FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATION’S LEADING CONTAINERPORT IS “STEPPIN’ BACK IN TIME”

TO CELEBRATE CENTENNIAL

Port of Los Angeles to Conduct Free, Public Historical Tour of Harbor District

SAN PEDRO, Calif. — April 30, 2007 — The Port of Los Angeles, the number one containerport in the United States, is celebrating its centennial with a historical bus tour of the Port communities of San Pedro and Wilmington on Saturday, June 2, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.  The tours are free and open to the public.

Buses will make continuous tours of six historical sites in San Pedro and Wilmington.  Tour guides will take sightseers on a nostalgic ride through Port history with tales about the area’s rich past, including an up-close and personal view of some of the most revered historical sites, including Point Fermin Lighthouse, Fort MacArthur Military Museum, and the Drum Barracks.  The Port is creating a map of places of historical significance, including the stops featured on the tour.

Port of Los Angeles 2007 Historical Tour Route Info: 

The historical bus tour runs continuously, and participants can join the tour at any one of the six scheduled stops.  The historical tour includes the following sites and references:

        Maritime Museum, located on 6th Street and Harbor Boulevard in San        Pedro. Originally built in 1941 as a ferry building serving San Pedro and Terminal Island, the Maritime Museum is now the largest nautical museum in California and features more than 700 ship and boat models, a variety of navigational equipment, an operating amateur radio station and exhibits of maritime artifacts and industries.  Passengers who arrive at this stop will be encouraged to ride the Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line, located on 6th Street and Harbor Boulevard in San Pedro and visit the S.S. Lane Victory, located at the end of the Cruise Ship Promenade across from the World Cruise Center in San Pedro.  The Red Car Line features fully restored replica cars of the historic Pacific Electric Red Car. The S.S. Lane Victory is a World War II victory ship built in 1945 at California Shipyard in the Port of Los Angeles.  This 455-foot-long ship is named after Isaac Lane, a man who rose from slavery to become a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church and founded Lane College in Jackson, Tenn. in 1882.

        Point Fermin Lighthouse, located at 807 Paseo Del Mar in San Pedro.  Built in 1874 to aid safe passage between the Channel Islands and Los Angeles Harbor, Point Fermin Lighthouse is one of San Pedro's most recognized landmarks.  Passengers at this stop will also view the Korean Bell, located at Angels Gate Park at Gaffey and 37th Street in San Pedro, from a distance.  The Korean Bell is a massive and intricately-decorated bell and pavilion donated in 1976 to the people of Los Angeles by the people of the Republic of Korea to celebrate the bicentennial of U.S. independence, to honor veterans of the Korean War, and to foster friendship between the two countries. The bell is rung only four times each year: the Fourth of July, August 15 (Korean Independence Day), New Year's eve, and every September to coincide with Constitution Week.

         Fort MacArthur Military Museum, Osgood-Farley Battery Historical Site, located at 3601 S. Gaffey Street in San Pedro. The museum features photos, drawings, exhibits and memorabilia of Fort MacArthur and Los Angeles Harbor defenses from 1920 through World War II.

       Banning’s Landing Community Center, located at 100 E. Water Street in Wilmington.   Banning’s Landing Community Center is often referred to as a "window on the water."  Banning’s Landing is named after Phineas Banning, founder of Wilmington and nicknamed the "Father of Los Angeles Harbor” for his influence that positioned the Port for future success as a maritime and trade center.  Passengers who disembark at Banning’s Landing Community Center will have a chance to participate in the Port’s Centennial Quilt Challenge.  Original hand- and machine-crafted quilts squares honoring the Port’s history will be on display and passengers can cast their vote for the winning square.

        Drum Barracks and Civil War Museum, located at 1052 Banning Boulevard in Wilmington.  The Drum Barracks is the only Civil War-era U.S. Army building still standing in Southern California.  It once served as the main training, staging and supply depot for military operations in Arizona, Southern California and New Mexico.

         Banning Residence Museum, located at 401 East M Street in Wilmington. Banning Residence Museum is a restored Greek revival mansion built by the Banning family in 1864.  This day will also mark the opening of the Summer Exhibition – "Steam & Steel: Los Angeles in the Age of the Transcontinental Railroad."  This exhibition will look at the impact of the railroad on travel, tourism and Southern California's economy.

Please call the Port of Los Angeles at (800) 831-PORT (7678) or visit its website, www.portoflosangeles.org, for additional information.

Celebrating its Centennial in 2007, the Port of Los Angeles is America's premier port. As the leading seaport in the nation in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates 259,000 regional jobs and $8.4 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars. At the Port of Los Angeles, high priority is placed on responsible and sustainable growth initiatives, combined with high security, environmental stewardship and community outreach. For its industry leading environmental initiatives, the Port received two Environmental Protection Agency awards in 2006. The Port of Los Angeles – A Cleaner Port. A Brighter Future.