Santa Diver visits the Honda Blue Cavern, snowfall floats through the Great Hall, and gingerbread houses line the lobby — the Aquarium of the Pacific’s beloved Aquarium Holidays season.
Aquarium Holidays brings the season to one of Long Beach’s most-loved family destinations. From early December through Christmas Eve, the Aquarium of the Pacific decks its halls with seasonal décor, a Great Hall snowfall effect that drifts gently throughout the day, and a display of community-built gingerbread houses.
Santa Diver appears on select dates in the Honda Blue Cavern — swimming with the fish in full Santa suit — along with daily Penguin Parades, Aquarium characters in holiday outfits, a holiday menu at the on-site café, and weekend snow-play and photo opportunities with Santa in the courtyard.
Holiday Treats for the Animals events have let kids watch sea otters and other animals enjoy festive enrichment treats. Confirm this season’s confirmed dates and special-program schedule at aquariumofpacific.org.
No — Aquarium Holidays is included with regular Aquarium of the Pacific admission. Annual passholders enter free during the holiday season.
Santa Diver appears in the Honda Blue Cavern on select dates throughout Aquarium Holidays — check the daily Aquarium schedule at the entrance for that day’s dive times.
Yes — a gentle snowfall effect drifts through the Great Hall throughout the day during Aquarium Holidays, and a small snow-play area sets up outside on weekends.
Paid parking is available in the Aquarium garage adjacent to the building at 100 Aquarium Way. Validation discounts are sometimes offered with Aquarium dining purchases.
Extremely — the Aquarium is a top family destination year-round, and the holiday additions (snowfall, Santa Diver, character meet-and-greets, gingerbread houses) make it especially magical for ages 2–10. For a free Long Beach pairing on the same waterfront, the Long Beach Floating Christmas Trees are visible from the Rainbow Harbor and Shoreline Village walkways just steps from the Aquarium’s entrance — no ticket needed for the harbor walk itself.
The Aquarium of the Pacific opened in June 1998 on a six-acre site along Rainbow Harbor in downtown Long Beach. The original building, designed by San Francisco firm EHDD (Esherick Homsey Dodge and Davis), features a wave-like roof and curving glass facades meant to evoke the ocean. It is the largest aquarium in Southern California, drawing about 1.6 million visitors each year to its collection of more than 12,000 animals across exhibits devoted to the Pacific Ocean.
Downtown Long Beach’s official tree lighting at the Terrace Theater Plaza — a 67-foot tree, half a million lights, and a family evening built around the city’s biggest civic holiday moment.
Brian J. Cook
Long Beach’s longest-running holiday tradition — a decorated grass median in Wrigley that’s been the heart of the neighborhood’s Christmas Tree Lane since 1953, plus one Saturday-evening parade that loops Daisy Avenue each December.
Brian J. Cook
Southern California’s second-largest holiday parade — 100+ entries, floats, drill teams, bands, and an estimated 30,000 spectators packing Second Street through Belmont Shore on an early-December Saturday evening.
Brian J. Cook
Sixteen-foot lighted wooden trees float across Long Beach waterways — Alamitos Bay, Colorado Lagoon, El Dorado Park lakes — a beloved 75+ year tradition started by one man and a raft in 1949.
Brian J. Cook
Southern California’s holiday lights and festive outings are pure magic — but nothing compares to Santa Claus himself stepping through your own front door. House of Kringle brings a real-bearded, professionally trained Santa to homes and gatherings across SoCal for an intimate live visit your family will treasure for years.
Check Availability
Have a date in mind? Tell us when and where, and we’ll let you know whether Santa is open. House of Kringle brings a real-bearded Santa Claus to Live Visits and Group Experiences across Southern California, and December fills quickly, so the sooner you check, the better your odds of locking in your first choice.
This is a quick availability check, not a booking. Nothing is reserved and nothing is owed until we’ve confirmed your date and you’ve placed your retainer.
