Lomita, CA

Designed as a replica of the Boston & Maine Railroad’s Greenwood Station in Wakefield, Massachusetts, the Lomita Railroad Museum opened in 1966. Founder Irene Lewis created it to interpret the steam-engine era, making it the first museum of its kind west of Denver when built. The 2020 census put Lomita’s population at 20,921. The Gabrielino were the area’s first inhabitants, and in 1784 the Spanish Crown granted the surrounding 75,000-acre Rancho San Pedro to soldier Juan José Domínguez. Although Lomita originally covered seven square miles, neighboring cities later annexed much of that territory.