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...
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...
Lichens are all around us, yet they are often overlooked and misunderstood. Join lichen expert Ken Kellman for an engaging evening exploring these fascinating organisms, beginning with an introductory lecture followed by a hands-on lichen identification session. Participants will examine a variety of local lichen species using dissecting microscopes and learn how to observe key...
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 fun-gi First Friday at the Museum! Our Fungus February First Friday invites you to dive into the fascinating world of fungi and the vital role they play in our local ecosystems. From underground networks to above-ground marvels, this evening celebrates the weird, wonderful, and essential world of mushrooms. Connect with artists,...
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...
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....
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...
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
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...
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
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...
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...
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
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...
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
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...
Calling young explorers and scientists curious about nature! This summer, young naturalists join us on a journey to investigate the wildlife of the Santa Cruz Mountains and Coast. Campers spend the week exploring nearby beach, creek, and garden habitats, and learning about the wild world of animals around us. Times: Drop-off 8:30-9 a.m. | Pick-up...
Are you curious about curating? Join the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History this summer to learn about the natural world by studying museum specimens, exploring outdoors, and building a museum collection of your own. Campers will build friendships while investigating nature, playing games, and creating awesome crafts! Times: Drop-off 8:30-9 a.m. | Pick-up 3-3:30...
Are you a fossil forager, a dinosaur discoverer, or a rock wrangler? Join the Museum as we unearth the fossils, rocks, and ancient history of Santa Cruz by exploring the many surprising things you can learn from digging into the ground. Campers entering K-2nd grade will build friendships while investigating artifacts, studying fossils, playing games,...
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be able to live here in Santa Cruz? This summer, young adventurers can join us as we investigate the plants and animals that call Santa Cruz home and learn how they manage to survive and thrive here. Campers will go on walking field trips to explore nearby...
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
Have you ever noticed how places in nature around Santa Cruz are different from each other? In this camp, young adventurers can join us on a journey to study the many incredible and interesting habitats you can find here. Campers will become more observant of the connections in nature around them and deepen their appreciation...
Biomimicry is an engineering concept that uses ideas from nature to create sustainable solutions. We invite kids to spend the week exploring and drawing inspiration from nature to solve design challenges and engineer their own solutions to help humans live more sustainably on Earth. The week leads up to completing an engineering project and an...
Do you love flipping rocks and logs and studying our invertebrate friends? This summer, young naturalists join us on a journey to investigate the animals of Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay that do not have a backbone, ranging from tiny creatures to some of the biggest in the world! Campers spend the week exploring nearby...
Vertebrates are the incredibly diverse species of animals that have a backbone to support their body. Kids will learn all about different branches of the tree of life and how they connect to all the other life on the planet. Campers will explore the Museum’s specimens and surrounding habitats to learn more about the wonderful...
Calling young artists and scientists curious about nature! This summer, young explorers can join us on a journey to investigate symmetries, patterns, and curiosities in the natural world. Spend the week exploring nearby beach, creek, and garden habitats, and making all sorts of art inspired by what we discover. Times: Drop-off 8:30-9 a.m. | Pick-up...
Are you a future scientist? We invite kids to join the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History for Experiments in Nature camp to perform experiments and studies in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, ocean studies, and climate science. Explore nature while learning more about how scientists study the natural world that surrounds us. Times:...
Are you a green thumb or a budding botanist? Join the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History for the Beginning Botany camp this summer to learn about the natural world by studying plants, trees, and much more. Campers will build friendships while investigating nature, playing games, and creating awesome crafts! Times: Drop-off 8:30-9 a.m. |...
Birds are fascinating and charismatic animals and the study of them is both fun and scientific. Campers will use scientific tools to study the many species of birds that visit the Museum and the surrounding habitats to study the great diversity of birds that call Santa Cruz home during the summer. Join us to dive...
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
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
