Fantastic local Natural History Museum! Lots of excellent interpretive exhibits! The Museum is run…read moreby Humboldt State University. There is an admission fee to get in - (I forget how much - but it was not a lot). The exhibits focus on the geologic history of the world (lots of dinosaur information), as well as information about the local area wildlife, forests, and more. There is also a nice selection of gifts in their gift shop. #HumboldtStateNaturalHistoryMuseum

Awesome and very informative museum with lots of local flora and fauna. There is a small admission…read morefee but it's totally worth it. Great stop for anyone interested in learning about natural history and has lots of fun little hands on exhibits for little kids. Worth a stop if you are in the area. It's a short walk from Humboldt State and downtown Arcata.

Excellent and compact home returned to its original decorated state with lots of historical items…read moreof City of Arcata history on display,

The Phillips House Museum is located in Arcata, CA - and chronicles what early life in the area was…read morelike. The building it is located in - is allegedly the oldest remaining house in the area. It's a small house/building - and I believe it is currently only open for visits on Sunday afternoons - please verify their hours before visiting. There are lots of interesting exhibits, including old newspaper articles about the events of the day throughout various parts of history... There are two levels to the house - the main level (ground floor) and an upstairs. I found the kitchen to be interesting - seeing how things were back in days of yore... #PhillipsHouseMuseum

Located in the Bigfoot capital of the world [Willow Creek CA]…read more The two times we passed by Willow Creek in Humboldt County the museum was closed for the season, the very first time was in March 2011 and the second in February 2022. Third time was a charm as it was open! This past Memorial Day weekend we were passing through Willow Creek on our way to Eureka and the museum had just opened for the day. For new visitors you will immediately notice in front of the building a larger-than-life wooden statue of Bigfoot next to the signage. Next to it is a copy of a cast made from a Bigfoot track that was found on a little sand-gravel bar in 1963. Feel free to compare your footprint with Bigfoot's. Inside, we wandered the lower part of the museum and browsed through the collection of things from the past - old safe, cash registers, artifacts . We head on over to the Big Foot Exhibit which was further inside and found a collection of materials - newspaper articles, Bigfoot casts that have been collected over the years (donated to the museum), maps of sightings, photos including a blown up picture of the famous Patterson-Gimlin Film (frame #352) taken in Bluff Creek in October 1967. Outside of the building are some collection of logging, mining, forging and agricultural artifacts. The museum includes a gift shop where they sell Bigfoot shirts and sweatshirts, books and other collectibles like postcards and stickers. For reference, the museum is free to visit and is open from May to September (Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00a to 4:00p). Lots of free parking near the entrance to the museum. I am not a BF believer but the museum was interesting to see with all the Bigfoot stuff... I mean, with all the TV series about Bigfoot why haven't they found one yet in real life, just evidence. There are (were) at least 14 TV series about Bigfoot. I guess it's best I don't encounter one but that would make me a believer for sure LoL! The volunteer staff was helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. I believe he is a retired Highway Patrol Officer who once patrolled the area. Instagram: @bigfootmuseum Review #3768

Cool little museum with interesting artifacts to check out. The kids love the Bigfoot exhibits.read more

Historic Military Fort [Eureka CA]…read more There's a lot to take in historically from Fort Humboldt. Although this site seems peaceful now, at one time it was the hub of a conflict between settlers and Native Americans. We walked through the grassy park area stopping to read interpretive signs along the way educating ourselves. The history of Fort Humboldt State Historic Park dates back to 1853. First, one of the most famous military personalities to serve here was Captain Ulysses S. Grant, the future U.S. President and commander of all Union forces during the Civil War. He was stationed here as Captain of Company F, 4th Infantry, in 1853-1854. His story is shared in historic signage and markers. No wait... FIRST! Fort Humboldt State Historic Park is haunted! The GhostTube app captured some anomalies when we used it. I posted a couple of videos. During its glory, the fort had 14 buildings: Officer's Quarters, barracks, a hospital, a blacksmith shop, a horse stable, and even a bakery. Wooden markers can be seen at the park indicating where they once stood. The reconstructed Surgeon's Quarters and original Fort Hospital remain standing till today and I wonder if they open the doors to visitors during park hours. One part of the park are collection of exhibits not related to the military history: railroad equipment and machinery used in the early days of 150 years of local logging history including a Donkey engine. Review #3772

This was a nice and peaceful park. It is a short walk around to see all the displays. There are a…read morefew buildings still left from the time it was a fort. Amongst the trees on the other side of the park, there is the remnants of the trains and steam engines from the logging days.

I visited the Clarke Museum yesterday, and saw a handful of inappropriate "trophies" including…read morethese linens depicting and glamorizing Chattel Slavery, these were for sale by a vendor, approved by the museum director. Update: items were removed and curator was responsive.

Located in Old Town, this museum is definitely worth a visit. As soon as we entered, friendly and…read moreknowledgeable volunteers struck up a conversation and gave us the lay of the land. The museum, one of the largest in northwestern CA, has impressive collections of Humboldt county history and local Native American artifacts. In particular they are known for an extensive, beautiful basket collection. The gift shop is attractive, especially the carved wooden bird collection. We could not resist the Great Heron, and it looks lovely in our home. On leaving the volunteers happily gave us lunch suggestions! Museum and history lovers will enjoy this place.

Huge collection! Awesome trains, saws and steam donkeys! Bunch of cool old machines and some very…read moreinformative volunteers!

This is an annual EVENT that occurs the first weekend of October…read more A charity benefit for Coastal Grove Charter School, the Medieval Festival of Courage has just celebrated its 10th year running. Admission is cheap: $5 for adults and $3 for kids up to 12. Toddlers 2 and under are free. The time period is broad, spanning from the 5th - 15th centuries, with heavy references to Scottish, Saxon and Scandinavian cultural themes. Fantasy characters, in the sense of period appropriate mythical folklore, are encouraged and live performers enact a Court of the Fae each year. The height of excitement is live, real action jousting performed by televisions Knights of Mayhem each day from 12:30 - 3:30. After the competition is complete, children and adults are welcomed into the jousting ring to partake in combat training overseen by the Knights themselves. Tour several historical encampments spanning different periods of history, now including Pirates and Vikings! Listen, if you are brave enough, to a tale of life's lessons often learned by tragedy told by the pale and deathly master story teller, The Carpathian. Browse a medieval market in which artists from all up and down the western coast sell hand made medieval reproduction items and art ranging from true cast-molded reproduction gold doubloons, to bone-ware dishes, costumes, weapons and armor. Food vendors include a stuffed flat-bread stand, Leg O Beast, Ye Old Confectioners, and a hospitality booth that provides hot meals ranging from rolls and gravy to delicious stews and chili. Alcohol is served at several vendors' booths and local goat cheeses and mead are often available. Be prepared to show ID, as there is no stamp for age at the ticket booth. Coastal Grove Charter school has several dancing and acting performances throughout the day by students, and live music plays all throughout the faire. My ONLY complaint is that at times, they had modern cover-bands playing, and I felt it was wrong for the event theme. Really shattered the immersion for a while, especially since they were acoustic, slowed down renditions of a pop songs. Hopefully that was a one time, emergency situation where the scheduled performer couldn't make it, and a local band had to fill in last second? Hopefully that won't happen again. Actors and vendors from North Coast Renaissance, The Scottish Heritage Society, Longship Trade Goods, and several local volunteers all work together to make this fun local fundraiser happen each year, and the kids it benefits are largely involved as well, learning the value of pitching in as a community towards a goal.

I'm not going to say this is the most authentic ren fair I have ever been to, but as a parent with…read morea 2 yr old, it was an entertaining way to spend a morning. They had a small petting zoo, kids performing songs, a bouncy castle, and various food booths. Also jousting, but we didn't stay for that performance. Note: the field where the fair is set up is extremely uneven and bumpy. We brought our burly jogging stroller and even that made for a pretty comfortable ride for our son. Bonus: there's a pumpkin patch in the next field over so you can get a ride on a hay wagon and a pumpkin the same day you get a turkey leg roasted on a BBQ shaped like a dragon!

This amazing race if you will - is truly just that. Once a year, on Memorial weekend, folks from…read moreall over Humboldt county and beyond gather together to bare witness to the awesomeness that is the Kinetic Sculpture Grand Championship Race. This decades long, monumental event requires not only weeks and months or years of preparation on the part of the contestants and their machines. Fans line the route for miles and miles just to catch a glimpse of what is about to unfold. The Kinetic Grand Championship is a 3-day, 42-mile bicycle race over land, sand, mud and water. Many refer to the Kinetic Grand Championship as the "Triathlon of the Art World." Day 1 of the Kinetic Grand Championship starts on the Plaza in Arcata, California at the noon whistle every Memorial Day weekend. The racers take off to the Manila dunes, where they race through miles of sand to the great and inevitable "Deadman's Drop." Then on to Eureka's downtown gazebo. Day 2 starts in Eureka at the waterfront on the Humboldt Bay, where brave Kinetic Pilots race their crafts through the water (most float). Then back on land where kinetic sculptures go up Hookton Hill, a 1 mile-7% incline and decline. Day 2 ends with a private campout for racers and volunteers only. Day 3 starts from the mouth of the Eel River, through Morgan slough and onto dry land. Racers cross the finish line on Ferndale's historic Mainstreet, where racers park and head up to the Final Awards Dinner at Ferndale's Fireman's Hall. This weekend long, three day event draws fans, followers and media far and wide - just for the moment when these amazing machines and their crews and occupants roll by - many fans following their favorites for miles. What is a Kinetic Sculpture? Kinetic Sculptures are all-terrain human-powered art sculptures that are engineered to race over road, water, mud and sand. Kinetic sculptures are amazing works of art; many are animated with moving parts like blinking eyes, opening mouths, heads that move side to side and up and down. Kinetic Sculptures are usually made from what some people consider "junk". But one man's junk is another racer's raw material. Each Kinetic Sculpture is a work of art and each racing team has its own theme. The teams consist of pilots, pit crew and pee-ons. Kinetic Pilots pedal the sculpture and steer, the pit crew assists the pilots in transforming the vehicle for the various elements and fixing mechanical issues, and pee-ons, well, they do whatever is needed for the team to get glory. The teams give out "bribes" to their adoring spectators, judges and Rutabaga Royalty. Spectators are encouraged to follow the race on their bikes (obeying all traffic laws that apply please). Seeing these marvels of art and engineering turns many people on to bike culture and reminds people how much fun riding your bike can be! This event is not to be missed! If you are ever find yourself in Arcata on Memorial weekend, or you just feel the need to see it for yourself. And just one more thing that makes Arcata and coastal northern California such a cool and wonderful place to live. A 5 STAR Festival & Community Event. 00125

Very fun spectator sport, and I am inspired to someday compete! This is a three day activity where…read morewe can observe the contestants self power their vehicles over land, sand (Deadman's Drop where having your vehicle tumble down a very steep sand dune qualifies as part of the event), and sea! There are festivities each day, both bore and after the daily competition, which are fun for all.