santa cruz museum of natural history

What a beautifully done museum! Trains were in the lobby and train people and children loved the exhibit. The art display from California Prisoners was an eye-opener to what life is like in prison. Well-done exhibit and loved being able to write to the artists. The ocean exhibit is diverse and well-done. Worth the time to visit.

We stopped as s planned break from the car and to have a picnic lunch on the huge grassy area behind the museum. It is perfect for a small museum. Quality pieces; easy to do in a short amount of time. Interesting for both my 16 and my 7 year old. Fun games my 7 and 10 year old played with their dad in the kids area while my older two read the details of exhibits. I feel like I learned a lot in a short amount of time. All my kids loved climbing on my he whale statue in front of the museum. We showed the staff our military IDs and asked it they were still a Blue Star, they seemed very excited we came. Thanked my husband for his service and were full of smiles and welcomes. It was really wonderful.

They have very cool and fun events for the whole family!! Always a great time. they put on the best first friday event

So you've been to the rides at Boardwalk Santa Cruz. You've walked along the beach and gotten some sun. Now it's time to go indoors. Well this is the place to take it easy, recuperate in the shade and learn a little about the Natural History of Santa Cruz. Don't expect to be here for more than a couple of hours tops. For its size, there's a lot to see and read.The really great thing about the Museum is that they have a lot of tours around the local area. Bird walks, workshops for the kids, Beach tours. All this stuff is cheap since the guides are really volunteers and environmental enthusiasts looking to share their knowledge and expertise. So go on their web site, check the events and programs and plan accordingly.

The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History embodies what a local museum should be all about: an immersive experience that's fun, hands on, and enjoyable for kids from 2-92. It is located within a 15 minute walk from the Boardwalk, via the railway bridge, and it's located across the street from one of the area's best "kid friendly" beaches, Seabright State Beach.Known locally as the "Whale Museum" because of its life-size, lifelike statue of a humpback whale, the museum also houses a small tidepool exhibit that allows kids to touch some of the local sea life. The setting, in a county park, is perfect for a picnic as well.

Very interesting, Enjoyed it. It was very informative. You learn a lot there. Will definitiely go back again.

This museum is located across the street from a stunning view of the Monterey Bay. To the right, you can see the Santa Cruz Wharf in the distance, and to the left you can see the view towards Moss Landing! And if the location isn't spectacular enough for you, the visit inside the Museum will make this trip worthwhile. I enjoy this Museum because it is not overwhelming, but is very educational, filled with information about the wonders of Nature. Exhibits change throughout the year so there is always something new. My favorite exhibit is the Art & Nature exhibit in the Spring. I have gone twice now, and plan to make it an annual event. Artists have their work on display of all that Nature offers as a model! There are also dioromas of wildlife found in the local habitat. This small museum offers tours of nature, classes, and has storytelling for the children on certain days. If visiting Santa Cruz, this museum is worth a stop to learn and appreciate the glorious Nature that surrounds this area! Check the website for museum hours and the donation price (very minimal) for entry. Since the Museum is very near the beaches on East Cliff Drive, be sure to obtain a parking permit from inside the Museum. Enjoy!

It is not fancy. It is tiny. But displays are very information. Enough interactive displays for the kids. Has great info on the region. Staff very friendly. My son enjoyed. It a lot. Not a all day thing but about a hour or two to get through

This is a cute local natural history museum. Check the schedule, as the first Friday of the month is usually free. Even if you pay, the cost is minimal. It is a great place to bring children, with exhibits that change in the front room. The local Indian mural and display as well as the local animal exhibit are permanent. These seemed a little dated.THere is a small tide pool display that allows a "hands on" experience for visitors as well as an enclosed display with live bees..Parking on the side street is free and you can go into the museum to get a free pass for an area of permit parking. There is a small gift shop with items that children love. I went with a three year old and she enjoyed the visit. There was a lot to talk about and things that she could touch. The visit is self guided. I would recommend the museum . We spent about 45 minutes inside.

One of my favorite spots in Santa Cruz. Some Fridays they have free admittance and activities. They have three floors, but my favorite is the rooftop, which has several statues, a waterfall, and a very modest 'garden'. The roof is often quiet, a good place to study or have conversations about what has one viewed in the previous floors of the museum. Also, delicious scents often waft over from the nearby Palomar. The Museum is beautiful, and I view it with a certain amount of sanctity. I love the quiet atmosphere coupled with the art and rotation of the galleries (although one of gallery that houses most of the actual history of Santa Cruz rarely changes, which is also peaceful).

Exhibits change periodically, so if you wait long enough the experience will be brand new. The gift shop is unique with local artist's creations and priced very affordable.The staff and docents seem knowledgeable and the stuffed animals are impressive.

We stopped here and met up with extended family--8 grandkids mostly age 9 and under. Everyone was busy and entertained for about an hour. Facility is small enough that the kids could roam freely and we could easily keep track of them. Hands on exhibits include dinosaur dig, tide pool, microscope station. It's right next to the beach so it's a great place to go to get out of the wind or warm up on a cold day.

Ok, it is small in space, but it is packed with exhibits. Hands on touch pool for kids. Docents that are knowledgeable and friendly. Beautiful setting a block off the beach. Reserved parking on the street, but, if youvisit the museum, you can leave your car and walk to the beach. $4 to get in, I think reasonable. Nice little bookshop inside. Stop in,

The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History may be small. But the allure of it is that, in such a small space, they present so much information that is interesting and exciting no matter what age you are. They have a variety of interactive exhibits, such as a touchtank filled with tidepool critters, and art station where visitors can be a naturalist and sketch natural items, an encased beehive, and a microscope zone where one can view bugs in close detail. They also have an extensive collection of skeletons, taxidermied animals, and live animals, such as a few snakes! The Museum always seems to have interesting new exhibits, such as “Keen Eyes and Curious Minds,” a look into the lives and works of naturalists and local heroes Daniel Miller and Randall Morgan. They rotate exhibits a lot too, so there is always something fresh and new to see. My favorite thing by far though is their preserved tapertail ribbonfish specimen. Tapertail ribbonfish are rarely-found pelagic fish with impressively huge eyes and long, (like their name states) tapered bodies. The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History also has a huge field program that runs trips to Sandhills Natural Reserve and Neary Lagoon, and loads of fun events for the whole family, like science fiction movie nights, book readings, and hikes with the museum staff. Getting people interested in science and the world doesn’t and shouldn’t involve having a huge space to do it in or having lots of money. Museums should be about presenting interesting and relevant information in ways that leave visitors talking about their experience for days after it is over. This museum’s goal is to connect people with nature, and I think that it does just that, and gets both the young kids that visit it on school tours, and all the guests who visit during the normal hours excited about science and wanting to learn more.

While other cities build exciting science or natural history museums, this small institution struggles on, mainly as a place to take students on field trips. They do offer some special events and exhibits of local animals (stuffed, skeletons, etc), plants and sea life, but it's a shame the organization who runs it has not been able to generate funding to upgrade the place. I believe there's also a library in the dingy basement area. The annual spring exhibit of nature illustration is always good.