10 Budget-friendly date ideas in Long Beach CA

Long Beach has it all – from scenic views and gorgeous weather to affordable places that you can visit with your family and kids. When it comes to date night ideas, Long Beach CA doesn’t disappoint either.

Here are ten budget-friendly date ideas in the Long Beach area.

Beautiful places to visit for free with your date

If you like nature and walks, then one of these three options might be the best date idea for you and your partner.

• Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden

One of the most romantic places to take your date in Long Beach CA is the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden. You get an amazing, romantic experience, completely free! The garden has a Japanese motif and includes a pond with koi fish that you can feed. You can sit in the tea house and enjoy the tranquility around you. With a variety of gorgeous flowers to please your eyes, it’s no wonder the place is one of the most common locations for weddings.

The garden is located in the campus of California State University. It is open Tuesday-Friday, from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm and Sunday from noon to 4:00 pm. Unfortunately, it is closed on Saturdays and Mondays, so take this into account when planning your date.

• El Dorado East Regional Park

El Dorado East Regional Park is another great option to spend time with your date. At daytime, the park offers many other attractions, in addition to the great landscape. You can call and reserve a picnic area, book a train ride or rent a pedal boat. The park stretches over 388.2 acres and includes playgrounds and fishing lakes as well. You can go cycling with your partner along the wonderful bike trails the park offers.

There’s an entrance fee you need to pay for your vehicle but it varies from $5 to $8 depending on the day.

• Rancho Los Alamitos Ranch and Gardens

Rancho Los Alamitos Ranch and Gardens is another free place you can take your date and learn some Long Beach CA area history while you are at it. It is one of the last working ranches, where you can enjoy beautiful gardens, old trees and escape from the hectic life of the city. You can also learn about the Bixby family who owned it. The ranch is open for visits Wednesday through Sunday 1-5 pm.

Best Long Beach street walks for dates

Another clever idea for a date is to visit some of the most interesting streets in Long Beach CA. Here is our selection of three unique places to visit:

• The Long Beach Antique Market

If you don’t mind an unconventional date and you love flea markets, then the Long Beach Antique Market is the place to visit. More than 800 sellers gather together at the Long Beach Veteran’s Stadium every third Sunday. For an entrance fee of $6 from 6:30 am to 2:00 pm or $12 from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm, you can find vintage furniture, toys, glassware and many more items.

• 4th Street “Retro Row”

If you like unique stuff like vintage clothing or furniture, then the area of East 4th Street centered around Cherry Avenue is the place to go with your date. The stretch is known as “Retro Row” because of the numerous vintage shops located on it. Most of them open at noon and close at 7:00 pm. If you get tired of walking, you can have a drink at Art du Vin or see a movie at the Art Theater.

• Pine Avenue

Another great walk is along the Pine Avenue, especially at night. There are many restaurants and bars, where you can grab a drink. The night is anything but silent, since most of the restaurants turn into de-facto nightclubs, where you can dance. In other words, Pine Avenue is a great way both to start and end your date.

Great date ideas that are not for everyone

Here are a couple of *really unconventional date ideas.

• Country Line Dancing at the Cowboy Country

If you love country music, the Cowboy Country is the right place for your date. This is a country music dance club that even offers lessons at 7:00 and 8:00 pm. The price for this entertainment is also quite affordable – only $3 on Wednesday and $5 on Friday and Saturday (the club works only on these three days). Besides, the entry is free from 6:00 to 7:00 PM.

• Battleship USS Iowa Museum

Located in neighboring San Pedro, the Battleship USS Iowa Museum is great for WWII artefact lovers. The fee is less than $20 and you can also enjoy several special events such as Movies Under the Guns, where they play free movies on board the battleships.

A fancier date within your budget

For those who can’t imagine a date without a restaurant, we offer two interesting options. They are a bit more expensive, but are still budget-friendly.

• The Queen Mary

The Art Deco theme is a rather romantic suggestion for a date, as is a drink or dinner aboard a ship. Queen Mary and its Observation Bar are a great way to enjoy the view while listening to different styles of music on Fridays and Saturdays – jazz, blues, Latin, etc. In addition to that, one of the top 100 most romantic restaurants in the U.S. is also to be found aboard Queen Mary. That is Sir Winston and you won’t regret taking your date there. The good news is that parking is free with restaurant validation after 6PM.

To end the night, explore the decks of the ship and enjoy the great view of downtown Long Beach CA.

• The Sky Room

One of the great restaurants in Long Beach CA is The Sky Room, located on 40 S. Locust Ave, near Pine Avenue, on top of Breakers Hotel. As you can guess from its name, the restaurant offers magnificent view of the city. In addition to great food, you can also dance to live music playing mainly Latin or Swing on weekends. Note that this is a fancy restaurant so avoid casual wear and dress up for your date.