Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History — Attraction in Santa Cruz

Our family was visiting Capitola Beach on a Wednesday in June, and we had planned a visit to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History as one of our activities for the kids. We were looking forward to exploring the exhibits and learning about the natural history of the area. Unfortunately, upon arriving at the museum, we discovered it was closed for an exhibit installation. This was incredibly disappointing, especially as we had driven specifically to the museum as part of our day's itinerary. To add to our frustration, even the outdoor areas, including their notable whale installation, were completely fenced off and inaccessible. There was truly nothing for us to see or interact with upon arrival.

The most frustrating aspect of this experience was the complete lack of advance notice regarding the closure. We had checked the museum's official website prior to our visit, and there was no mention whatsoever of an upcoming closure for installation or any other reason. This oversight in communication led to a wasted trip and two very disappointed children. While I cannot comment on the quality of the museum's exhibits or the experience within its walls, I can strongly advise future visitors to double-check their plans directly with the museum, perhaps by calling ahead, even if their website indicates regular operating hours. It's crucial for institutions like the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History to keep their online presence accurate and up-to-date, especially when closures impact visitor plans.

We understand that exhibit installations are necessary for museums to offer fresh and engaging content, but proper public notification is essential. We hope that in the future, the museum will improve its communication protocols to prevent other families from having a similar experience. We were genuinely looking forward to our visit and left feeling quite let down by the lack of information and the total inaccessibility of...

This is a tiny but mighty museum. When I say tiny I'm not kidding. Unlike the tardis it is way bigger on the outside then the inside. Once again I'm not kidding-the outside grounds -which make a nice non beach pic nic spot-are more extensive then the inside parts. This is however a nicely interactive spot. If you have younger children age five on up this is decent spot for them to learn while playing a bit, but like any museum the older your children are the more they will get out of it. They have some fantastic school programs and the after hours events-astronaut meet and greets, lectures, art openings etc. are very much worth the time. If you an adult just passing through it'll take about 20-30 minutes to go through everything including the whale sculpture and gift shop. If you are with children it can be...

As a local, I love this place and all it does to contribute to our community and marine biology. If you've been living in Santa Cruz County for a while now and haven't stopped in, you have to go - especially if you have kids. They have rotating exhibits here, including annual scientific illustration art shows, and some nights are admission free. You will learn something, especially if you ask the curators.

I'm only making this 4/5 stars for the tourists. This is a very quick visit that a lot of "out of towners" will likely just pass by in favor of the larger Seymour Marine Center and beach entertainment. I don't really know how to entice them more, and maybe I don't want to. I like quiet, local-oriented places that don't destroy our bountiful natural resources just so some vacationer can have one day of...