Visited this gallery at the Tannery Arts Center this past weekend to check out the Small Works…read moreExhibition (the shopping show) not really knowing what to expect. The lady at the front desk was very kind and made me feel welcome. Suzy Rad Arts is what drew me to this event, specializing in beautiful, vibrant pet and animal portraits. But there were so many other impressive works that caught my attention as well while I looked around. There isn't too much to explore in this gallery since it's very small, like itty bitty, seemingly only a couple rooms, with just a small space dedicated to each artist's work for this specific event. But it's free to attend, and an opportunity to purchase something special for yourself or the art lover in your life (I got a lovely Suzy Rad greeting card with a quirky carrot). And while you're at it, you can check out the other artworks and sculptures on site at the Tannery Arts Center, like the sharky-go-round located right in front of the gallery. Besides special events, the Radius Gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday to the public. The arts campus has a parking lot available as well.

I absolutely think this Santuary Exploration exhibit by Monterey is amazing, fun and educational…read more Here's a secret......it is totally FREE!!!!! If your in Santa Cruz area and need a cool off and a break for the young kids take them here. Lots to see, touch and explore. Even a coloring area where they display your picture. You can use a under water diving machine. You can watch a movie on the ocean. So much more. Time to explore!!

A fun place to visit if you have some time before hitting the Boardwalk or pier! Located right…read moreacross the street from the pier, know that it is FREE to visit! This is not affiliated with the Monterey Bay Aquarium but it is tied to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). The docents/volunteers here are friendly and engaging and it is fun to learn about the oceans surrounding Santa Cruz. Great for kids, it's a quick 30 minute visit kind of place to pop in and learn something new!

Always great fun for our kids, from elementary to toddler to infants. Enjoyed the art stations, as…read morewell as rock climbing wall, trains, lego cars, building areas, and nice staff. Appreciate the infant zone. Well worth the membership.

This was a fantastic place for my kids, they had so much fun playing g with all of the interacted…read moreenvironments.

Fabulous friendliness forging fundamental future foraging for fertile freedoms foreverread more

Neptune Games is a family entertainment destination featuring food, a fun mini-golf course, classic…read morevideo games, pool tables, air hockey, foosball, and whimsical funhouse mirrors. Set inside a beautiful historic building packed with rich history and captivating stories, it's the perfect place for memorable outings and nonstop fun. Private events held in the mini golf area and upstairs. Washrooms available upstairs.

This is the best mini-golf course I've ever been to! The pirate theme makes it feel like a fun…read moreadventure from start to finish. It wasn't crowded when we visited on a Sunday morning. If you're looking for something fun to do, it's a great way to spend a couple of hours. We went there with guests from Japan and it was such a unique cultural experience for them! We especially loved the dark rooms with the colorful lights. They added a lot to the atmosphere. Although it was a bit pricey, it was definitely worth it!

We saw The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Sunday matinee. The staging was incredible and the…read moreperformances were good. With the exception of Quasimodo (sp?), I did not think that the voices of the leads were as strong as I have seen at other performances. The story as presented was dark and I did not think suitable for grade school children. This was deceiving as it had been advertised highlighting the Disney association. I will, however, to continue to support this wonderful organization

Small theatre , we have seen several musicals here and thoroughly enjoyed them…read more Comfortable seating.

Such an enchanting find and so Santa Cruz…read more After browsing through records at Streetlight - I wandered into Felix Kulpa's inviting sculpture garden and gallery. From telephone booth art, to innovative guitar sculptures, to simple pieces composed by talented artists from the most basic of materials - this art haven captures the essence of local Californian artists with a superb eye.This gallery is also well lit, so you can still feel the sun beams radiating around you as you study the art. My only regret is not donating some cash to the gallery (there is a donation box as you leave) and not asking more questions about the artists and their pieces from the friendly guy sitting down in the gallery as I perused the work. Trust.

Beautiful gallery! Very welcoming and charming place to go on a nice day. The owner was very…read morefriendly and lovely to talk to. He had some amazing (working) electric guitars that he made from objects like toilet seats and skateboards, and he let me play them!! Wonderful gallery.

Adj: marvelous marine center…read more This is the UC Santa Cruz's marine research center. We've been here several times, but I keep forgetting to write a review. It's a gem, maybe I'm secretly and subconsciously gatekeeping, who knows lol. Anyways on this latest visit, only the little one wanted to go with me so the two of us had some mom and son bonding time. We both had a great time, we share a same fascination with natural wonders and laugh at silly things, so it was a terrific time. Most of marine center looks about the same, but they added and changed some things. We looked at the long timers in their aquarium tanks and enjoyed and marveled at how interesting and unique they look and took lots of pictures of them. We also spent a good amount of time learning about the sea creatures in the touch tanks area where you're allowed to gently touch sea stars, sea urchins, anemones, and sea snails, as well as non animals like sea weed, (empty) shark eggs. All fascinating! Afterwards, we went out to the back and this time there were no tours to join, so we just walked along the trail and enjoyed looking out at the Pacific Ocean, at the native plants growing all over, and listened to the waves crashing against the rocks. Overall, another lovely visit to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, and a wonderful time of bonding for my son and me as we discovered and discussed the various different marine creatures who call this place home. Please check out my pictures to include the gift shop ones.

Keep it Reel Marine…read moreScience Center is run by the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) and is located right on campus. They focus on the education of ocean research and the conservation of our oceans. The Good: * Good place to bring young kids as it's not very large, and you can see the whole thing in way less than two hours. * One-mile loop trail along the UCSC campus if you want to add a little hike to your visit. * Guided tours available, as well as self-guided. * Hands-on experiences--they currently even have a shark in the touch tank! * Picnic areas outside with an ocean view. * The whale skeleton outside is pretty "bitchin'." * EV charging available. * Bike rack. * Buy tickets online or at the door. * Very affordable at $12/adult and $9/student. The Meh: * Hours and days change depending on the season. The Ugly: * Paid parking during the week, but free on weekends. Conclusion: Great little museum located right on the coast, but don't expect it to be an all-day affair.