The California Central Coast is an area roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay extending through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County and Ventura County.
This is a list of museums, defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.
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.
See also: List of museums in California.
| Name | Image | Town/City | County | Region | Type | Summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural History Project Center & Museum | 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 | Agriculture | website, history, people, crops, and technologies of agriculture in the county | |||||
| Albinger Archaeological Museum | Ventura | Central Coast | Archaeology | website, information, operated by the city of Ventura | |||
| Alvarado Gallery | Art | website, city's art exhibits gallery in the Monterey Conference Center | |||||
| Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Local history | website | ||||
| 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 | ||
| Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Entertainment | myths, legends and sightings of Bigfoot | ||||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Historic house | Operated by the Monterey County Historical Society, includes the Boronda Adobe | ||||
| Santa Paula | Ventura | Central Coast | Industry | Local history and the history of the oil industry in California | |||
| Cabrillo College Gallery | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Art | website, part of Cabrillo College, hosts 12 exhibitions annually | |||
| CAF – So Cal Wing Aviation Museum | Ventura | Central Coast | Aviation | website, operated by Commemorative Air Force, Southern California Wing at Camarillo Airport | |||
| Ventura | Central Coast | Historic house | Queen Anne style Victorian home furnished to appear as from 1914 to the 1930s | ||||
| Camp Roberts Historical Museum | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Military | website, history of the California National Guard post | |||
| Capitola Historical Museum | Santa Cruz | Central Coast | Local history | website | |||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | History | Historic Roman Catholic mission church with several museums of local and mission history | ||||
| Ventura | Central Coast | Art | Collection of primarily 20th century California artists | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | |||||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Transportation | website, carriages, wagons, saddles | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic house | Residence of the fifth commandant of the Presidio of Santa Barbara | |||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic house | 1920s estate, tours by appointment | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Art | Popular arts of Mexico | |||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Art | website, photography | ||||
| Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum | Central Coast | Military | website | ||||
| Oxnard | Ventura | Central Coast | Maritime | website, maritime art, ship models dating back to 1622, local maritime history, art exhibits | |||
| Chumash Indian Museum | Ventura | Central Coast | Native American | website | |||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Local history | |||||
| Conejo Valley Art Museum | Thousand Oaks | Ventura | Central Coast | Art | website | ||
| San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Military | History of the Civilian Conservation Corps in California | |||
| Couture Pattern Museum | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Fashion History & Couture Sewing | Single-room venue, features rotating exhibits from its extensive collection of over a thousand rare haute couture patterns. | ||
| San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Historic house | website, 1850s adobe and gardens | |||
| San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Historic house | |||||
| Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Computer | Birth and evolution of personal, interactive computing, open by appointment | ||||
| Ventura | Ventura | Central Coast | Historic house | 1892 Victorian farm house, operated by San Buenaventura Heritage | |||
| Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery | 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 | |||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Multiple | website, local history and art, Danish heritage and Danish-American pioneers | ||||
| San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Aviation | Military aircraft and memorabilia, Woodland Auto Display | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic house | website, operated by the Santa Barbara Historical Association, Queen Anne-style Victorian home | |||
| Ventura | Railroad | Heritage railroad | |||||
| Ventura | Central Coast | Open air | website, includes the 1905 Hinckley House, Rancho Sespe Bunk House, and Southern Pacific Railroad Depot | ||||
| Ventura | Central Coast | Art | Folk art "village" of shrines, walkways, sculptures, and buildings from recycled items | ||||
| Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center | 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 Ten Commandments | ||
| Gull Wings Children's Museum | Oxnard | Ventura | Central Coast | Children's | website | ||
| Hans Christian Andersen Museum | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Biographical | website, life and works of Hans Christian Andersen | |||
| San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Historic house | Palatial mansion, home of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst | ||||
| San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Local history | Changing exhibits of local history and culture | |||
| San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Historic house | Victorian period home | |||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Historic house | Victorian birthplace of author John Steinbeck, also a restaurant | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Library | Changing exhibits from its literary and historic documents collections | |||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Open air | Includes restored mission church, shops, living quarters and blacksmith shop | ||||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Historic home | Home of Thomas O. Larkin. | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | Chumash Indians, archeology and history of the Lompoc Valley and Santa Barbara County | ||||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | History | Restored late 18th century Spanish mission | ||||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | History | Historic Roman Catholic mission church with museum of history and archeology of early California and Native American cultures | ||||
| Ventura | Ventura | Central Coast | History | Historic Roman Catholic mission church with museum of Chumash Indian artifacts and mission-era items | |||
| San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Religious | Changing exhibits of local history and culture | |||
| San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Religious | Historic mission church, also contains a museum about the church's history | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic church | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic church | |||||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Natural history | |||||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | 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 | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Art | Collections specialize in American Art, particularly Monterey Peninsula and the West Coast, and Asian art | |||
| Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Open air | 10 historic buildings including the Old Customhouse, Larkin House, other historic house museums and a local history museum | |||
| San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Natural history | |||||
| Oxnard | Ventura | Central Coast | Automotive | Features French automobiles of the 1920s and 1930s, and French Art Deco furniture and decorative arts | |||
| Oxnard | Ventura | Central Coast | Automotive | website, vintage automobiles and Americana, H/O scale train layouts | |||
| Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Multiple | Art, history of Santa Clara County, also known as the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History | |||
| Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Maritime | Operated by the Monterey History & Art Association | |||
| Ventura | Ventura | Central Coast | Multiple | website, Ventura County's history, art and culture | |||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Biographical | Works and philosophy of author John Steinbeck, local history, art and cultural exhibits | ||||
| Ventura | Central Coast | Multiple | Located in a former church, exhibits include local history and art, Native American baskets, pioneer tools, photographs, agriculture, oil | ||||
| Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Jail | website, city jail used from 1854 to 1956 | |||
| Ventura | Ventura | Central Coast | Historic house | Mid 19th century adobe | |||
| Oxnard | Ventura | Central Coast | Historic house | website, museum in planning, Ventura County Landmark No. 165: Gottfried Maulhardt/Albert Pfeiler Farm Site | |||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Natural history | Local plants, animals, geology, and native human populations | ||||
| 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 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 | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Children's | website, also heritage of the Paso Robles Volunteer Firefighters | |||
| Paso Robles Historical Society Museum | Paso Robles | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | local history | website, housed in the old Carnegie Library in the Downtown City Park | ||
| 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 | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Decorative art | website, history and aesthetic display of beads traded in Africa throughout the centuries | |||
| Piedras Blancas Lighthouse | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Maritime | Guided lighthouse tours | |||
| Pleasant Valley Historical Society Museum | Ventura | Central Coast | Local history | website, local history museum and botanical garden | |||
| Point Hueneme Lighthouse | Ventura | Central Coast | Maritime | Lighthouse tours | |||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Maritime | |||||
| Port Hueneme Historical Society Museum | Port Hueneme | Ventura | Central Coast | Local history | website | ||
| San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Maritime | Guided lighthouse tours | ||||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Maritime | Located in Point Sur Lightstation State Historic Park | ||||
| Monterey | Monterey | Monterey Bay | Military | website, development of the Presidio as a training base and Monterey's military history | |||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Open air | Also known as El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park | |||
| Ventura | Central Coast | Open air | 40acres National Historic Landmark with 15 structures, situated within an 1800acres working ranch | ||||
| Rancho de Guadalupe Historical Society Museum | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | website | |||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | History | website, Reagan Ranch artifacts, accomplishments of President Ronald Reagan's presidency | |||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic house | Operated by the Goleta Valley Historical Society | ||||
| San Miguel | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Historic house | Friends of the Adobes, Inc. www.rios-caledoniaadobe.org | |||
| Ventura | Central Coast | Open air | Library, final resting place and museum about President Ronald Reagan | ||||
| Central Coast | Open air | Includes the Jose Castro House, the Mission San Juan Bautista, a jail, blacksmith shop and early American settler's cabin | |||||
| 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 | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Art | website, emphasizes artwork by contemporary, living California artists | |||
| San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Railroad | Railroad history of California and the Central Coast, historic railroad equipment and artifacts | |||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Maritime | website, boat models, surfing, survival at sea, commercial fishing and diving, Channel Islands | |||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Art | American European, Asian art, antiquities, modern and contemporary art, prints, drawings and photographs | |||
| 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 | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Natural history | Operated by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, marine education center | |||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Sports | Surfboards, ukuleles, important figures | |||
| Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Open air | Includes replica late 18th century Spanish mission church, adobe | |||
| Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Natural history | Wildlife, habitats, fossils, geology and Native peoples of the Santa Cruz Region, marine life | |||
| Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | Monterey Bay | Sports | Surfing history and culture | |||
| Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Children's | website | |||
| Santa Maria Valley Historical Society Museum | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | [1] | |||
| Santa Paula | Ventura | Central Coast | Art | website, collection focus is work by local artists | |||
| Ventura | Central Coast | Railroad | Former Southern Pacific Railroad depot | ||||
| Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Local history | website, also includes Parks-Janeway Carriage House with over 35 horse-drawn vehicles | |||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | |||
| Simi Valley | Ventura | Central Coast | Sports | Skatepark and museum | |||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Transportation | |||||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Railroad | |||||
| South County Historical Society | 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 | |||
| 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] | ||
| 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 | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Doll | website | |||
| Templeton Historical Museum | San Luis Obispo | Central Coast | Local history | website | |||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Historic house | Home of poet Robinson Jeffers | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Historic house | website, operated by the Santa Barbara Historical Association, 1845 adobe | |||
| Ventura | Central Coast | Military | website, history of the Seabees and the Civil Engineer Corps located at Naval Base Ventura County | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Aerospace | Evolution of missile and spacelift activity at Vandenberg | ||||
| Ventura | Central Coast | Natural history | Research museum with guided tours of its collection of bird, nest and egg specimens once a month | ||||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Art | website, part of the Adams Center for the Visual Arts at Westmont College | |||
| Santa Barbara | Central Coast | Art | website, art and photography of America's wilderness and wildlife | ||||
| Monterey | Monterey Bay | Multiple | Displays include history of Point Lobos, area fisherman and immigrants, adjacent Whaling Station Museum with whaling artifacts |