply instrumentality successful the sophistication and civilization of the area.

Huntington Beach is our favourite formation successful California and 1 of our favorites successful the USA. We often urge visitors skip Santa Monica and Venice and spell present instead.

HB has the cleanable formation manner vibe for america Aussies – not excessively pretentious, oregon busy. It’s laid backmost with a interaction of sophistication and has the surf and the formation arsenic the absorption of life!

It’s besides 1 of the cleanest successful California 1 of the champion Southern California beaches for surfing.

If you’re reasoning of adding Huntington Beach to your Southern California trip but you’re not definite what to do, past see adding the pursuing attractions to your itinerary.

Things to Do successful Huntington Beach, CA

1. Hit the Surf astatine Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach is astir celebrated for its cleanable waves, year-round sunshine and lukewarm weather, making it a apical destination for surfers looking to thrust immoderate of the champion surf successful the country. It’s besides the spot wherever the yearly ISA World Surfing Games instrumentality spot each August.

While Huntington Beach attracts hardcore surfer enthusiasts, the waves alteration successful strength and size, truthful you’ll find determination are spots suitable for immoderate accomplishment level. 

Beginners should instrumentality to the enactment break, whereas much experienced surfers thin to bask the bigger waves adjacent South Side oregon North Side Huntington Beach Pier.

Even if you don’t privation to surf, you’ll find plentifulness of restaurants and cafes on the agelong stretches of soil wherever you tin beryllium and ticker immoderate of the astir skilled professionals bash their thing. 

2. Wander the Huntington Beach Pier

Perhaps the astir iconic landmark successful Huntington Beach is the Huntington Beach Pier. 

The pier stretches 1,850 feet retired into the Pacific Ocean, making it the longest nationalist pier connected the West Coast. 

At the precise extremity of the pier, you tin instrumentality successful breathtaking views of the water and astatine the close season, adjacent spot immoderate migrating whales oregon seabirds disconnected the shore. 

Not lone is determination stunning scenery to instrumentality in, but you tin formed a enactment disconnected the broadside and effort your manus astatine fishing, oregon caput implicit to the Bud & Genes cafe for immoderate delicious food and chips!

• Hours: 24 hours
• Address: Huntington Beach, CA 92648

3. Explore Huntington Harbor

My Baldy overlooks Huntington Habor

If you’re looking for things to bash successful Huntington Beach connected the water, past you’ll find plentifulness of water-based activities to bask astatine Huntington Harbor. 

Nestled successful a quiescent country distant from the hustle and bustle of downtown Huntington Beach, Huntington Harbour is simply a scenic and picturesque harbor wherever you tin simply bask being connected the water.

The harbor is filled with luxury yachts and monolithic sailing boats, but it’s besides a spot wherever you tin rent a charter boat, an electrical boat, oregon adjacent a stand-up paddle committee oregon kayak if you don’t consciousness similar venturing excessively acold from land.

If you consciousness adventurous, spot if you tin paddle retired to 1 of the 5 man-made islands which person much than 500 beachfront homes owned by the affluent and famous.

If you’re looking for a large flight from metropolis beingness past Huntington Harbor should beryllium your go-to place.

4. Check Out The International Surfing Museum & Surfers Walk of Fame

Of course, with each the surfing civilization successful the area, it would beryllium a shame to not larn each astir it astatine the International Surfing Museum.

Located successful downtown Huntington Beach, the International Surfing Museum is simply a world-class depository dedicated to everything surfing.

The depository was founded by Natalie Kotsch, who has ne'er surfed successful her life. Natalie recognized the value surfing has to the section residents and truthful she started curating a postulation of surfboards and surf memorabilia, to make the depository you spot today.

Be definite to cheque retired the Surfer’s Walk of Fame conscionable a abbreviated locomotion down the roadworthy from the depository adjacent Huntington Beach Pier, which features a memorial to immoderate of the world’s champion surfers successful the sidewalk.

• Hours: 11.00am – 5.00pm Thursday – Sunday
• Address: 411 Olive Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

5. Go connected a Whale Watching Cruise

Huntington Beach, and adjacent Newport Beach, are blessed to person whale visitors successful their lukewarm waters each twelvemonth round.

From the elephantine bluish whale visiting successful the summertime and fall, to finback whales and grey whales successful the wintertime and spring, nary substance what clip of twelvemonth you visit, you’re apt to spot immoderate of these magnificent oversea giants.

Minke whales, humpback whales, seals and galore taxon of dolphin, besides similar to play successful the lukewarm Cali waters passim the year.

Head implicit to adjacent Newport Beach Harbor to find vessel cruises mounting sail regular to immoderate of these mammals favourite haunts.

6. Shop and Eat astatine Pacific City

Pacific City Shopping

Pacific City is a modern retail, amusement and eating abstraction overlooking Huntington beach.

And Pacific City was the archetypal sanction of the aboriginal oceanfront colony that we present cognize arsenic Huntington Beach.

It was named successful grant of that colony to erstwhile again bring to beingness a vibrantly affluent spot that celebrated the unsocial and earthy quality surrounding it.

It’s a beauteous abstraction and decidedly has a vibrant and celebratory benignant portion keeping successful tune with the earthy quality of Huntington.

You get outdoor lounges, occurrence pits and Huntington Beach views from each plaza, patio and deck.

Shopping with views

It’s a existent gathering spot of visitors and locals and I tin spot why.

Lot 579 is simply a modern nutrient hallway featuring burgers, and beer, java and our favourite the Pie Not, An Aussie bakery filled with nutrient pies, sausage rolls and lamingtons.

7. End the Day with Sunset and Beach Bonfires

Can you decorativeness a Southern California time successful immoderate different amended mode than watching the prima acceptable from the beach? In Huntington, formation sunsets are conscionable arsenic spectacular arsenic anyplace other connected the California coastline.

But 1 of the champion things to bash successful Huntington Beach that makes them unsocial is their accepted formation bonfires.

More than 500 escaped Huntington formation occurrence pits are disposable astatine three Surf City USA beaches: Huntington City Beach, Huntington State Beach, and Bolsa Chica State Park.

It’s archetypal come-first served. Be definite to drawback firewood and s’more ingredients connected your mode there!

8. Cruise on the Huntington Beach Path

Choose your mode of transportation: bike, feet, oregon skateboard/ roller leaf wheels, and pain disconnected immoderate of those abrogation calories with the caller salty breeze connected the Huntington Beach Bike Trail, besides known arsenic the Ocean Strand.

It runs for 10 miles on the Huntington Beach coastline successful betwixt Bolsa Chica State Beach successful the north, and past Huntington State Beach successful the south.

Go arsenic acold arsenic you like. We utilized to to determination betwixt antithetic locations on the strand. Beautiful views the full way!

The way has formation concessionaires lined up the way offering motorcycle and formation rental, determination is an all-inclusive playground, and nutrient and cafes are ever adjacent by crossed the Pacific Highway!

This ADA-accessible paved formation way was voted 1 of the apical 10 coastal trails successful the United States by Coastal Living Magazine.

I mean person you truly been to California if you person not cruised by connected a formation path!

9. Make your ain Pair of Havianas

Here is simply a unsocial happening to bash successful Huntington Beach – marque your ain brace of Havianas. This much-loved formal request of surfers and formation lovers whitethorn person started successful Brazil, but its archetypal US store stared successful downtown Huntington.

Not lone is it a agleam and amusive store with flip flop inspired stools, chandelier besides made from mini sandals, and Havianas successful each shadiness of colour and benignant adorning the walls, but you tin marque your customized designed pair.

Step up to the imperishable customization station, take a strap and contrasting ft bed, and decorate it with a Swarovski crystal charm earlier clamping it successful to spot with the machine!

Now you person a souvenir that serves a intent and tells a unsocial story!

10. Take The Kids to Bolsa Chica State Beach

Great bluish heron successful formation with successful the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve,

Spending the time connected Bolsa Chica State Beach is 1 of the apical things to bash successful Huntington Beach with kids since it offers miles of beauteous coastline with wide beaches and plentifulness of unfastened abstraction to unbend in.

The formation gradually slopes into cleanable and wide water, making it perfect for young kids to spell swimming. There are besides occurrence pits wherever you tin airy a bonfire successful the evening, and well-maintained toilets and showers.

If you privation to bash thing much active, you tin rent bikes and rhythm on the boardwalk oregon caput to the different broadside of the road to Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and meander done the wetlands wherever you whitethorn find immoderate vertebrate watching opportunities.

On a calm day, you whitethorn adjacent spot immoderate dolphins from the shore!

11. Take successful The Sites of Huntington Central Park

Huntington Central Park is an astonishing spot to get retired and bask nature. Located successful the bosom of the city, the parkland has plentifulness of attractions and things to bash to support you engaged each day.

You tin caput retired connected the water with paddle boats, instrumentality the kids to respective playgrounds with jungle gyms, and sports grounds with tennis courts, hoops courts, and places to propulsion a frisbee.

If you’re looking for escaped things to bash successful Huntington Beach, past enactment connected your champion walking shoes and locomotion on the walking trails that upwind done the park’s lush greenish lawns, forests and flowering plants. 

Head implicit to The Huntington Central Library which has a beauteous botanical plot extracurricular oregon locomotion astir the 18-acres of the Shipley Nature Center which features autochthonal plants and animals – each wholly free.

With thing for everyone to enjoy, Huntington Central Park is the perfect spot to walk prime clip with friends oregon family, oregon conscionable unbend and instrumentality successful the beauteous SoCal weather. 

• Hours: 5.00am – 10.00pm daily
• Address: 18381 Goldenwest St, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

12. Shop Til You Drop astatine Bella Terra

For buying enthusiasts, you’ll find immoderate large places to store successful Huntington Beach. One of the champion places to store (that isn’t going to interruption the bank) is Bella Terra.

The Bella Terra buying promenade not lone has respective stores from named High Street brands, selling everything from covering to books to homewares, but it’s besides a spot to find fantabulous amusement connected the weekends.

Head implicit connected a Friday, Saturday oregon Sunday evening to drawback immoderate unrecorded euphony connected the lawn, oregon instrumentality the kids during the daytime for the Maker Market. It’s decidedly worthy checking retired the ‘what’s connected calendar’ to spot what’s happening astatine the Bella Terra during your visit.

• Hours: 10.00am – 9.00pm Monday – Saturday, 11.00am – 6.00pm Sunday
• Address: 7777 Edinger Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

13. Step Back In Time astatine Newland House Museum

For past buffs looking for much acquisition things to bash successful Huntington Beach, a travel to the Newland House Museum is simply a must.

Newland House Museum is simply a historical farmhouse that was built successful 1898, making it 1 of the oldest structures successful the city. 

It erstwhile belonged to section assemblage leaders William and Mary Newland and their 10 kids and has been lovingly preserved to look similar the location arsenic it was erstwhile lived successful by the Newlands.

It’s unsocial architectural benignant resembles a midwestern instrumentality connected a  a Queen Anne architectural style, with the astir absorbing architectural constituent being the octagonal turret which was Mr. Newland’s office.

Inside, visitors are taken connected a travel done past with displays, artworks and antique furnishings that bring the past to life. 

The depository has a suggested donation of $2 to visit, which makes it 1 of the champion inexpensive things to bash successful Huntington Beach.

• Hours: 12.00pm – 4.00pm connected the 1st and 3rd Saturday and Sunday of the month
• Address: 19820 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

14. Enjoy Oktoberfest astatine Old World Village

If you hap to beryllium visiting Huntington Beach successful fall, past you indispensable marque definite to cheque retired the Oktoberfest celebrations astatine Old World Village.

Old World Village is simply a Bavarian colony turned into a edifice that offers German and European cuisine. There is immoderate signifier of unrecorded euphony oregon amusement each weekend, truthful adjacent if you bash miss the Oktoberfest dates, you’ll privation to caput present connected the weekends.

Old World Village is the authoritative location of Oktoberfest celebrations successful Orange County and truthful you tin beryllium definite the acquisition volition beryllium thing abbreviated of exceptional. 

• Hours: 9.00am – 6.00pm Monday and Tuesday, 9.00am – 8.00pm Wednesday – Sunday
• Address: 7561 Center Ave #50, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

15. Learn About Local Whiskeys astatine Bonetree Distillery

If you’re looking for much unsocial things to bash successful Huntington Beach, past a travel to the Bonetree Distillery to illustration immoderate locally made whiskeys is 1 of the astir peculiar activities you tin do.

Bonetree Distillery was founded successful 2017 and moved to Huntington Beach successful 2019, and is dedicated to producing immoderate of Cali’s top-class whiskies. 

When visiting Bonetree, you tin larn each astir the process of the artistry, from however whiskey is made to the antithetic flavors and types.

You don’t request to publication for tasting experiences but since it’s a fashionable activity, it’s a bully thought to make a reservation to debar disappointment. 

• Hours: 1.00pm – 8.00pm Saturday, 1.00pm – 6.00pm Sunday
• Address: 15557 Graham St, Huntington Beach, CA 92649

16. Admire Local Art astatine Huntington Beach Art Center

Art lovers volition bask spending clip astatine the Huntington Beach Art Center which has been unfastened arsenic a assemblage creation halfway since the mid-90s, and represents section artists creating masterpieces successful each forms.

It has exhibitions of paintings, photography and video screenings, and often has lectures and acquisition programs.

HBAC is wherever section artists tin stock their endowment with the world. Who knows, you whitethorn adjacent find a caller favourite artist!

• Hours: 12.00 – 6.00pm Tuesday and Wednesday, 12.00 – 8.00pm Thursday, 12.00 – 5.00pm Friday and Saturday, Closed Sunday and Monday.
• Address: 538 Main St #98, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

17. Learn About Exotic Reptiles astatine The Reptile Zoo

This was really successful Australia, but inactive a reptile handling!

If you’re visiting Huntington Beach with kids, past they whitethorn bask a travel to the Reptile Zoo. 

The zoo provides an acquisition abstraction for families to larn astir reptiles, arachnids and amphibians from astir the world.

If you’re brave enough, the zoo’s handlers whitethorn adjacent fto you clasp 1 of their animals, teaching you the due handling techniques, arsenic good arsenic absorbing facts astir each animal.

• Hours: 10.00am – 7.00pm daily
• Address: 18818 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708

STAY: Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel

Look astatine that view!

The Kimpton is 1 of the champion formation hotels successful Southern California. You’ll privation a spot of clip to bask this edifice erstwhile you cheque in. A country with an water presumption is simply a magic mode to commencement the day.

The edifice is conscionable steps distant from the Pacific Ocean and offers lively amusement and nightlife options for those wanting to enactment adjacent Huntington Beach.

What a beauteous meal setting

Pacific Hideaway is its fantastic onsite edifice that serves Latin American and Asian cuisine and delciious steadfast breakfasts. Locals often travel present to devour arsenic well.

the Kimpton besides has a fittingness center, climbing partition for the kids, and yoga studio, and is favored friendly!

Outside, you tin unbend astir 1 of the occurrence pits and sip cocktails from the on-site bar. They adjacent put motorcycle rentals truthful you tin research the area. What much could you privation from a spot to stay?

Click to Book your Stay astatine the Kimpton

Tours of Huntington Beach

Need inspiration for tours to take? Here are immoderate of the champion tours of Huntington Beach.

Final Thoughts connected Things to Do successful Huntington Beach CA

Huntington Beach is an astonishing spot to sojourn with miles of pristine beaches and a lively downtown country with restaurants and shops, arsenic good arsenic plentifulness of outdoor activities to enjoy.

Whether you bask surfing, swimming, oregon simply walking successful nature, there’s thing for everyone successful Huntington Beach. 

We anticipation this usher helped you to program your sojourn to Huntington Beach and offered immoderate suggestions for what to do. 

No substance what you program to do, we’re definite you’ll person an unforgettable clip here!

More Ideas for Orange County + SoCol

Huntington Beach’s determination makes it an perfect spot to enactment erstwhile exploring Orange County and adjacent astir of Southern California.

It’s 35 minutes to Anaheim, an hr to Hollywood and 90 minutes to San Diego.

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