Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity to participate in a paleontological expedition to uncover the remains of extinct marine life. Guided by paleontologist Wayne Thompson, travel 5-million years back in time to the bottom of the seafloor and discover the prehistoric creatures of the ancient Monterey Bay area. Participants will search for, decipher, and identify the...
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.
Where are all the dinosaur fossils in California? What happened to California dinosaurs? Did they exist here? Were there dinosaurs in Santa Cruz? If not, why? Learn the answers to those questions and much more as we unearth the mysteries of California’s dinosaurs. Join vertebrate paleontologist and environmental geologist, Prof. Hilde Schwartz, as she takes...
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,...
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 with Admission. $5 Adults | $3 Students and Seniors | Free for Youth Under 18 | Free for Museum Members. What can you bring: Rocks, fossils, gems, and...
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...
Learn about the variety of marine organisms that call Monterey Bay home! We'll showcase fascinating artifacts, including a pelican's skull, 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 que llaman...
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...
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...
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)...
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...
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. REGISTER
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...
Join us to learn about mushrooms and how to identify and differentiate between various species. We will discuss mushroom picking and collecting etiquette, and various ways of identifying fungus genus and species – by shape, parts, and anatomy of a mushroom, color, smell, and tree associations! Participants will have time to explore, find, and closely...
Lichens are all around, yet seldom understood. Join us for an introductory walk where we will look closely at a variety of lichen species and learn to better understand their unique qualities. The walk will be led by Ken Kellman, a member of the California Lichen Society and volunteer curator of lichens and bryophytes at...
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...
Offered by Big Basin State Park, this 2-mile walk through old-growth redwood forest provides an engaging look at the resilience of coastal redwoods and the ongoing recovery of the forest after the devastating CZU Lightning Complex fires in 2020. This hike is a great opportunity to witness nature’s ability to adapt and renew, and also...
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...
Are you a super sleuth when it comes to nature? Campers ages 5-7 are invited to join a week of hands-on investigation, creative challenges, and outdoor discovery during the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History's Spring Break Day-camp for nature detectives! During spring break 2026, campers will join us to gather clues from the local...
Don’t miss this special Member-only opportunity for a private guided tour of the geologic wonders of Santa Cruz. Led by geological experts from the University of California, Santa Cruz, go back in time to discover fossils, rare minerals, and learn the history and stories of what makes West Cliff such a rockin’ place! This event...
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...
