Oh my goodness literally one of the most amazing experience gems in Petaluma. If you have a child…read moreand are looking for a wonderful way to spend quality time for a couple to several hours on a Saturday, you simply need to go visit the Petaluma Wildlife Museum. This beautiful space is run by high school students who are in animal husbandry or communications-type classes and each, and almost every one, of them are wonderfully informative, kind, engaging, and helpful. Whoever is training these students is doing an outstanding job! The minute you walk through the door they are there to guide you through this fun Petaluma experience. They have thousands of dollars (likely hundreds of thousands) in quality and unique taxidermy animals that are thoughtfully displayed, and where the children can get up close and personal with creatures from all over the planet. We particularly love the room that focuses on the national parks (as our favorite states are represented)! We have taken our grandson here three times at six months intervals and every time he discovered something new. They have a fabulous dinosaur room as well and the students we've encountered are highly educated and love to share tidbits of information. They also have a charming compact outdoor area where kids love to roam and they also have an arts space where kids can draw and explore. It's $5 per person as of 2026 (and I want to say that our almost 3 year-old grandson was free each time). GO! Check out this phenomenal community asset on any given Saturday and you'll be so glad you did! Five giant stars!

This is such a wonderful place to visit on Saturdays! It's donated by a local business man and the…read morehigh school students volunteer on Saturdays to help visitors understand the wild life displayed in the museum. Every high school student volunteers have extensive knowledge of the wild life. We were amazed by all the stories and information told. They even let us touch some of the animals there. It's not just for kids. Adults will definitely enjoy it too.

This 3-acre space has a couple of trails meandering by apple and other fruit trees. I like how they…read moreare labeled so you know what things are. The trails go up to a cemetery which you can also explore. I love flowers and they had sunflowers, dahlias, poppies, among many others. The sunflowers got quite tall. Plants were for sale in the front and payment was through Venmo or check on the honor system. There's a cottage that's open Wednesdays 9am-1pm. There are 3 Luther Burbank Establishments in Santa Rosa/Sebastopol: The Luther Burbank Home and Gardens- located in downtown Santa Rosa close to the freeway and the mall. It's very convenient to get to. This one has his old house which has tours and the gardens around. The Luther Burbank Art and Garden Center-This is more inland in Santa Rosa has a small rose and Iris garden but it's mainly a private events space.

Stopped by to take a walk and get some new plants. Last visit all the plants I purchased are now…read moreflourishing. Today I bought an aster and a fuschia. The plants have signs with information about their care , size etc. It is so relaxing to walk along the paths and so nice that the plants and trees are labeled. A perfect hideaway to come and read a book on one of the many benches scattered around. A hidden gem.

Not a big park but nice and clean. We'll trimmed and maintained grass and trees. Busy playground…read morefor kids and quiet sitting areas around small covered pavilion.Nice beautiful little park to sit down or walk around on a beautiful cool sunny day .

I love my little Petaluma. 6-8 small blocks filled with shops, eateries, historic -- all the while…read morea little river running thru it. Definition cutsie-wootsie. Things to do: 3.5/5 Safety: 4.5/5 Cleanliness: 4/5 A little bit of a homeless issue, but all in all, great.

I had seen this beautiful church and I needed to stop and take a few pictures. I'm a little bummed…read moreout that we could not go inside, but according to somebody that was walking by it hasn't been open for a very long time. It's in a beautiful area and the church itself is gorgeous. I love the stained glass windows the color the architecture of it. It's pretty amazing. I wish I could find out more information about it.

What? No one has ever YELP! -ed this museum?…read more This place is a hold over from yesteryear. A gallery of long forgotten oddities. Presented in a style that really went out of style in the 1960's. See photos of 2 headed snakes. Read a story about a farmer who had his arthritis magically cured when he was run over by his own tractor. The building was built from the lumber of a single redwood tree. A hoot for an hour of fun. If your tastes are tame and you appreciate old timey atmosphere, you'll enjoy a visit.

Came to see what it was all about on their monthly volunteer day (1st Saturday of every month rain…read moreor shine) & let me tell you, this is seriously incredible! I got no work done the 1st half of the day because I couldn't stop looking at everything. It's like an Antique shop but everything works! I'm so used to seeing really cool old things but they don't work. Everything works! Then you walk the property & see the train (which works!) & Tractors, old cars, Concord Grape vines from the 30's, giant compressors... It's like Steve got real sized versions of all the toys he ever loved. Come by to see the place, stay to help out & make sure to check out the Upstairs of the barn where there is an old Chevy Truck (which Steve learned how to drive in & took his license test in).

This place is a true gem. This is the type of place that can only be found in an out of the way…read morelittle town in the middle of nowhere...and lucky for us, we have just such a back-woods hamlet in our beloved Penngrove. This "museum" has just about every type of motor/engine you can think of but unlike a good number of museums, most of the exhibits at this one are still in working order. From old tractors to working vintage printing presses to one of the actual engines from Howard Hughes' famous Spruce Goose. And get this...there is a mini train (but big enough to ride on) that runs around the property!!!! They usually have one or two days a year that they are open to the public so keep your ear to the railroad tracks because you won't want to miss it. Usually there is an open house during the summer sometime. Along with the Petaluma Military Museum (300 Petaluma Blvd N) this is one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon soaking up some of the marvels from our country's industrial past.

I feel like I paid to be bored out of my mind. Was looking…read moreforward to look out of the telescope, but unfortunately it was too cloudy. That doesn't mean that the lecture should be something that should have been left in the 90s. Slide shows lacked pictures, the instructor lacked excitement and was so monotoned. If you want to see the telescope on a clear night, perhaps ditch the class, and arrive at 8:30pm.

We had reservations to go and my wife was sick that day. I called to cancel or switch and was told…read moreno. I told them I planned on attending several classes but we could not go that night. I was then told no again. After explaining our situation again the person laughed at me and said sorry. I hung up at that point. Laughing about my sick wife is sad. I would never recommend this place to anyone. I hope they enjoy their $50.

The West County Museum is the little Museum that could!…read more Did you know that the building that currently houses the Hopmonk is the former Powerhouse building for the electric train that ran through Sebastopol? Did you know that Graton has been known by as many as 12 different names such as Peachtown and Hicksville but in 1906 it went by Gray's Town, after James H. Gray who helped its advancement. It was later shortened to Graton. I love this little spot in Sebastopol that showcases local West Sonoma County history. West County includes Sebastopol, Graton, Forestville, Occidental, Guerneville, Bodega Bay, Bodega, Jenner, Rio Nido, Valley Ford, Freestone, etc. This area has a history rich in farming and natural beauty. Exhibits at the museum change every few months and have included the history of apple production, the local cemeteries, local photographers and Luther Burbank. Ever wondered what Sebastopol looked like when the train went through town? Or what it was like to live on an apple farm as a 12 year old day laborer? Or what kind of curious tools were used in the picking and packing industry of days gone by? This is your spot. The train car behind the museum is filled with archived artifacts and photographs that are used to supplement the exhibits at the museum. Inside there are numerous local themed books for sale along with postcards, jewelery, etc. Photographs, maps, and drawings cover the walls. The building itself is the former train depot building, now on the National Register of Historic Places. This place is all volunteer run. All the docents are very friendly, knowledgeable and usually long time Sonoma County residents. Ask them anything! Watch for short hours. 1-4pm Thurs.-Sun. For more history go across the street to the post office. Check out the Works Progress Administration sponsored mural of Sebastopol life.

The prior review suspiciously looks like it came from a volunteer who worked there, since it was…read moretoo detailed for an outsider to know all this. They recently had an exhibit for a year about Hippies which was interesting, but there too long. Most exhibits are there for only 3 or 4 months. The museum is so small, that if you don't read every single thing, you can go through it in 15 minutes or less. That's all it takes. At least it's free, since it's definitely not worth paying for.

I would highly recommend going on the self-guided tour at the mission which has run by the state of…read moreCalifornia. It's part of the parks now and the fee is very low and well worth your time to see how California began as a mission of the Roman Catholic Church.

Amazing history, well kept, even perfect for a nice mid day stroll! Highly recommend checking out…read morethe exhibits