From the pristine coastlines, majestic redwoods, and sprawling wineries, Santa Cruz is full of amazing things to do. Located on the Central Coast of California, south of San Francisco and San Jose, one of the more unique things to do in this cool Californian city is to visit one of the many fun and interesting Santa Cruz museums. 

Santa Cruz County has an amazing variety of museums. Traditional and contemporary art lovers will appreciate the creative exhibits at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, and young children can both play and learn from the interactive exhibits at the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum. 

To help you decide which museums to visit during your stay in Santa Cruz, here is our guide to the best Santa Cruz museums. 

1. Seymour Marine Discovery Center

• Website: https://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/
• Address: 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
• Phone: +1 831-459-3800

Located on the campus of UC Santa Cruz, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center is a marine science education center run by the Long Marine Laboratory. 

The Seymour Marine Discovery Center offers visitors a hands-on marine learning experience. Within the 20,000-square-foot discovery center, you’ll find the world’s largest whale skeleton, various touch tanks, and several tanks with unique animals like jellyfish, rockfish, and eels. In one of the touch tanks, there are sea stars, urchins, hermit crabs, sea anemones, and more. The other is the shark pool, where visitors can learn more about sharks and even touch a swell shark! 

This amazing Santa Cruz museum is located adjacent to the ocean and overlooks the beautiful Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This is a great museum to learn more about the ocean and its creatures in a fun, interactive way.

 

2. Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

• Website: https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/parks-recreation/facilities/surfing-museum
• Address: 701 W Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
• Phone: +1 831-420-6289

The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is a unique museum that was established in 1986 to document the surfing history of Santa Cruz. 

This Santa Cruz Museum is located inside the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse, perched above the world-famous Santa Cruz surf spot, Steamer Lane. Many claim that Santa Cruz was the birthplace of surfing on the mainland United States, with the sport being brought over by three Hawaiian princes. 

Inside this museum, you’ll find treasures from 100 years of surfing history in Santa Cruz. You’ll find photos and videos documenting iconic surfers and surf eras, along with tributes to the three Hawaiian surf princes. 

There are also surfboards on display from different eras, including large, redwood surfing planks from the 1930s, all the way to modern surfboards made of foam and fiberglass. 

This Santa Cruz museum is small but great to visit if you’re interested in surfing, local history, or both.

3. Santa Cruz Mission

• Website: https://www.parks.ca.gov
• Address: ​​144 School St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
• Phone: +1 831-425-5849

Santa Cruz Mission has a fascinating past and is a must-visit for history fans. The original Spanish colonial structure was built on the San Lorenzo floodplain but was destroyed during the rainy season. The mission was then relocated to the top of Mission Hill but fell into ruin due to earthquake damage and neglect. The replica that stands today was built in 1930 and serves as a historical monument and museum.

Explore this historic site at your own pace on a self-guided tour, or book a guided tour to learn as much as possible during your visit. Free admission is offered to all visitors, but a donation is recommended.

4. Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

• Website: https://www.santacruzmah.org/
• Address: ​​705 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
• Phone: +1 831-429-1964

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, or the MAH, is a community gathering place that features a rotating collection of incredible art and history exhibits. MAH is conveniently located on Front Street in downtown Santa Cruz, making it a must-visit spot during your stay.

Many of the exhibitions highlight bilingual and diverse community members, others display light shows, and some represent important regional happenings, like the California wildfires. This is one of the most exciting art galleries in the area, and exhibitions are constantly changing. You can see current and upcoming events on the museum’s website. 

The history collection at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History includes over 7,000 items of Santa Cruz history, along with a research library & archive. In addition to its art and history exhibits, this Santa Cruz museum offers public festivals, along with visual and performative artwork displays.

5. Santa Cruz Art League

• Website: https://scal.org/
• Address: ​​526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
• Phone: +1 831-426-5787

The Santa Cruz Art League is a leading historic arts organization committed to bringing creativity to the local community. The ever-changing schedule of exhibitions means there’s always something new to see, and various art mediums are celebrated throughout the year — from traditional and contemporary paintings to photography and visual arts.

There are also regular art classes on the calendar where you can book a full course or drop into a workshop, depending on how much time you have in Santa Cruz. There’s also a weekly art critique group, which is a great opportunity for art lovers to find like-minded locals to talk about art and culture with.

6. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

• Website: https://www.santacruzmuseum.org/
• Address: ​​1305 E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
• Phone: +1 831-420-6115

The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History is one of the best museums in Santa Cruz. The museum features exhibits on everything from geology and paleontology to biology and history. They have over 15,000 artifacts that go back thousands of years. 

Some of the exhibits you’ll find within this Santa Cruz museum include an interactive exhibit on California’s wildlife with an entire section devoted to birds, along with an impressive selection of fossils. 

This is a great Santa Cruz museum for both children and adults alike and a wonderful place to learn more about the natural world. 

In addition to its exhibits, this museum also offers classes covering subjects like birdwatching and geology, along with hands-on workshops and camps for kids. Throughout the year, the museum also hosts a variety of special events, including fairs, journaling studios, and guided nature walks.

7. Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery

• Website: https://www.sccmod.org/
• Address: ​​1855 41st Ave #10, Capitola, CA 95010
• Phone: +1 831-316-5200

The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery consists of 8,000 square feet of exciting, educational, and interactive exhibits for children in the Capitola Mall. This is definitely one of the best things to do with kids in Santa Cruz. 

While the exhibits are constantly being updated to keep the museum fresh and new, some of the exhibits you might find within this Santa Cruz museum include doll houses, a model pizzeria, train tables, nets to climb on, and a mini rock climbing wall. 

Additionally, the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum places a great emphasis on art and creativity. Kids get to tap into their creative sides by completing puzzles, playing with kinetic sand, and working in the art room with several different mediums.

8. Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center

• Website: https://montereybay.noaa.gov/vc/sec/welcome.html
• Address: ​​35 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
• Phone: +1 831-421-9993

This Santa Cruz museum is dedicated to preserving and teaching its visitors all about the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. 

The museum itself is located next to the Santa Cruz Wharf, with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. Visitors can look out over the marine sanctuary from the deck of the museum. The deck also has a display of historical photos that document what the bay looked like during its fishing port days, as well as what it would look like today if it weren’t for its conservation status. 

Inside the museum, there are several exhibits highlighting different aspects of the marine sanctuary, and there is even an exhibit that teaches visitors about pollution and its effects. 

At the museum’s open ocean mini theater, you can watch footage of native sunfish, whales, and dolphins on the big screen in their natural sanctuary habitats. Visitors can also experience the sanctuary in a hands-on way by exploring the intertidal touch pools, filled with realistic models of tidal animals. 

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center is a great museum in Santa Cruz to visit if you love the ocean and want to learn more about the marine sanctuary that lies just beyond the sandy shores of the Santa Cruz beaches.

9. Capitola Historical Museum

• Website: https://www.cityofcapitola.org/capitola-museum
• Address: ​​410 Capitola Ave, Capitola, CA 95010
• Phone: +1 831-464-0322

The Capitola History Museum is located right in the heart of downtown Capitola on the way to Aptos and provides visitors with an excellent glimpse into the past of the region.

Within the Capitola History Museum, visitors will find an extensive collection of photos and artifacts detailing the diverse history of Santa Cruz. One particularly unique exhibit showcases “Capitola Then and Now”, where you can see historical examples of clothing and furniture from the past, as well as what the Capitola Village used to look like compared to what it looks like now. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the community’s history, this small but beloved local museum is a great place to explore Capitola’s multifaceted history.

Enjoy the Best Santa Cruz Museums

Whether you’re a history buff, art lover, passionate about the ocean, or simply looking for a fun and exciting activity during your trip to Santa Cruz, you’re sure to have an amazing time at one (or more) of these unique, educational, and interesting Santa Cruz museums.