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Santa Cruz Outdoors

Articles: Galleries And Museums: Art and History Combined

From bright airy galleries brimming with contemporary displays, to an adobe mission housing artifacts from nearly two centuries ago, the galleries and museums of Santa Cruz County offer an array of historically and culturally-significant items. From modern art to vintage surfboards, you'll find a museum or gallery in Santa Cruz County that will arouse your interest and curiosity.

Dedicated to "all youth whose ideals are beacons to the future", the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, housed in the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse overlooks the internationally renowned surfing spot Steamer Lane. The museum is located on scenic West Cliff Drive, and includes historic photographs, early wetsuits designed by local Jack O'Neill, unsinkable vintage redwood surfboards, and other items tracing over 100 years of surfing history in Santa Cruz. Many of the museum's volunteer docents are Santa Cruz's first wave of contemporary longboard surfers.

From potatoes and wheat to lettuce and strawberries, local agriculture is celebrated at the Agricultural History Museum in Watsonville. The museum offers the opportunity to experience life on the farm through educational exhibits and a timeline chronicling the crops supported by the valley's unique combination of soils and climates throughout the past 150 years. The historic Rodgers House, the home of John Steinbeck's sister, sits adjacent to the museum site.

The Museum of Art and History at the McPherson Center, the largest cultural facility in the area, displays an eclectic mix of historical collections alongside visiting art exhibits. The MAH offers permanent displays and docent-led tours, creating a greater understanding of contemporary art. The outdoor sculpture garden and rooftop gallery is an exhibition space designed to highlight pieces from the museum's permanent collection in granite, clay, bronze and other mediums. The museum also manages historic Evergreen Cemetery and the Davenport Jail Museum. For more art, the Pajaro Valley Arts Council and Gallery in south county offers themed exhibits on a year-round basis in the gallery and at various satellite locations throughout the community.

The first weekend of every month, Santa Cruz galleries and artist's studios open their doors to share their craft with visitors on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Showcasing spectacular local creations, these free "First Weekend" events are a unique way to view art at its core. Or, hop aboard a bus during the evening First Friday Art Tour every month for the latest art openings and happenings in the greater downtown area. The bus tour option allows First Friday Art goers to customize where they get on and where they get off at each of the participating galleries and museums.

Do-it-yourself walking tours are a great way to enjoy art and history. Trace the history of California's oldest seaside resort town with a self-guided walking tour sponsored by the Capitola Historical Museum. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, stop by the San Lorenzo Valley Museum to see historical displays on the valley's logging, railroads and daily life where you can also pick up a map for a self-guided walking tour. Or try a self-guided walking or driving tour of historic homes and buildings in Watsonville and Pajaro Valley. Many of the county's architecturally-significant buildings were designed by William Weeks, and are prominent in historic neighborhoods in Santa Cruz and Live Oak. Or opt for a self-guided walking tour of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk's 28 points of interest.

Just across from Seabright Beach in a quaint beach cottage, the century-old Museum of Natural History was the city's first public museum. In addition to the museum's wealth of information on Santa Cruz's native Ohlone Indians, kids can greet a live kingsnake, excavate sand dollars, and climb on the life-sized cement "beached" whale on the museum's front lawn.

The Neary-Rodriguez Adobe at the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park has been restored to its original appearance and is the last of the original buildings. Exhibits offer a glimpse into the lives of the Ohlone Indians and Spanish settlers of the 1800s. Mission Santa Cruz was the 12th mission built in California. Tour the single-story Adobe - the oldest building in town - adjacent to a 100-year old avocado tree, while enjoying expansive views of the city.

And the newly restored historic Meder farmhouse at Wilder Ranch State Park a mile north of Santa Cruz is a hands-on living history museum where visitors can experience the details of daily life on a turn-of-the-century dairy farm.

Several communities throughout Santa Cruz County have small but captivating museums of their own. Rancho Del Oso Nature and History Center is a ranch-style house complete with courtyard, exhibit rooms, a gift shop, and a large deck overlooking Waddell Valley and the Pacific Ocean. Exhibits at the Aptos History Museum reveal an historical perspective on native settlements, the natural environment, and community. Niche-type museums also dot the Santa Cruz County landscape. In Felton, the Bigfoot Museum offers evidence suggesting that Bigfoot may be roaming the Santa Cruz Mountains. However you choose to enjoy the art and history of the area, Santa Cruz County offers an amazing number of choices.