Long Beach, Calif., is purportedly the most diverse large city in the United States. The metropolis' premier tourist attractions are also diverse, appealing to a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds. Certainly there is more than enough to satisfy visitors during their visit to the LBC, starting with a visit to one of its most popular destinations, the Queen Mary.

When the Queen Mary embarked on its maiden voyage on May 27, 1936, it was one of the grandest ships afloat. The Art Deco-style vessel could hold 1,957 passengers and 1,174 officers and crew members. In an era when cruising was not nearly as popular as it is today, the Cunard ship set a standard with its elegantly furnished rooms and fine dining. It was called into war service soon after its inauguration, from 1940 until 1946. After an additional 20 years of passenger service, the Queen Mary retired in 1967, having crossed the Atlantic Ocean 1,001 times.

Years later my parents, who grew up amidst the fanfare surrounding the Queen Mary, still spoke of the vessel in hushed terms, wishing perhaps that they could have had the opportunity to sail on her, though certainly today's cruise ships are in many ways much more luxurious and affordable. (Cunard, capitalizing on the original ship's legend, has subsequently launched the modern-day Queen Mary II.)

Today the original Queen Mary, docked in Long Beach, is a hotel that is a venue for special events like weddings and corporate parties, as well as being a major tourist attraction.

  IF YOU'RE A KID, apparently, the Aquarium of the Pacific is the place to be. The aquarium is teeming with gleeful children making their way through the extensive regional galleries which cover marine life in the northern Pacific, tropical Pacific and Southern California/Baja. Bat stars, warty sea cucumbers, kangaroolike pademelons, rainbow wrasses, puffins, balloon fish and tangerine-smelling crested auklets, a type of diving bird, are among the almost 500 species represented at the site. A fourth gallery houses creative exhibits on waves, answering questions such as how tsunamis form.

In the Great Hall of the Pacific, a life-size whale hangs overhead, providing guests a sense of just how huge these mammals are. At the end of the hall, the towering Blue Cavern replicates what is found in kelp forests around nearby Santa Catalina Island. Upstairs are displays on surfing and surfboards, as well as a kiosk where visitors can record their best imitation of a whale call.

Touch pools allow guests to stroke silky rays, horseshoe crabs and a host of other marine creatures, including certain types of (but not all) sharks. Feeding lorikeets nectar is a big hit with the little ones. Shows include diving in the Blue Cavern and Tropical Reef tanks; performances by sea otters, sea lions, seals and sharks; a surf experience show; and the multisensory “;Whales: A Journey with Giants”; in the Great Hall. In the theater, 3-D and other films include “;Monsters of the Abyss,”; “;A Fish Story”; and “;Catch a Wave.”; A cafe, bistro and gift store entice visitors to stay.

If all of the above still do not provide enough activity, from time to time the aquarium offers special theme days filled with crafts, demonstrations and special menus. On the day we happen to visit, Southeast Asia Day, there is even a free movie screening.

THEN, EXPERIENCE some of the city's diversity through the Museum of Latin American Art. The hot pink- and electric blue-accented building is unmistakable, and certainly unrecognizable as the 1920s roller rink it once was.

The museum is a Smithsonian affiliate whose focus is on post-World War II contemporary Latin American fine art. MoLAA started small in 1996 but celebrated its final phase of expansion last year. In addition to exhibit space, the 55,000-square-foot complex houses a research library, a film theater, a cafe serving fusion cuisine, an eclectic store with everything from pottery to fashion accessories, and an educational art studio. Outside is the Robert Gumbiner Sculpture and Event Garden, complete with fountains and a stage.

A Bridge to the Americas is MoLAA's permanent collection of 75 works of fine art, including sculptures, paintings and drawings. Themes include the Mestizo blend of cultures (indigenous, North American and European), the recent political upheaval experienced by the region, and Latin America's mythical relationship with its landscape (think Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez's “;One Hundred Years of Solitude”;). The bridge theme is also born out in the building's architecture. Two elongated rectangles spanning more than 40 feet intersect near the entrance, representing a meeting point of the United States and Latin America.

A diverse auction exhibition consisting of 250 works of art occupied the remaining viewing space during our visit. The previous year's fundraiser raised more than $1 million for the organization. In addition to the annual auction, MoLAA is host to a smorgasbord of other events, including salsa classes, storytelling, art workshops and live music as a starting point for a cultural exploration of all the city has to offer.