Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
4.5
Natural History Museums
Read more
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Write a review
About
This museum's exhibits feature Ohlone Native American artifacts and local flora and fauna.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

See what other travelers are saying
  • Christina M
    San Francisco, California28 contributions
    A cute little museum right on the ocean
    I visited Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History to hear the local artist Ann Thiermann speak. She painted the mural at the museum and has painted local motives all her life. The staff and volunteers were friendly and helpful throughout the evening at this lovely little Natural History museum.
    Visited February 2020
    Written September 23, 2020
  • Deb
    Bethany Beach, Delaware15 contributions
    Great opportunity to learn about the area!
    This is an amazing museum with lots of great exhibits and a wonderful gift shop. Great hands-on activities for kids and adults. Not too large; easily done in an hour or do. There was an art show with some really fantastic pieces. The admission fee is minimal and you can find onstreet parking as well as park in their designated parking. Right next to the ocean.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written April 23, 2023
  • Theresa A
    30 contributions
    A hidden gem!
    This is a beautiful, but smallish, museum right on the ocean. Its displays and exhibits were interesting and informative. Great incorporation of native american information that was very interesting. Staff are friendly and very knowledgeable. Loved the bees!
    Visited March 2022
    Written March 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
43 reviews
Excellent
26
Very good
13
Average
3
Poor
1
Terrible
0

Rachell S
Santa Cruz, CA124 contributions
Apr 2014 • Solo
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!
Written June 10, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rita R
Oakland, CA25 contributions
Oct 2016 • Friends
Noticed the museum was open as we were driving past. We turned around to go and see it and were very pleasantly surprised. It is well laid out, the exhibits are clean, well-labeled and coherent. Spent a very pleasant 45 minutes here.
Written November 1, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TravelorTwo221
Jackson, CA118 contributions
Dec 2014 • Couples
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.
Written December 31, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John H
Sacramento, California, United States195 contributions
Apr 2014 • Couples
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.
Written August 20, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Melissa B
Littleton, CO19 contributions
Mar 2013
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.
Written April 3, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Leslie R
Santa Cruz, CA2 contributions
Jan 2013 • Friends
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.
Written January 25, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

judiriva
Santa Cruz, CA78 contributions
May 2012 • Family
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.
Written January 23, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RonCentralCA
Capitola, CA629 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
Located in mid-county on the coast, this little museum fits into local culture and is nestled in a quiet neighborhood. Well-worth a visit to.
Written January 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

janicealbert
Oakland, CA29 contributions
Sep 2016 • Solo
This museum has old fashioned exhibits of wildlife from the Santa Cruz area. There is a nice small gift shop and activities for young children.
Written September 10, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chase B
15 contributions
Oct 2015 • Family
Every year this place is the highlight of school age children to connect to nature and environment. How food were gathered, the type of living, and their co-existing with nature.
Written May 19, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 36
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History is open:
  • Tue - Fri 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Sat - Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM


Restaurants near Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History: View all restaurants near Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History on Tripadvisor

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History Information

Excellent Reviews26
Very Good Reviews13
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History Photos12