Come enjoy our collection of natural history. Learn about local mammals and their dentition. ¡Venga a disfrutar de nuestra colección de historia natural. Aprenda sobre los mamíferos locales y su dentición. These programs are funded by the Outdoor Equity Grants Program, created through AB 209 and administered by California State Parks, Office of Grants...
Come Join Us for Toddler Tumble Time! We’ll be featuring our natural history collection and offering a fun coloring activity. Bring your little ones to explore and learn about fascinating local creatures. Don’t miss out on the fun! ¡Acompáñanos en la Hora de Juegos para Pequeñitos! Presentaremos nuestra colección de historia natural y ofreceremos una...
Join us for family activities, bike demos, a raffle, and snacks! ¡Acompáñenos para actividades familiares, demostraciones de bicicletas, rifas y refrigerios!
Visit us at Pajaro Valley Arts to see our mammal collections, create an animal print, and preview artwork from Open Studios artists across the region. Visítenos en Pajaro Valley Arts para ver nuestras colecciones de mamíferos, crear una impresión de huella de animal y descubrir las obras de los artistas de Open Studios.
Join us for a howling good time with this year’s Museum of the Macabre: Creatures of the Night! The Museum will be turned into a haunted house full of the bone-chilling taxidermy that inspired your favorite movie monsters. Get up close and personal with every type of Halloween horror. Experience the natural history of your...
Inspired by Día de los Muertos—a tradition that honors loved ones who have passed. Join us for viewing our skulls collection, altars, installations, and artworks from diverse cultural traditions. Inspirado en el Día de los Muertos, una tradición que honra a los seres queridos que han fallecido. Acompáñanos para ver nuestra colección de calaveras, altares,...
NOTICE: Temporary Program Pause Due to the U.S. government shutdown, our Full Moon Hikes at the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument (in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management) are currently on hold. We plan to reschedule these special programs once operations resume. Thank you for your understanding. For questions, please contact events@santacruzmuseum.org.
Families will have an opportunity to view and interact with the herpetology collection from the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. Herpetology is a branch of zoology that studies reptiles and amphibians. The exhibit includes snake specimens in jars, snake skins, sea turtle carapace, and even a live rosy boa named Dolores! Las familias tendrán...
Get ready for a tree-mendous First Friday at the Museum! Our Redwoods First Friday will celebrate and explore the wonders and history of our local redwood forests while highlighting the Treasured Trees exhibit. Connect with artists, naturalists, and community partners who work to protect and share the beauty of redwoods. Enjoy hands-on activities, free museum...
Join us at SOMOS Watsonville to learn about local environmental organizations and the bilingual resources available for the community. Encuéntrenos en SOMOS Watsonville para aprender sobre las organizaciones ambientales locales y los recursos bilingües disponibles para la comunidad.
Join artist Jane Kim and Jenny Rieke, the Museum's Associate Director of Education, in conversation about the art and science of interpreting nature. Learn how the artwork for the Treasured Trees exhibit was developed, and hear how the partnership between institutions like the Museum and artists can bring to life scientific concepts for public education...
A Convening for Indigenous Leaders and Public Educators A One-Day Workshop - LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE - SPACE IS LIMITED Samper Hall, Cabrillo College Are you an Indigenous leader or a public educator committed to fostering meaningful partnerships and enriching Indigenous education? Join us for a free transformative one-day workshop designed to cultivate understanding,...
In this hands-on masterclass, artist Jane Kim will demonstrate the tree ring printing process used to create the artworks of Treasured Trees. Attendees will acquire basic know-how of the skills and tools required to practice this beautiful technique at home. REGISTER Ticket Price: $40 General, $35 Member Age limit: 13 years and up Materials: Artist...
Join us in making observations of an owl pellet and exploring its dissected contents as we celebrate the closing of Mi Casa es Tu Casa: Rooted in Remembrance. Acompáñanos a observar un egagrópila de búho y explorar su contenido disecado mientras celebramos el cierre de Mi Casa es Tu Casa: Enraizados en el Recuerdo. Join...
Looking for locally made, nature-inspired gifts this holiday season? Join us for the Museum’s Holiday Sale and Art Market, featuring a curated selection of art, jewelry, home décor, prints, and more from over 20 local artists and makers whose work celebrates nature and natural history, including Kiwi Cyr, Hannah Caisse, Kylene Gilmore, Donna Thomas, Sarah...
SOLD OUT! Contact info@santacruzmuseum.org to join the waitlist Celebrate the season with creativity, craft, and sustainable spirit. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn the basics of printmaking and design and carve their own natural-history-inspired printing blocks using soft-cut linoleum. Use your custom stamps to print beautiful, one-of-a-kind tea towels perfect for holiday gifting. You’ll...
SOLD OUT! Contact info@santacruzmuseum.org to join the waitlist Join us for this 2-hour program exploring some of Santa Cruz’s most vibrant tide pools! Guided by nature educator Anne Cassell, participants will join us for a winter solstice celebration focused on finding sea stars, which play a vital role in our coastal ecosystems. Using iNaturalist, participants...
Winter can be a wild time! Join the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History this winter break to learn about the seasons, the weather, and how plants and animals adapt to survive the wintertime. Explore nature, make art, and play with new friends while learning about local natural history. For K-2nd Graders (5-7 Years Old)...
Visit us at the Watsonville Public Library every second Friday. Each month, we feature a different Mobile Museum designed to inspire visitors to connect with the natural world through hands-on observation. We invite people of all ages to explore, ask questions, and engage directly with specimens through touch and close study. Visítenos en la Biblioteca...
Fungus season in Santa Cruz means celebration! Come to the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair to learn fascinating and fun facts about beautiful and diverse species of mushrooms! View remarkable mushroom arts and crafts, taste unusual and exceptionally good fungal fare, and experience FFSC's overriding mission: "We keep the fun in fungus!" This unique Santa Cruz...
LiMPETS (Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students) is a community science program that takes students to coastal ecosystems of California’s national marine sanctuaries, increasing awareness and stewardship of these critical habitats. You Will Get: A 5-unit curriculum aligned with NGSS and Common Core Hands-on training on all aspects of intertidal field science Tools...
Come find us at Patagonia Outlet Santa Cruz! We will be sharing one of our Mobile Museum's designed to inspire you to connect with the natural world through hands-on observation. We invite people of all ages to explore, ask questions, and engage directly with specimens through touch and close study.
Join us for the member and volunteer exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at a recent whale rescue in Monterey Bay. Featuring powerful footage, this presentation offers an immersive, firsthand view of the teamwork, precision, and challenges involved in freeing entangled whales safely and effectively. This event is for Museum Members only. REGISTRATION CLOSED
Continuing a tradition that began in 2016, the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History will celebrate the birthday of its founder, Santa Cruz naturalist and lightkeeper, Laura Hecox, at this special open house. The outdoor event will include Victorian-era activities, community partners, historians, and the 2026 Laura Hecox Naturalist award presentation. Program: 10am-5pm: FREE...
Join geologists from University of California, Santa Cruz to share your mineralogical marvels and get them identified inside the Museum’s galleries! Price: This special event is Free during our Laura Hecox Day celebration! What can you bring: Rocks, fossils, gems, and minerals are all welcome! Feel free to bring as many samples as you like,...
Come find us at Hope Park, Watsonville! Celebrate World Wetlands Day with hands-on habitat restoration, live music, and fun, educational activities for all ages. ¡Ven a encontrarnos en Hope Park, Watsonville! Celebra el Día Mundial de los Humedales con restauración de hábitat, música en vivo y actividades divertidas y educativas para todas las edades. ________________________________________________________________________________________________...
Learn about the variety of marine organisms ! We'll showcase fascinating artifacts, including unique marine shells, shark teeth, and much more. This mobile museum will give you a closer look at the animals that make our bay so special. ¡Aprende sobre la variedad de organismos marinos! Mostraremos fascinantes artefactos, incluyendo conchas marinas únicas, dientes de...
Every second Tuesday of the month, Watsonville community members are invited to Somos Watsonville, where our team will contribute a guided and interactive activity alongside existing programming. Cada tercer martes del mes, los miembros de la comunidad de Watsonville están invitados a Somos Watsonville, donde nuestro equipo contribuirá una actividad guiada e interactiva a las...
Have you noticed different species in Santa Cruz in different seasons? From monarchs to birds to whales, the wildlife of our region is ever-changing as migrating animals move through or come to stay for a season. Head on over to Natural Bridges today to enjoy the Annual Migration Festival from 11am-3:30pm to learn more about...
This hands-on workshop introduces natural dyeing with plants and fungi, including mushroom-based dyes. Participants will learn basic folding techniques, experiment with multiple dye baths, and explore how pH modifiers like vinegar and baking soda affect color. The workshop also includes a brief demonstration on working with natural charcoal and draws inspiration from traditional dye practices....
Join us for a family-friendly event! Design a wearable mushroom cap at Far West Fungi with the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.
Every third Saturday of the month, we invite volunteers to come together as a community to steward Tyrrell Park through the City’s Adopt-A-Park program. During this volunteering event, you'll get your hands dirty assisting with the maintenance of the park, our pollinator garden, and Pilkington Creek, while gaining insights into local ecology, native plants, and...
Every fourth Tuesday of the month, Watsonville community members are invited to the Environmental Science Workshop (ESW), where our team will contribute a guided and interactive activity alongside existing programming. Cada cuarto martes del mes, los miembros de la comunidad de Watsonville están invitados al Taller de Ciencias Ambientales (ESW), donde nuestro equipo contribuirá una...
Visit us at Landmark Elementary School for a fun evening filled with hands-on science activities for students and families to explore together! ¡Visítenos en la Escuela Primaria Landmark para disfrutar de una noche divertida llena de actividades científicas para que estudiantes y familias exploren juntos! ______________________________________________________________________________________ These programs are funded by the Outdoor Equity Grants...
Enjoy FREE admission to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History every First Friday of the month! Explore hands-on exhibits, dive into local nature and get to know the species that call this special place home. Plan Your Visit Explore Our Exhibits
Get ready for a Herpetology Happy Hour! This month we're celebrating the slimy, scaled, and slithering inhabitants of our local ecosystems. Connect with artists, scientists, and community partners who study, steward, and protect amphibians and reptiles. Enjoy live animals, hands-on activities, refreshments, free museum admission, and special seasonal items in the Museum Store. An open...
