Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

06/19/2026

The Museum will be closed today in recognition of Juneteenth! Catch us this weekend, 10am-5pm.

06/18/2026

Happy anniversary to our baby whale! 🎈🎉 Our community has enjoyed this playful duo for a full year, and they continue to bring joy to visitors of all ages. It truly takes a village to restore a whale 🐋✨ Huge thanks to and and our many donors who helped us bring this beloved duo to life for our community! Read more about the gray whale statues in Tyrrell Park and watch the incredible time-lapse of building the whales! https://loom.ly/4F7IBXY

06/15/2026

This Pride Month, we want you to know that museums are for everyone! Our spaces, stories, and science belong to the whole community — every identity, every family, every visitor. We strive for the Museum to foster inclusive spaces as we honor the diversity that makes Santa Cruz shine. 💛💚💜🧡🩷

06/14/2026

We’re sending a big thank‑you and shout‑out to , who has named the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History next year’s La Vita wine beneficiary! We are truly grateful for your support and partnership — it means the world to our mission and our community. Learn more about Bargetto Winery or explore how La Vita supports local nonprofits as we raise a glass to this incredible contribution! 🥂

06/13/2026

If you aren’t able to join us for our Tidepooling Walk today, you can still keep Seaweed Summer rolling and get your tidepooling on at our Museum Tide Pool Exhibit. It’s open until 5pm, featuring local species, and perfect for curious explorers of all ages. Kids are always free, and college students get discounted admission!

06/12/2026

It’s a Seaweed Summer at the Museum, and our otterly adorable friends are here for it. Sea otters use kelp like nature’s seatbelt, wrapping themselves in fronds so they don’t drift away while resting or grooming in floating groups called rafts. But the relationship goes deeper than nap‑time safety. By keeping urchin populations in check, otters protect the kelp forests that help pull carbon from the atmosphere. Research shows that kelp forests with otters can sequester up to 12 times more carbon than those without these furry guardians.

Photo credit: Chris Soriano, Education Specialist for the Santa Cruz Museum of History. Spotted at Elkhorn Slough during our Earth Stewards Project outing.

06/11/2026

🦀We're hermit crab hyped at the Museum!🦀 Seaweed Summer is making waves, and the tidepools are bursting with sea creatures! Swing by our gift shop to pick up Fylling’s Illustrated Guide to Pacific Coast Tidepools, the perfect companion for your tidepool explorations. It’s also available through our online store linked below! https://loom.ly/78-PjGE

This scientifically accurate yet utterly charming field guide to the Pacific coast intertidal zone introduces readers to a world populated by spectacular wildlife: 150-year-old giant green anemones that paralyze their prey with their petal-like tentacles; sunflower sea stars that traverse the tide p...

06/10/2026

Creature Feature: Caught on Camera! A sea urchin cruising across our tide pool at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, showing off its tiny tube feet like the underwater superstar it is. These spiky wonders don’t just sit around — they walk, they climb, and they’re always on the lookout for their next snack.

Swing by the Museum to see these incredible creatures up close, learn how they shape our coastal ecosystems, and catch more behind‑the‑scenes moments like this one. Come tide‑pool with us and meet the locals! 🤙

06/09/2026

Are you shopping for a young naturalist? Swing by our Museum Gift Shop, where you’ll find a fun assortment of children’s books and nature‑inspired treasures that spark curiosity about the world around us. While you’re browsing, don’t forget to pick up something for yourself — Museum Members enjoy 10% off all gift shop purchases!

06/08/2026

Happy World Ocean Day, Santa Cruz! 🌊💙 Today we’re celebrating the incredible blue backyard that shapes our community, our climate, and our way of life.