BEST BET

The Redondo Beach of old--with its Victorian turrets, gables and wide verandas--will be on view today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during a historical and architectural home tour sponsored by the Redondo Beach Historical Society and the Dolphins Junior Women’s Club. Eleven historic homes will be opened to visitors, and the tour also will include some “drive by” examples of period architecture in the city. “This is a chance to see a variety of historical homes that are the best of what Redondo has to offer,” tour coordinator Kathleen Ackley said.

Among the gems are a 1923 Mission Revival triplex, which still has its original moldings and built-in dining room cabinet, a Victorian beach cottage from the 1880s with a spiral staircase and an 1890-era Queen Anne cottage that is undergoing complete restoration. The two cottages were once near the harbor and were moved to their present sites by mule team in 1923.

Tickets may be purchased during tour hours at Redondo Beach City Hall, Pacific Coast Highway at Diamond Street, or at the street fair taking place outside City Hall. The cost is $15, $12 for seniors and students with identification. The annual tour was started eight years ago to raise funds for historic preservation. Because so many old homes are lost each year to development, Ackley said, “we work very hard to preserve the ones we can.”