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Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay Attractions

Attractions | Beaches | Mystery Spot | State Parks

Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Long Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California at Santa Cruz
Located at the End of Delaware Avenue
100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Santa Cruz’s Seymour Discovery Center offers guests of all ages the opportunity to learn more about the exciting and unique underwater environment of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The Monterey Bay is home to many species of ocean dwelling mammals, fish and undersea vegetation. The Center showcases all life in the Bay and aims to educate patrons in ways to reduce human impact on the oceans. Seymour Discovery Center is an excellent choice for those who want a first-hand view of marine life in the Monterey Bay. Step into the world of the ocean explorer.

Roaring Camp Railroad
Felton, California
The Roaring Camp steam train through the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains is a classic California experience! This historic train ride through a preserved old growth forest of coastal redwoods harkens back to the steam locomotive days of the 1880s, when these Santa Cruz forests were part of an active logging region, and the steam railroad cars were used to haul trees to the mills. The Roaring Camp steam train ride passes through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain.
Book a Roaring Camp Railroad Train Ride

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
400 Beach St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060; Tel. 831.423.5590
California's oldest amusement park is about as original--and memorable--as boardwalks come. The only major seaside amusement park on the Pacific Coast, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk blends old-time nostalgia with modern thrills. You can buy a bag of salt-water taffy, get your fortune told in the old-style arcade, take a road rage-releasing ride on the bumper cars, or test your mettle on the giant wood-framed roller coaster, The Giant Dipper, whose unforgettable dips rival any extreme adventure in new theme parks. The Santa Cruz Boardwalk features a carousel and little cars and airplanes for the kiddies as well. Bring a swimsuit and a towel, as you'll be steps from a sandy, swimmable Santa Cruz beach. The Boardwalk is open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day, weekends fall through spring.
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Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Main Office: 299 Foam Street, Monterey CA
Tel. 831.647.4201
Spanning 276 miles of shoreline between Marin and Cambria, this 5,322-square-mile marine sanctuary is one of the world's most diverse ecosystems, with the heart of it all lying in the Monterey Bay. Numerous mammals, seabirds, fishes, invertebrates and plants make their home here. Endless opportunities to take advantage of the Sanctuary's resources abound in Santa Cruz, including kayaking, hiking, whale watching, fishing, sailing, surfing, scuba diving and much more.

Cannery Row on Monterey Bay
Monterey, CA 93940
Monterey’s famous Cannery Row, a short drive from Santa Cruz, is a popular day trip destination for people all over the Bay Area to see the Monterey Bay Aquarium, kayak in the Bay’s scenic waters or dine at restaurants with some of the freshest seafood around.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
1021 Monterey-Salinas Highway, Salinas CA 93908
Located less than an hour south of Santa Cruz, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is home to some of the most thrilling auto racing in the country. Notable events include the Monterey Festival of Speed, Corona AMA Superbike Finale, the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix and the Monterey Sports Car Championship. Each year, Laguna Seca raceway draws crowds of racing enthusiasts who enjoy watching expertly tuned cars and bikes speed around this renowned California racetrack.

L. H. Selman Ltd. Glass Gallery
103 & 123 Locust Street, Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 800.538.0766
In addition to some of the finest glassware, sculptures and jewelry around, the Glass Gallery features one of the only museums in the country devoted entirely to paperweights. The gallery is on a mission to educate the world about these glorious relics, and to see that paperweights receive the recognition and representation they deserve in the art world.

Pacific Garden Mall
Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.429.8433
This outdoor mall is the heart of downtown Santa Cruz. Filled with eclectic shops selling one-of-a-kind jewelry, clothes and art, as well as plenty of books, music and a dearth of quirky thrift stores. Street performers lend the mall its unique bohemian character, and a wide variety of restaurants, bars, clubs and movie theaters keep visitors entertained into the wee hours.

Pasatiempo Golf Club
20 Clubhouse Road, Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.459.9169
Designed by world-renowned golf architect Alister MacKenzie (who also designed Augusta and Cypress Point), this 6,439 yard, par 70 course was rated as one of the top 100 courses by Golf Digest. The course is nestled in the rolling hills above Santa Cruz, offering scenic vistas of the beautiful Monterey Bay. Enjoy breakfast and lunch at the MacKenzie Bar & Grill, and relax into the evening with fine Santa Cruz dining at the elegant and historic Hollins House.

Santa Cruz City Museum of Natural History
1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz CA; Tel. 831.420.6115
Tour the many habitats of Santa Cruz simply with a stroll through the exhibit area; visit woodlands, chaparrel, grasslands, and a variety of marine environments. Pound acorns the Ohlone way, excavate sand dollars, tickle a sea star, or get up close and personal with a living bee hive. Great for all ages, although the children particularly enjoy climbing on the cement whale which is located on the front lawn.

Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
Mission Plaza, Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.425.5849
Santa Cruz's Misión la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz was the twelfth mission built in California back in 1791. Perched atop a steep hill overlooking downtown Santa Cruz, the mission is the last structure of the original Neary-Rodriguez adobe cluster still standing. Although it's been damaged by several earthquakes over the years, the single-story adobe mission has since been restored respective of its original design.
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Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
705 Front Street, Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.429.1964
This quaint little museum in downtown Santa Cruz focuses on contemporary and historical visual culture with a series of rotating exhibitions. The permanent collection displays historical artifacts that illustrate the unique history of Santa Cruz. The museum also offers docent-led tours of the historic Octagon building, the Evergreen Historic Cemetery and the Davenport Jail Museum.

Santa Cruz Mystery Spot
465 Mystery Spot Rd., off Branciforte Dr., Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.423.8897
The Mystery Spot might be the manifest source of Santa Cruz's weirdness. Practically unchanged since its opening in 1939, the promotional literature still says things like, "It's Unusual, It's Amazing, It's Wholesome, Interesting Entertainment." This campy spot is open every single day of the year and draws visitors from all over the world. (Andrea Perkins)
more information

Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz CA; Tel. 831.420.6289
The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is housed in the small, brick Mark Abbon Memorial Lighthouse overlooking Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz's internationally renowned surf spot, as well as Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay. Focusing on Santa Cruz's surfing history, the Sufring Museum displays unsinkable redwood plank surfboards, photographs of sets and breaks from the 1930s on, and sells books, T-shirts and other Cowabunga paraphernalia. (Erica Pedersen)

University of California at Santa Cruz
1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA; Tel. 831.459.0111
Since 1965, UCSC has been expanding into what is now a sprawling campus amongst the majestic redwoods above Santa Cruz. Enrollment now exceeds 14,000 students (comprised mostly of undergraduates), giving Santa Cruz a decidedly college-town flavor. UCSC hosts many events throughout the year, adding a diverse range of music, dance and theater from countries around the world to Santa Cruz's cultural mix.

--Reviews by Mike Connor, except where noted. Photos by Daniel Haniger and Dina Scoppettone.