• Fungi Natural Dye Techniques

    Fungus February
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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....

  • Saturdays in the Soil

    Saturdays in the Soil
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Free Admission Day

    Free Admission Day
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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              

  • Herpetology First Friday

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Salamander Sip & Paint

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    Get hands-on with herpetology and creativity at this paint and sip workshop at the Museum. Join science illustrator and naturalist Hannah Caisse for an evening of art, learning, and amphibian appreciation. Participants will choose from a selection of 3D printed salamander and herp models and paint their own scientifically inspired creation using acrylic paints. Hannah...

  • Saturdays in the Soil

    Saturdays in the Soil
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Rockin’ Pop Up!

    Rockin’ Pop Up!
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Free Admission Day

    Free Admission Day
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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              

  • Saturdays in the Soil

    Saturdays in the Soil
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Free Admission Day

    Free Admission Day
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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              

  • Saturdays in the Soil

    Saturdays in the Soil
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Rockin’ Pop Up!

    Rockin’ Pop Up!
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Free Admission Day

    Free Admission Day
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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              

  • Saturdays in the Soil

    Saturdays in the Soil
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Santa Cruz Safari Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    CAMP FULL - CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE WAITLIST 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...

  • Magnificent Museum Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Can You Dig It? Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    CAMP FULL - CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE WAITLIST 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...

  • Surviving Santa Cruz Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Free Admission Day

    Free Admission Day
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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              

  • Wild World of Santa Cruz Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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 Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Incredible Invertebrates Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    CAMP FULL - CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE WAITLIST 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...

  • Vivan Los Vertebrados Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Rockin’ Pop Up!

    Rockin’ Pop Up!
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Art and Science in Nature Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    CAMP FULL - CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE WAITLIST 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...

  • Experiments in Nature Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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:...

  • Beginning Botany Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    CAMP FULL - CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE WAITLIST 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,...

  • World of Birds Summer Camp

    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...

  • Free Admission Day

    Free Admission Day
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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              

  • Free Admission Day

    Free Admission Day
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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              

  • Rockin’ Pop Up!

    Rockin’ Pop Up!
    Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

    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...