I visited this museum, in December of 2025. And it is almost Valentine's Day, 2026 so I am late to…read morerecord my experience, I understand that. But I rather take down the Christmas on Super Bowl weekend than wait to take the lights down near the 4th of July. I went to this place on my first trip to Santa Cruz. And I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this place, and its focus on Santa Cruz Culture. Thorough out my life, I have heard that Santa Cruz is known for crystals, and forest green. But on my trip here, I learned that Santa Cruz is also famous for surfer culture, As some of the pictures, demonstrate surf boards, like cups, hair styles, and volcanoes, come in a variety of lengths, shapes, colors and purpose. I also learned that surfing has its origins from Hawaii, and even though I did not know that, it totally makes sense. I will never be on a surf board, catching a big wave, while the breeze hits my face, and pelicans fly above, but by visiting this museum I learned the historical value of the surf movement that waved hello, initially, in Santa Cruz by way of Hawaii. My favorite room was that one that reflected the beach and ocean vibe of Santa Cruz in place. The room was colored in a deep blue that did not resemble clear waters, more like the deep blue that is found when the ocean seems to be infinite. I am not sure the exact shade of blue that the room was painted in, but I will call it calming serenity blue, which is a close cousin to royal blue. If popcorn yellow and burnt cocoa brown are colors than mine can be colored too, I do not need Crayola level authority to christen colors. The pictures in the room continued my trance into serenity. The paintings showed these peaceful seascapes, where sky and sea became partners in a waltz, not interwoven as one, but paired into slow movement that induces stillness upon the viewer. Other pictures showed a calm beach, where the shore water had white froth as it met the sand. In the background, there was a rock formation and behind the rock formation was a tranquil sky brighten by subtle hues of a descending sun. Even as I reviewed the pictures for this yelp, I found the paintings to be, in a phrase: rest in ocean and pastel candy colored strokes. The room also had a speaker that played the sounds of the ocean, quietly about a chair. I allowed myself to transport myself to a beach shore, to experience the colors of the sea breeze. The museum also tried to educate others on its place in USA farm produce history. One of the pictures discusses the migration pattern by stating, "Today Mexican men, women and children cross the border voluntarily- but at great risk of violence and rape." This is just my opinion, but this sentence, is too broad yet to specific at the same time to accurately paint a picture of the migration experience of many Mexicans and by extension other people who seek to come to America to fulfill their version of the American dream. The way it is written, again from my interpretation, implies that the choice to come to America is one that is a "voluntary" decision like skipping or going to the gym, or using a credit card for a jacket when it does not fit your means. Meaning, that the word voluntary may ignore the vast conditions that push others to migrate, other than personal choice. But this is just one Yelper's opinion, if that makes sense. In another, poster, which I clipped, explains how Santa Cruz goes alternative. The poster explains that "Santa Cruz became a cauldron of cultural experimentation, neighborhood activism, intellectual exploration and environmental protection in the 1960s and 1970s." I think that the word cauldron here is not the right choice because a cauldron most often then not, holds a witches brew. And, most witches brews that are mixed in a cauldron, are meant to produce a potion that results in some type of calamity or curse. I know I may be nitpicking, but if a museum is going to report history, they should be prepared for a response, as history should be reported with objective caution, not editorial perspective. A better word, again in my opinion, would be site, like Santa Cruz became a site of.... this gives objective reporting, as a posed to imagery that a word like cauldron produces. I think, and thus I write. Angela Davis, said, according to a poster, I also clipped, " I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change, I am changing the things I cannot accept." I also really enjoyed playing with Christmas train models for about 10 to 15 minutes. I was not transported into the Polar Express, but, it was fun to turn on cabooses and view their speed and stops through the tracks. It was a zen kind of moment. The museum also had a sculpture garden and a picture of a man in front of a giant redwood that made me want to find a giant tree and walk inside its tunnel. I guess, what I am trying to say is that this museum has a lot to see and ponder about. I was stirred, and calmed, by it.

What a great find while visiting downtown Santa Cruz with my girlfriend! Such a relaxing experience…read morevisiting this museum, it wasn't busy and the exhibits are very simple. You really get to learn about the history of Santa Cruz and the surrounding cities. It was three floors and wasn't a crazy big museum. I enjoyed it a lot and it was affordable to enjoy. Definitely can be a cool add to your itinerary for Santa Cruz. Bathrooms are a bit spooky though haha, they are super dim and is very ominous! Could barely go anymore once I walked in.

They offer diverse assistance for those in need. You should call them & see how they might be able…read moreto serve you. (E.A. you are THE BEST in my book )

Awesome non-profit agency that provides vital services to our most vulnerable residents in Santa…read moreCruz County. Great staff and leadership in their head start programs. Keep up the great work.

Quaint local park: tennis courts,baseball field, playground, soccer field, community garden and…read moreCommunity Center It is a safe day time spot to take your dog (or for others, your kids.) Minus one star for not being well lit at night. Especially when it gets dark early...

I enjoy their variety of classes. So glad to be attending…read moreZumba classes bi weekly as well as language classes: Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese for traveling, Visualization and Yoga.

What a gem of a gym. Of course it is Summer time so there are no summer Blues to sing here. It's…read morenot crowded at the moment. Rad equipment, towels and spray bottles galore, and the pool! What's not to like. Students everywhere but the best kept secret in town is memberships are available for the general population. You want to pay $188.00 a month for the new Santa Cruz Athletic Club and park in Jeff Bezo's parking lot? Knock yourself out. No pool you realize. I'll take UCSC Rec Fitness Center six ways to Sunday for the views alone. The Monterey Bay and deer! You feel like you're at a retreat. It's a huge secret. So now you know. As for the less stellar reviews, well, they're young - they'll learn to appreciate things eventually.

Let's talk about how crowded this place is. I swear, it's like trying to find a parking spot at a…read moreBlack Friday sale, except instead of discounted TVs, you're fighting for a machine that's held together by duct tape and a prayer. It's so packed in here that I have to schedule my workout five weeks in advance just to snag a spot at the water fountain. Even sardines would be like, "Hey, this is a bit too cramped for my taste." But hey, the gym does have one thing going for it--it's a fantastic test of your patience. Who needs a peaceful, stress-free workout when you can spend half your time waiting for your turn and the other half wondering if that ancient bench press is going to collapse on you? You can also take a moment to appreciate the charming layer of dust that adorns every machine. And let's not forget the rust; it's practically a workout for your immune system, too. I'm pretty sure the dumbbells have grown their own ecosystems by now. Forget about disinfecting wipes; we need an archaeologist to clean this place up. The gym machines here look so old and rusty that I'm surprised they don't come with a historical plaque. You know you're in for a treat when you have to spend 10 minutes deciphering the hieroglyphics on weights because the labels have worn off - complete with the soundtrack of screeching metal. It's like a tribute to the Industrial Revolution right here. It's like a museum of fitness, where the artifacts are just as likely to break a sweat as you are. The gym also needs more machines, I suggest at least 3 times, but cut the number of cardio machines in half.

My 9 year old is scared. Yes, we are at the SVL library and she is scared. She won't even look for…read morebooks. There is an unbearable amount of teens partying, throwing things, oh... I just heard something hitting the floor. And clapping. More stuff hitting the floor. My daughter and I have been coming here since she was 4, it was one of our happy places where we could explore books. She won't even go and look for books alone anymore. What is this? Why is this allowed? I have been told that Thursdays are the days to avoid because teenagers take over but it's Friday. And why are they allowed to be a menace here? They are not using computers or discussing books or working on projects. It's clearly their social hour. Why their horsing around is allowed in the first place? Why is this abuse tolerated?

fun great kids books the seats are great it is a great place to hang…read moreout and read books

My second home I absolutely love looking forward to the new addition. Yay. I would love to…read morevolunteer. I'm gonna sign up online I suppose.

My adult daughter lives in Santa Cruz, CA and this is the go-to library for she and her family…read more They're voracious readers, with a lot of interests, and regularly check-out large numbers of books across a wide variety of subject areas. They also utilize inter-library loan for holdings not carried by the local library branch. My husband and I were visiting Santa Cruz (June-August, 2024) and went into the library at least three times. I was immediately drawn to a display of recent releases, and borrowed the New York Times Bestseller "On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Health", by Anthony Fauci. This book explored Fauci's work not only in guiding the US response to the COVID pandemic, but also his role in researching and addressing other major infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, Ebola, SARS, West Nile, and anthrax. My husband was drawn to the large display of magazines, and literally spent hours browsing and reading through the most recent editions of some of his favorites. The librarians were very helpful. The library has many computers, with WiFi access. It also allowed me to print out some legal documents that I needed to get notarized (elsewhere). You can also charge your electronics here. There are also clean restrooms. One thing that I didn't find at the library was an area with resources and offerings for the local community. For instance, I unsuccessfully searched for information on local child care options.