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.
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
Oxnard |
Ventura |
Central Coast |
Art |
Collection of primarily 20th century California artists |
Carpinteria Valley Museum of History |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
|
Simi Valley |
Ventura |
Central Coast |
Art |
Folk art "village" of shrines, walkways, sculptures, and buildings from recycled items |
Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center |
120px |
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 |
120px |
San Simeon |
San Luis Obispo |
Central Coast |
Historic house |
Palatial mansion, home of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst |
History Center of San Luis Obispo |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
|
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
Pacific Grove |
Monterey |
Monterey Bay |
Maritime |
|
Port Hueneme Historical Society Museum |
|
Port Hueneme |
Ventura |
Central Coast |
Local history |
website |
Point San Luis Lighthouse |
120px |
Avila Beach |
San Luis Obispo |
Central Coast |
Maritime |
Guided lighthouse tours |
Point Sur Lighthouse |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
Goleta |
Santa Barbara |
Central Coast |
Historic house |
Operated by the Goleta Valley Historical Society |
Rios-Caledonia Adobe |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
120px |
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 |
100px |
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 |
120px |
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 |