Monterey Bay Sanctuary Exploration Center

This place is great — whether you just have ten minutes or a few hours. There are lots of interactive displays including a ROV — a mini submarine for exploring the deep — that you get to play with, as well as a great little video about the Monterey Bay and a Liquid Galaxy from Google. Fun for kids, parents, teachers and visitors, well worth checking out!

I’ve visit Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk countless times and this was the first time I’ve ever set foot in this exploration center. My friend and I had some time left on the meter so we thought we could drop by and see what this place is all about. It’s located very close to the Boardwalk and pier, so it’s just a quick walk across the street.
Upon arrival, you will be greeted by the receptionist in the front. She was very nice and friendly and introduced the center to us. She went on to tell us that it’s a donation based admission (aka free), which was really cool for a center like this. There is also a gift shop to the left when you enter. It is small, but it had a lot of related items for sale, such as shirts, mugs, books, and etc.
The exhibitions were all on the second floor. It’s actually really small to be honest. We were kind of surprised, but we did understand why it was free admission. But it was very interesting since we got to see the many different organisms that lived in the bay close by. There were also a few hands-​on exhibit you could play with.
Overall, it’s a nice place for a little fact of the day kind of thing. It was interesting, but it wasn’t all that interesting. It’s small so my expectation kind of dropped when I realized. I was a little disappointed, but it’s okay, it was free. But it’s worth a visit. It’s a quick place to stop by and learn some new facts about our bay and its inhabitants.

The camera is cool but otherwise it is a very minimal museum. The staff are very friendly. It is worth dropping by but not worth two dollars.

note: CLOSED? walked all around the streets and area noted on Unilocal map. could not find museum. possibly used to be located in a building that now appears to be renovated into a bank. try googling before you plan on it as part of your agenda.

Very interactive, very helpful and bright (I’m assuming?) volunteers, very fun for the little ones! Even my 3yo had fun exploring the displays! Lots if chances for teaching and I learned a few things myself! Best part, it’s free!

Petit musée tout près de la plage de Santa Cruz. Orienté vers le grand public, l’essentiel des présentations sont centrés sur la pollution et le travail de gestion des ressources naturelles de la région. Un petit amphi vous présentera des vidéos d’une grande qualité sur l’écologie de la baie. A visiter si vous avez le temps !

Located at the north end of the boardwalk across from the entrance to the pier, this is a perfect start or end to a visit to Santa Cruz’s boardwalk.
It’s free, clean and just the right size for a 10 – 30 minute stop that’s fun for children and adults alike. The center lives up to the name by encouraging exploration I walked away having been inspired by the beauty of our marine heritage and the difference a sanctuary can make in it’s preservation.