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12 Best Museums in Monterey: Art, History, and Others to Visit
by Jill Loeffler •
Updated: August 16, 2024
You will find a number of outstanding museums in Monterey, CA. Top picks downtown include the Monterey Museum of Art, the Colton Hall Museum, and the MY Museum. Other top picks include the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Presidio.
Some of the best free museums in Monterey focus on the events that occurred in the area before and shortly after the time when California became a part of the United States.
Other favorites are dedicated to educating kids of all ages, offer information about natural history, and provide you with a chance to learn about local plants and animals.
Here are some of the best museums in Monterey and around the Monterey Bay area.
Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.
1. Monterey Museum of Art
The first of our museums in Monterey is the fantastic Monterey Museum of Art. This art museum is located in downtown Monterey and is dedicated to showing the diversity of not only this area but all of California.
This Monterey art museum was founded in 1959 and has over 14,000 pieces of art in its permanent collection.
These pieces range from those made by Indigenous peoples thousands of years ago to current pieces by artists creating paintings, photography, contemporary art, and more.
Some of the well-known artists featured include Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Utagawa Kunisada, Evelyn McCormick, and many others.
This art museum in Monterey also has many traveling exhibits and special events throughout the year.
Location: 559 Pacific Street
Hours: Thursday through Sunday, from 11 am to 5 pm. Closed Thanksgiving and for winter recess
Admission: Adults 18 years of age or older are $15; Students, active military, and anyone under the age of 18 are free
2. Monterey Bay Aquarium
One of the "can't miss" museums in this area is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This incredible structure is the second largest of all aquariums in the world! It houses over 35,000 plants and more than 600 species of animals in its massive 3.3-acre facility.
Some of the exhibits you will see include the Splash Zone, where penguins waddle all around (one of my favorites), and the Sea Otter exhibit.
The Open Sea exhibit is another of my favorites. This massive tank features turtles, Hammerhead Sharks, and dozens of other fish swimming around and around.
It is one of the best places for the whole family to find something magical.
They often have new and traveling exhibits, host special events, and offer classes and behind-the-scenes tours. There is so much to see that it is almost impossible to see everything in just one visit!
If you are a TV or movie fan, you might have seen the Monterey Bay Aquarium featured in HBO's "Big Little Lies," Finding Dory, or, most famously, in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Location: 886 Cannery Row
Hours: 10 am to 5 pm every day except December 25
Admission: Adults 18 to 69 years of age are $65, teens 13 - 17 years of age and seniors 70+ are $50, Children ages 5 - 12 years old are $45, children ages 4 and under are free
3. Monterey History and Art at Stanton Center
This history and art museum in Monterey showcases the work of figures who have contributed to Monterey’s history.
I love this museum because it not only displays photography, cartography, and a range of art from the region, but it also has a collection of original pieces by Salvador Dali.
Most people don't realize this, but the famous Spanish surrealist Dali lived in Monterey at the Hotel de Monte for eight years during his lifetime.
In addition, this Monterey history and art museum contains the Bounty of the Sea exhibit, dedicated to the history of fishing in the Monterey Bay area.
Location: 5 Custom House Plaza
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 12 noon to 4 pm
Admission: Adults 18+ are $10, 18 and under are free
>> More indoor activities in Monterey
Other Things to Do in Monterey
4. Colton Hall Museum
Originally built as a school and town hall, the state's early leaders used Colton Hall's rooms to draft the first California Constitution in Monterey in October of 1849.
Today, you can visit this landmark site and see a re-creation of the meeting room used to draft this important document.
The Colton Hall Museum also offers a handful of exhibits from the early days of Monterey. An added benefit is that this is a free museum.
Something I learned during my visit is that the state Constitution was originally written in both English and Spanish.
Location: Next to City Hall on Pacific Street between Madison and Jefferson Streets
Hours: Thursday through Sunday, from 10 am to 4 pm
Admission: Free
5. Monterey County Youth Museum - MY Museum
If you are traveling with kids, you will want to stop at this hands-on children's museum in Monterey. It focuses on kids ages 8 and younger, but everyone is welcome to explore and play here.
Exhibits include MY Day at the Beach, MY Creation Station, MY Go-Fore Golf, and more. Each exhibit of this family-friendly art museum in Monterey targets a specific age group, so your kids can find an activity that's perfect for them.
Depending on the day, you and your kids can do arts and crafts. They also host live music, pop-up exhibits, and other fun events.
It is always a good idea to check beforehand to see what they offer daily. This Monterey Museum for children is perfect for any family wanting to have a little creative fun, regardless of age.
Location: 425 Washington Street
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm
Admission: Adults $10; children $10; children under 24 months are free
>> More fun things to do with kids
6. Presidio of Monterey Museum
The Presidio of Monterey Museum houses exhibits featuring the history of military development in the area.
This free museum in Monterey starts with the indigenous period, transitions to the time when Spain and Mexico ruled the area, and ends with the present.
Due to the area's importance starting in 1902, much of this museum focuses on the development of this Presidio as a training base. It is a great place to learn about the area's history and imagine what it was like back in the day.
Location: 76th Artillery Street & Corporal Ewing Road, Building 113 in Lower Presidio Historic Park
Hours: Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day
Admission: Free
7. National Steinbeck Center
The author John Steinbeck was known for giving voice to the "everyday person" and letting you walk in their shoes. He was born in nearby Salinas and wrote much about the Monterey area.
He told the stories of people who worked and lived here, giving readers a glimpse at local life in the 1920s to the 1960s. Two of his most famous books are East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath.
The Steinbeck museum has many interesting exhibits, shows, and information about him. It also examines what it was like to live in Monterey County when it was just starting to be the heartland for much of the state.
After a quick orientation of the National Steinbeck Center from a docent, they suggest that you take about 2 hours for your self-guided tour. There are guided tours, but you have to book them in advance.
Location: 530 Houston Street in downtown Salinas
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Closed on major holidays.
Admission: Adults are $15; seniors, students, and teachers are $13; active duty military and families, retired military, and veterans are $13; children ages 6-17 are $7, children 5 and under are free
8. Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
Located in the cute town of Pacific Grove, this is one of the Monterey Bay museums that is dedicated to the area's natural history.
Several exhibits showcase information about birds that live in this area, native plants, and the most famous and beautiful of local creatures: Monarch butterflies.
Some of the exhibits I enjoyed most during my visit focus on the people who have lived in this area, such as the Point Alones Chinese Fishing Village residents. They had emigrated from China in the late 1800s and early 1900s and had the largest fishery in all of California for a time.
Beyond that, the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History has exhibits about the native peoples, their artwork, and how this area has changed throughout history. It is a wonderful educational exploration of this West Coast area.
Location: 165 Forest Avenue in Pacific Grove
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm. Closed on major holidays and for a week in August (so double-check their schedule if you plan to visit during this time)
Admission: $12 for adults; $8 for youth ages 4-18, students with ID, seniors, and military; free for kids 3 and under.
Monterey State Historic Park
The next four on my list of the best Monterey museums are some of the most significant historical buildings located within the Monterey State Historic Park.
Each one contributed to the city's legacy as a cornerstone of California's early history.
Visiting them and diving into the area's local history is one of the top free things to do in Monterey.
Did you know that Monterey, CA is home to one of the few remaining whalebone sidewalks (made from whale vertebrae) in the world? You'll find parts of it in front of the Old Whaling Station on the two-mile "Monterey Walking Path of History," which also takes you by other beautiful homes in the area.
9. Pacific House Museum
The Pacific House Museum is a great jumping-off point for exploring the museums and historic buildings that comprise the Monterey State Historic Park.
Originally constructed in 1847, the exhibits in this museum of Monterey's early history tell the story of when it was the capital of California under the Spanish, Mexican, and, finally, the U.S. government.
Upstairs, it also houses the Monterey Museum of the American Indian, where you will see pottery, baskets, and other Native American artifacts, as well as other pieces of California art. You will also learn about the natural history of the area.
Location: Custom House Plaza just south of Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 am to 5 pm
Admission: Free
10. Old Custom House
The Old Custom House is California's oldest government building and is the State Historical Landmark #1. In its early years, it was used as a way to connect both Baja (lower) and Alta (upper) California while under the control of the Spanish government.
When Monterey became an area for trade and commerce because of its location in the state, this site was the center of it. It is also where Commodore John Drake Sloat claimed over 600,000 miles of territory for the US by raising the American flag.
Today, you can walk through this building to see what it looked like in the 1800s and take a look at several artifacts from that time. It's one of the museums in the Monterey State Historic Park group.
Location: Custom House Plaza near Fisherman's Wharf
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 am to 5 pm
Admission: Free
11. First Brick House
Another museum included as part of the Monterey State Historic Park is the First Brick House. This is where Gallant Dickinson introduced a new, more permanent method of building houses.
Prior to 1847, all houses were made of adobe and didn't last long because of the weather. Gallant built his house out of brick. Stop by to visit his original house and the Monterey history exhibits in the main room.
A fun fact is that it was purchased for $10 in 1915 by Juan and Maria Garcia, who turned it into a Spanish restaurant before it became one of the museums in Monterey.
Location: Heritage Harbor next to the Old Whaling Station
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 am to 5 pm
Admission: Free
12. Stevenson House & Museum
The final building on our list that is part of the Monterey State Historic Park group is the Robert Louis Stevenson House & Museum. Over the years, this historic adobe building housed many fishermen, artists, writers, and government officials.
One of the most famous residents, writer Robert Louis Stevenson, stayed here for a few months in the fall of 1879.
At the time, it was a rooming house called the French Hotel. During his stay in Monterey, he wrote "The Old Pacific Capital." Today, you can visit the restored house and see several rooms dedicated to Stevenson.
If you aren't acquainted with Robert Louis Stevenson, here are two of my favorite quotes: "That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much," and "Wine is bottled poetry." I wholeheartedly agree with him on both counts!
Location: 530 Houston Street in Salinas
Hours: Only open for guided tours at 10 am and 3:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays
Admission: $10 for adults 18+, free for ages 17 and under; reservations are not necessary
Monterey Tours to Check Out
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
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