What to See in Torrance - Top Sights and Attractions

Museum in Torrance, California. The Western Museum of Flight is an aviation museum located at Zamperini Field, the municipal airport in Torrance, California. WMOF is operated by the Southern California Historical Aviation Foundation. It houses not only historic aircraft, many of which were built in Southern California, but also has an extensive collection of historic photographs and blueprints.

The museum has several rare aircraft among its collection, including the second Northrop YF-23 Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) 5th generation stealth fighter demonstrator. Also on display is the first Northrop YF-17 Cobra, a lightweight fighter which was the basis for the Boeing (originally McDonnell-Douglas) F/A-18 Hornet currently used by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. In addition, a Grumman F-14 Tomcat and Douglas A-4A, plus numerous other notable jet- and propeller-drive airplanes.

The WMOF is one of two museums that house the only surviving Jack Northrop flying wings (Northrop N-1M at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center annex of the National Air and Space Museum and the Northrop JB-1 Bat glider (crewed) at the WMOF).^[1]

Bridge in Torrance, California. The Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge or Southern Pacific Railroad Bridge now officially named the "Pacific Electric Railway- El Prado Bridge" is a historic double-tracked arch bridge located in Torrance, California USA, spanning Torrance Boulevard at Bow Avenue, a short distance west of Western Avenue. It was once part of the north/south San Pedro via Gardena Line of the Pacific Electric Railway, that agency's first interurban line to San Pedro.

After splitting off to the east from the Union Tool Company plant which was once a short distance south of the bridge, the line terminated at a Columbia Steel steel mill (later United States Steel) by running up and over that railroad's east/west Torrance local line in much the same manner as a viaduct and is the only part of the PE which crossed itself in such a manner; indeed, the map on the following reference link refers to the bridge as a viaduct. This was due to the area's geography; simply building a spur off of the main line would have resulted in too steep a climb to the steel mill. The steel mill has since been demolished to make way for the national headquarters of American Honda Motor Company, but the once double-tracked Torrance line was reballasted and rerailed with used welded rail in 2003 and is still in use for local runs by the Union Pacific Railroad. Gone too are the Pacific Electric's Torrance shops at the western branch of the split, now the site of an industrial park still serviced by the aforementioned local line.

Designed by Irving Gill and built in 1913 as part of the original layout of the city as determined by Jared Sidney Torrance and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. the bridge became the city's second entry in the National Register of Historic Places on July 13, 1989 after Torrance High School. It is also listed with the California Office of Historic Preservation.

The Pacific Electric Railway- El Prado Bridge, was dedicated as a Local Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2013.

Though trackage, turnouts and remnants of a switch remain on the bridge, it is no longer in use nor has it been for quite some time. There is no chance of the bridge returning to service, since the right-of-way at either end has been redeveloped. Nevertheless, the Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge has become a symbol of the city as part of the Torrance Police Department's logo as of January 1, 2000, only the third such change in the department's history.^[4]

The Auditorium, also known as the Assembly Hall, is a PWA Moderne style building located on the campus of Torrance High School in Torrance, Los Angeles County, California.

When built in 1924 the building was a source of pride for Torrance, and was its first large meeting hall, preceding construction of a civic center. It was damaged in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake and was rebuilt as a New Deal project.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

The Torrance High School Campus Thematic Resources study states that the auditorium is an outstanding example of PWA Moderne work.

The Auditorium is one of four buildings on the campus of the Torrance High School listed on the NRHP, the other buildings are:

• Torrance School
• Main Building
• Home Economics Building

Residential neighborhood in Los Angeles County, California. The Harbor Gateway is a 5.14-square-mile residential and industrial area in the Los Angeles Harbor Region, in the southern part of the city. The neighborhood is narrow and long, running along a north-south axis. Its unusual shape has given it the alternative name of "the Shoestring Strip". The northern limit of the neighborhood is Imperial Highway, a city street just north of I-105.

Harbor Gateway was attached to Los Angeles in 1906 to serve as a link to the Pacific Ocean port cities of Wilmington and San Pedro. It was given its present name in 1985.

With a relatively youthful and ethnically diverse population of over 42,000, the center of the community is anchored by Gardena High School. The neighborhood is bisected by Artesia Boulevard and has two neighborhood councils, one north of the boulevard and the other south of it. A large transportation center serves the south Los Angeles County area.^[8]