Fresh off of its centennial celebration, Long Beach Airport (LGB) has reopened its Historic Terminal building. City and airport officials gathered on July 27th to commemorate the newly restored space, a city-designated landmark — originally opened in 1941 and designed by renowned architects William Horace Austin and Kenneth Smith Wing — with tours of the terminal, live entertainment, swing dancing and a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The terminal is known for both its Streamline Moderne architectural style and its 1.6 million-tile mosaic artwork by Grace Clements depicting Long Beach culture, in what is regarded as one of the best surviving examples of the Roosevelt administration’s Works Projects Administration (WPA). LGB closed the terminal building for over a year in order to restore and uncover several original vignettes that were previously obscured for decades. Additional terminal improvements include the restoration of the terminal’s west entrance, new bay windows, the preservation of the terminal’s wall clock and original signage, updated restrooms and the conversion of a ticketing area to a rental car service space. The $17.8 million restoration project is part of LGB’s $125 million Phase II Terminal Area Improvements Program.
“Today, we mark the revival of one of Long Beach’s most cherished landmarks,” said Mayor Rex Richardson at the reopening ceremony. “This project—which uncovered classic building features, unseen by the public in decades—ensures that our beloved Historic Terminal will continue to be a source of pride and enjoyment for generations to come.”
“After a century of service, Long Beach Airport is committed to preserving our rich aviation history while also maintaining modern, first-class standards,” added airport director Cynthia Guidry. “Our Historic Terminal is the crown jewel of the Airport campus, and I’m so proud to see it restored to its former glory.”
