List of museums in the California Central Coast
The California Central Coast is an area roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay extending through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County and Ventura County.
This is a list of museums, defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.
To use the sortable tables: click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.
Museums
| Name | Image | Town/City | County | Region | Type | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural History Project Center & Museum | Watsonville | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Agriculture | website, located at the entrance to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, tools, plows, tractors and implements of yesterday’s farming, operated by the Agricultural History Project | |
| Agriculture Museum of Ventura County | Santa Paula | Ventura | Central Coast | Agriculture | website, history, people, crops, and technologies of agriculture in the county | |
| Albinger Archaeological Museum | Ventura | Ventura | Central Coast | Archaeology | website, information, operated by the city of Ventura | |
| Alvarado Gallery | Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Art | website, city's art exhibits gallery in the Monterey Conference Center | |
| Aptos History Museum | Aptos | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Local history | website | |
| Art, Design & Architecture Museum | Goleta | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Art | Part of the University of California, Santa Barbara | |
| Aviation Museum of Santa Paula | Santa Paula | Ventura | Central Coast | Aviation | website, includes different personal collections of antique, classic and experimental aircraft; automobiles including race cars; motorcycles; an enormous antique radio, juke box and phonograph collection; paintings and photographs; model aircraft and a variety of aviation artifacts | |
| Bigfoot Discovery Museum | Felton | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Entertainment | website, myths, legends and sightings of Bigfoot | |
| Boronda History Center |  |
Salinas | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Historic house | Operated by the Monterey County Historical Society, includes the Boronda Adobe |
| California Oil Museum |  |
Santa Paula | Ventura | Central Coast | Industry | Local history and the history of the oil industry in California |
| Cabrillo College Gallery | Aptos | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Art | website, part of Cabrillo College, hosts 12 exhibitions annually | |
| CAF - So Cal Wing Aviation Museum | Camarillo | Ventura | Central Coast | Aviation | website, operated by Commemorative Air Force, Southern California Wing at Camarillo Airport | |
| Camarillo Ranch |  |
Camarillo | Ventura | Central Coast | Historic house | Queen Anne style Victorian home furnished to appear as from 1914 to the 1930s |
| Camp Roberts Historical Museum | Camp Roberts | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Military | website, history of the California National Guard post | |
| Capitola Historical Museum | Capitola | Santa Cruz | Central Coast | Local history | website | |
| Carmel Mission |  |
Carmel-by-the-Sea | Monterey | Monterey Bay | History | Historic Roman Catholic mission church with several museums of local and mission history |
| Carnegie Art Museum |  |
Oxnard | Ventura | Central Coast | Art | Collection of primarily 20th century California artists |
| Carpinteria Valley Museum of History |  |
Carpinteria | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | |
| Carriage and Western Art Museum of Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Transportation | website, carriages, wagons, saddles | |
| Casa de la Guerra |  |
Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic house | Residence of the fifth commandant of the Presidio of Santa Barbara |
| Casa del Herrero | Montecito | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic house | 1920s estate, tours by appointment | |
| Casa Dolores | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Art | Popular arts of Mexico | |
| Center for Photographic Art | Carmel | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Art | website, photography | |
| Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum | San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Military | website | |
| Channel Islands Maritime Museum | Oxnard | Ventura | Central Coast | Maritime | website, maritime art, ship models dating back to 1622, local maritime history, art exhibits | |
| Chumash Indian Museum | Thousand Oaks | Ventura | Central Coast | Native American | website | |
| Colton Hall |  |
Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Local history | |
| Conejo Valley Art Museum | Thousand Oaks | Ventura | Central Coast | Art | website | |
| Conservation Corps State Museum | San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Military | History of the Civilian Conservation Corps in California | |
| Dallidet Adobe |  |
San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Historic house | website, 1850s adobe and gardens |
| Dana Adobe | Nipomo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Historic house | ||
| DigiBarn Computer Museum | Boulder Creek | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Computer | Birth and evolution of personal, interactive computing, open by appointment | |
| Dudley House Museum |  |
Ventura | Ventura | Central Coast | Historic house | 1892 Victorian farm house, operated by San Buenaventura Heritage |
| Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery | Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Art | website, part of Cowell College of the University of California, Santa Cruz, focus is art of the Monterey Bay region | |
| Elverhoj Museum of History and Art | Solvang | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Multiple | website, local history and art, Danish heritage and Danish-American pioneers | |
| Estrella Warbird Museum |  |
Paso Robles | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Aviation | Military aircraft and memorabilia, Woodland Auto Display |
| Fernald Mansion | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic house | website, operated by the Santa Barbara Historical Association, Queen Anne-style Victorian home | |
| Fillmore and Western Railway |  |
Fillmore | Ventura | Santa Clara River Valley | Railroad | Heritage railroad |
| Fillmore Historical Museum | Fillmore | Ventura | Central Coast | Open air | website, includes the 1905 Hinckley House, Rancho Sespe Bunk House, and Southern Pacific Railroad Depot | |
| Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village | .jpg) |
Simi Valley | Ventura | Central Coast | Art | Folk art "village" of shrines, walkways, sculptures, and buildings from recycled items |
| Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center | 
|
Guadalupe | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local and Natural History | website, historic Craftsman bungalow with local and natural history exhibits about the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, art gallery, artifacts from the The Ten Commandments (1923 film) |
| Gull Wings Children's Museum | Oxnard | Ventura | Central Coast | Children's | website | |
| Hans Christian Andersen Museum | Solvang | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Biographical | website, life and works of Hans Christian Andersen | |
| Hearst Castle |  |
San Simeon | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Historic house | Palatial mansion, home of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst |
| History Center of San Luis Obispo |  |
San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Local history | Changing exhibits of local history and culture |
| Jack House and Gardens | San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Historic house | Victorian period home | |
| John Steinbeck House |  |
Salinas | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Historic house | Victorian birthplace of author John Steinbeck, also a restaurant |
| Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Library | Changing exhibits from its literary and historic documents collections | |
| La Purísima Mission State Historic Park |  |
Lompoc | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Open air | Includes restored mission church, shops, living quarters and blacksmith shop |
| Larkin House |  |
Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Historic home | Home of Thomas O. Larkin. |
| Lompoc Museum | Lompoc | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | website | |
| Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad |  |
Soledad | Monterey | Monterey Bay | History | Restored late 18th century Spanish mission |
| Mission San Antonio de Padua |  |
Jolon | Monterey | Monterey Bay | History | Historic Roman Catholic mission church with museum of history and archeology of early California and Native American cultures |
| Mission San Buenaventura |  |
Ventura | Ventura | Central Coast | History | Historic Roman Catholic mission church with museum of Chumash Indian artifacts and mission-era items |
| Mission San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Religious | Changing exhibits of local history and culture | |
| Mission San Miguel Arcángel |  |
San Miguel | San Luis Obispo | Monterey Bay | Religious | Historic mission church, also contains a museum about the church's history |
| Mission Santa Barbara |  |
Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic church | |
| Mission Santa Inés |  |
Solvang | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic church | |
| Monterey Bay Aquarium |  |
Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Natural history | |
| Monterey County Agricultural & Rural Life Museum | King City | Monterey | Central Coast | Open air | website, includes the exhibit barn, blacksmith shop, and the History of Irrigation Museum, 1898 Spreckels House, 1887 schoolhouse, 1903 train depot | |
| Monterey County Youth Museum | Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Children's | website | |
| Monterey Museum of Art | Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Art | Collections specialize in American Art, particularly Monterey Peninsula and the West Coast, and Asian art | |
| Monterey State Historic Park | Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Open air | 10 historic buildings including the Old Customhouse, Larkin House, other historic house museums and a local history museum | |
| Morro Bay State Park Museum of Natural History |  |
Morro Bay | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Natural history | |
| Mullin Automotive Museum | Oxnard | Ventura | Central Coast | Automotive | Features French automobiles of the 1920s and 1930s, and French Art Deco furniture and decorative arts | |
| Murphy Auto Museum | Oxnard | Ventura | Central Coast | Automotive | website, vintage automobiles and Americana, H/O scale train layouts | |
| Museum of Art & History @ the McPherson Center | Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Multiple | Art, history of Santa Clara County, also known as the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History | |
| Museum of Monterey | Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Maritime | Operated by the Monterey History & Art Association | |
| Museum of Ventura County | Ventura | Ventura | Central Coast | Multiple | website, Ventura County’s history, art and culture | |
| National Steinbeck Center |  |
Salinas | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Biographical | Works and philosophy of author John Steinbeck, local history, art and cultural exhibits |
| Ojai Valley Museum | Ojai | Ventura | Central Coast | Multiple | Located in a former church, exhibits include local history and art, Native American baskets, pioneer tools, photographs, agriculture, oil | |
| Old Monterey Jail | Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Jail | website, city jail used from 1854 to 1956 | |
| Olivas Adobe | .jpg) |
Ventura | Ventura | Central Coast | Historic house | Mid 19th century adobe |
| Oxnard Historic Farm Park & Museum | Oxnard | Ventura | Central Coast | Historic house | website, museum in planning, Ventura County Landmark No. 165: Gottfried Maulhardt/Albert Pfeiler Farm Site | |
| Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History | Pacific Grove | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Natural history | Local plants, animals, geology, and native human populations | |
| Pajaro Valley Historical Association | Watsonville | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Local history | Includes Bockius-Orr House and the Volck Museum, a carriage house with local history exhibits | |
| Parks-Janeway Carriage House | Santa Ynez | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | website, over 35 horse-drawn vehicles, operated by the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Society Museum | |
| Paso Robles Children's Museum at the Volunteer Firehouse | Paso Robles | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Children's | website, also heritage of the Paso Robles Volunteer Firefighters | |
| Paso Robles Pioneer Museum | Paso Robles | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Local history | website, includes replica jail, historic schoolhouse, farming and mining equipment, cowboy display, carriages | |
| Picard Trade Bead Museum and African Art Gallery | Carmel | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Decorative art | website, history and aesthetic display of beads traded in Africa throughout the centuries | |
| Piedras Blancas Lighthouse |  |
San Simeon | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Maritime | Guided lighthouse tours |
| Pleasant Valley Historical Society Museum | Camarillo | Ventura | Central Coast | Local history | website, local history museum and botanical garden | |
| Point Hueneme Lighthouse |  |
Port Hueneme | Ventura | Central Coast | Maritime | Lighthouse tours |
| Point Pinos Lighthouse |  |
Pacific Grove | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Maritime | |
| Port Hueneme Historical Society Museum | Port Hueneme | Ventura | Central Coast | Local history | website | |
| Point San Luis Lighthouse |  |
Avila Beach | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Maritime | Guided lighthouse tours |
| Point Sur Lighthouse |  |
Big Sur | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Maritime | Located in Point Sur Lightstation State Historic Park |
| Presidio of Monterey Museum | Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Military | website, development of the Presidio as a training base and Monterey's military history | |
| Presidio of Santa Barbara |  |
Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Open air | Also known as El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park |
| Rancho Camulos |  |
Piru | Ventura | Central Coast | Open air | 40-acre (160,000 m2) National Historic Landmark with 15 structures, situated within an 1,800-acre (7.3 km2) working ranch |
| Rancho de Guadalupe Historical Society Museum | Guadalupe | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | website | |
| Reagan Ranch Center Exhibit Galleries | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | History | website, Reagan Ranch artifacts, accomplishments of President Ronald Reagan's presidency | |
| Rancho la Patera & Stow House |  |
Goleta | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic house | Operated by the Goleta Valley Historical Society |
| Rios-Caledonia Adobe |  |
San Miguel | San Luis Obispo | Monterey Bay | Historic house | |
| Ronald Reagan Presidential Library |  |
Simi Valley | Ventura | Central Coast | Open air | Library, final resting place and museum about President Ronald Reagan |
| San Juan Bautista State Historic Park |  |
San Juan Bautista | San Benito | Central Coast | Open air | Includes the Jose Castro House, the Mission San Juan Bautista, a jail, blacksmith shop and early American settler’s cabin |
| San Lorenzo Valley Museum | Boulder Creek | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Local history | website, operated by the San Lorenzo Valley Historical Society | |
| San Luis Obispo Children's Museum | San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Children's | website | |
| San Luis Obispo Museum of Art | San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Art | website, emphasizes artwork by contemporary, living California artists | |
| San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum | San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Railroad | Railroad history of California and the Central Coast, historic railroad equipment and artifacts | |
| Santa Barbara Historical Museum |  |
Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | |
| Santa Barbara Maritime Museum | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Maritime | website, boat models, surfing, survival at sea, commercial fishing and diving, Channel Islands | |
| Santa Barbara Museum of Art |  |
Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Art | American European, Asian art, antiquities, modern and contemporary art, prints, drawings and photographs |
| Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History |  |
Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Natural history | Includes dioramas of birds, mammals, and southern California habitats, halls of marine life, geology and Chumash Indian life, art gallery dedicated to antique natural history prints |
| Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center |  |
Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Natural history | Operated by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, marine education center |
| Santa Barbara Surfing Museum | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Sports | Surfboards, ukuleles, important figures | |
| Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park |  |
Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Open air | Includes replica late 18th century Spanish mission church, adobe |
| Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History |  |
Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Natural history | Wildlife, habitats, fossils, geology and Native peoples of the Santa Cruz Region, marine life |
| Santa Cruz Surfing Museum |  |
Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Sports | Surfing history and culture |
| Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum | Santa Maria | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Children's | website | |
| Santa Maria Valley Historical Society Museum | Santa Maria | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | [1] | |
| Santa Paula Art Museum | Santa Paula | Ventura | Central Coast | Art | website, collection focus is work by local artists | |
| Santa Susana Depot |  |
Simi Valley | Ventura | Central Coast | Railroad | Former Southern Pacific Railroad depot |
| Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum | Santa Ynez | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | website, also includes Parks-Janeway Carriage House with over 35 horse-drawn vehicles | |
| Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center | Newbury Park | Ventura | Central Coast | Native American | website | |
| Sesnon Art Gallery | Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Art | website, part of Porter College of the University of California, Santa Cruz | |
| Seymour Marine Discovery Center | Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Natural history | Part of the Long Marine Laboratory, features marine exhibit halls, aquarium, touch tanks, tours to marine mammal research overlook | |
| Skateboard Museum | Simi Valley | Ventura | Central Coast | Sports | Skatepark and museum | |
| Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum | Solvang | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Transportation | ||
| South Coast Railroad Museum | Goleta | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Railroad | ||
| South County Historical Society | Arroyo Grande | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Open air | website, complex includes Heritage House Museum, Paulding History House, Santa Manuela Schoolhouse, IOOF Hall with changing local history exhibits, and The "Barn" with antique vehicles and agriculture equipment | |
| Stagecoach Inn Museum |  |
Newbury Park | Ventura | Central Coast | Open air | Operated by the Conejo Valley Historical Society, includes replicas of the Stagecoach Inn with local natural history exhibits, carriage house with vehicles, 1874 pioneer home, blacksmith shop, Spanish-Mexican adobe and a Chumash Ap (tule dwelling) |
| Steinbeck's Spirit of Monterey Wax Museum | Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Wax | Monterey historic figures[2] | |
| Strathearn Historical Park and Museum |  |
Simi Valley | Ventura | Central Coast | Open air | Includes the Simi Adobe-Strathearn House, children's playhouse, 1902 Catholic church, library, barber shop, pitting shed and barns with farm tools and equipment |
| Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum & Library | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Doll | website | |
| Templeton Historical Museum | Templeton | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Local history | website | |
| Tor House and Hawk Tower |  |
Carmel-by-the-Sea | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Historic house | Home of poet Robinson Jeffers |
| Trussell-Winchester Adobe | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic house | website, operated by the Santa Barbara Historical Association, 1845 adobe | |
| U.S. Navy Seabee Museum | Port Hueneme | Ventura | Central Coast | Military | website, history of the Seabees and the Civil Engineer Corps located at Naval Base Ventura County | |
| Vandenberg Air Force Base Space and Missile Heritage Center | Vandenberg Air Force Base | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Aerospace | Evolution of missile and spacelift activity at Vandenberg | |
| Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology | Camarillo | Ventura | Central Coast | Natural history | Research museum with guided tours of its collection of bird, nest and egg specimens once a month | |
| Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Art | website, part of the Adams Center for the Visual Arts at Westmont College | |
| Wildling Museum of Art and Nature | Solvang | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Art | website, art and photography of America’s wilderness and wildlife | |
| Whalers Cabin | Carmel-by-the-Sea | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Multiple | Displays include history of Point Lobos, area fisherman and immigrants, adjacent Whaling Station Museum with whaling artifacts |
Defunct museums
- Chandler Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife, Oxnard, collections sold in 2006
- Perry-Downer House and Costume Gallery, Monterey, private house since 2010[3]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Museums in Monterey County, California.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Museums in San Benito County, California.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Museums in San Luis Obispo County, California.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Museums in Santa Barbara County, California.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Museums in Santa Cruz County, California.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Museums in Ventura County, California.
References
- ^ "Santa Maria Valley Historical Society". Trip Advisor. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ^ "Steinbeck's Spirit of Monterey Wax Museum". Museums USA. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ^ "Perry-Downer House". Historic Monterey. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
