Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Established in 1904, the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History has collected over 100 years of Santa Cruz history. In displays designed to educate, the Museum demonstrates the diversity of Santa Cruz, including examples of flora and fauna.

We discovered this small gem as we walked back from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The life-sized grey whale outside caught my kid’s attention immediately and they enjoyed climbing and exploring for the next 20 minutes.

Whale Tail

Inside the museum, we looked through many of the permanent exhibits, including the Ohlone Peoples display, which was timely for us, as my son had just finished studying the Ohlone in school. My daughter loved the touch pool filled with marine animals from the Monterey Bay. And, as you might expect, I was drawn to the observation beehives!

During the summer, the museum offers weekly events and programs, as well as camps for kids age 7-12.

Museum displays

Plan Your Visit:

Hours:
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am to 5 pm
Closed Monday

Admission:
$2.50/adult;
$1.50/seniors (60+);
Youth under 18: FREE

Address:
1305 East Cliff Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Tel: (831) 420-6115