Discover Grissom Island: Long Beach’s exotic artificial oil island | CA

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Just off the coast of Long Beach, in San Pedro Bay, lies one of California’s most unusual landmarks: the THUMS Oil Islands. Built for oil drilling, they don’t look anything like the typical industrial platforms. Thanks to their tropical landscaping, waterfalls, and sculptures, many visitors mistake them for private resorts or even luxury residential islands. Among them, Grissom Island stands out as the closest to the shoreline and the most heavily disguised.

The THUMS Islands: oil drilling in disguise

The THUMS Islands were constructed in 1965 to tap into the Wilmington Oil Field, one of the richest petroleum reserves in California. The project was overseen by Disneyland architect Joseph Linesch, who was tasked with designing a landscape that would camouflage the massive drilling towers and reduce the noise.

The islands were surrounded with boulders imported from Catalina Island and filled with millions of cubic yards of dredged material from the bay. To the casual observer, they look like exotic retreats rather than working oil rigs — the only decorated oil islands in the United States.

Island Grissom

Grissom Island: a tribute to an astronaut

In 1967, the islands were renamed to honor astronauts who lost their lives during the early years of U.S. space exploration. The closest island to the mainland was named Grissom Island, after Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, one of the pioneering astronauts who tragically died in the Apollo 1 accident.

Grissom Island is also the most elaborate in design, featuring artificial waterfalls, sculptures, and extensive sound-proof walls to hide the oil operations behind a scenic façade.

Restricted access and uncertain future

Public access to the islands is not allowed, though occasional guided tours provide a rare glimpse into their design and operations.

Today, the future of the THUMS Islands remains a topic of debate. Proposals range from turning them into boutique hotels to converting them into bird sanctuaries. Whatever their destiny, they continue to be a unique and iconic feature of the Long Beach coastline.