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with a self-guided walking tour sponsored by the Capitola Historical Museum. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, stop by the San Lorenzo Valley Museum to see historical displays on the valley’s logging, railroads and daily life where you can also pick up a map for a self-guided walking tour. Take a self-guided walking or driving tour of historic homes and buildings in Watsonville and Pajaro Valley. Many of the county’s architecturally-significant buildings were designed by William Weeks, and are prominent in historic neighborhoods in Santa Cruz and Live Oak where self-guided walking tour maps showcase the area. In Downtown Santa Cruz, the SculpTour rotating public art exhibit is a self-guided walking tour showcasing works of contemporary outdoor art. Seaside, opt for a self-guided walking tour of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s 28 points of interest. Just across from Seabright Beach in a quaint cottage, the centuryold Museum of Natural History was the city’s first public museum. In addition to the museum’s wealth of information on Santa Cruz’ native Ohlone Indians, kids can greet a live king snake, excavate sand dollars, and climb on the life-sized cement “beached” whale on the museum’s front lawn. The Neary-Rodriguez Adobe at the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park has been restored to its original appearance and is the last of the original buildings. Exhibits offer a glimpse into the lives of the Ohlone Indians and Spanish settlers of the 1800s. Mission Santa Cruz was the 12th mission built in California. Tour the single-story Adobe - the oldest building in town – adjacent to a 100-year old

a county wide museum Brochure identiFies nearly thirty history and nature museums and art galleries From watsonville to davenport, and points in-Between.

avocado tree, while enjoying expansive views of the city. And the newly restored historic Meder farmhouse at Wilder Ranch State Park a mile north of Santa Cruz is a hands-on living history

museum where visitors can experience the details of daily life on a turn-of-the-century dairy farm. Several communities throughout Santa Cruz County have small but captivating museums of their own. Rancho Del Oso Nature and History Center is a ranch-style house complete with courtyard, exhibit rooms, a gift shop, and a large deck overlooking Waddell Valley and the Pacific Ocean. Exhibits at the Aptos History Museum reveal an historical perspective on native settlements, the natural environment, and community. Niche-type museums also dot the Santa Cruz County landscape. In Felton, the Bigfoot Museum offers evidence suggesting that Bigfoot may be roaming the Santa Cruz Mountains. A countywide museum brochure identifies nearly thirty history and nature museums and art galleries from Watsonville to Davenport, and points in-between. However you choose to enjoy the art and history of the area, Santa Cruz County offers an amazing number of choices.

Photo: Paul Schraub

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Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Santa Cruz Travel Guide 2012