Things to Do in Santa Cruz in One Day: Downtown to the Coast

Begin at Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park, where the remaining mission building gives the morning a clear focus.

The park sits on Mission Hill in downtown Santa Cruz and preserves the only remaining building of the 12th California mission, founded in 1791. It is about a 10-minute walk from Motel 6, which offers rooms at the Santa Cruz motel.

The park’s posted hours are Monday and Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. It closes on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Dogs may visit the grounds but cannot enter the building. Facilities and activities include parking, restrooms, drinking water, picnic areas, exhibits and programs, guided tours, and an environmental learning and visitor center.

Allow the morning to center on the historic building and grounds before moving on. If you want details on what to expect during a visit, the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park visit guide covers the site.

Choose the museum that matches your timing: the Natural History Museum works well for an earlier weekend stop, while the MAH opens later on most days it operates.

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History is at 1305 E Cliff Dr., across from Seabright Beach and a short walk across the river from the Beach Boardwalk. It is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; it is closed Monday.

Admission is $5 for adults age 18 and up, $3 for seniors age 60 and up and college students with valid school ID, and free for youth under 18 and museum members. Admission is also free on the first Friday of every month.

If you drive, parking is available on Pilkington Avenue and surrounding streets. Visitors can get one-hour parking permits on the museum side of Pilkington. Bus stops at Murray and Seabright are a six-minute walk from the museum, and there is a bike rack in front. The museum closes on several holidays, so check its official site before you go.

Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) is at 705 Front St. in downtown Santa Cruz. Enter from Abbott Square plaza or the Front Street entrance. Its posted hours are Monday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, noon–8 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, noon–6 p.m.

Suggested daily admission is $10 general and $8 for seniors, students, teachers and veterans. Members and children under 5 enter free. Suggested admission does not apply to special ticketed exhibitions or events.

The MAH presents contemporary art and Santa Cruz County history through rotating exhibitions. Its location makes it a natural fit for a later-morning or afternoon visit, depending on the day. The Santa Cruz museum guide compares more local museum options.

Use downtown as the midpoint between Mission Hill and the coast. The MAH’s Front Street location puts it in the downtown portion of the itinerary, and Abbott Square plaza offers another entrance to the museum. With no restaurant details needed to plan the route, set aside a flexible break here before heading toward the water.

If you chose the Natural History Museum instead, it sits across from Seabright Beach and close to the Boardwalk, so you can continue toward the coast after your visit. That option shifts the museum stop out of downtown and shortens the sequence of downtown stops.

Spend the afternoon around the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and nearby shore. The Boardwalk is at 400 Beach Street, with two main parking lots beside the park. It has more than 40 rides and attractions, including the 1924 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster and the 1911 Looff Carousel; both are National Historic Landmarks.

The Santa Cruz Wharf, Cowell Beach, Lighthouse Field State Beach and Santa Cruz Surfing Museum are also listed among the nearby attractions at the Sanctuary Exploration Center, at 35 Pacific Avenue.

The center is free to visit and open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Its limited metered parking is on nearby streets and in nearby lots. During summer, a fee-based Santa Cruzer Beach and Downtown Shuttle runs from downtown to the center.

For a coastal museum alternative, the Natural History Museum is across from Seabright Beach and a short walk across the river from the Boardwalk. This can make it easier to combine a museum visit with the waterfront rather than doubling back downtown.

The Boardwalk’s operator says a trolley runs between downtown Santa Cruz and the Boardwalk every 30 minutes during summer. Off-site parking with shuttle service is available on some of the busiest weekends, so check whether that shuttle is operating. The Boardwalk guide covers the Giant Dipper and Boardwalk visit.

Match the route to the opening days: the mission park and MAH have different weekly schedules, while the Natural History Museum offers the earlier weekend opening.

If you plan to drive to the Boardwalk, its main lot opens at 6 a.m.; the River Lot opens two hours before rides open, and Leibrandt and Park Place lots open two hours before rides on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. All vehicles must leave the lots by 2:30 a.m., and overnight parking or camping is prohibited.

For a one-day plan, avoid trying to fit every museum into the same schedule. Pick either the downtown MAH or the Natural History Museum near Seabright, then leave time for the Boardwalk and coast.

The Natural History Museum directs visitors to Santa Cruz Metro for trip planning; its nearest bus stops, at Murray and Seabright, are a six-minute walk away.

Before you go: Hours, admission and transport arrangements can change. Check the official site before you go, including the relevant museum, park or Boardwalk operator’s site.

What is a good one-day route through Santa Cruz?

Start at Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park, choose one museum, take a downtown break if it fits your route, then head to the Boardwalk and coast.

Which museum opens earlier?

On Saturday and Sunday, the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History opens at 10 a.m. The MAH opens at noon on those days.

Is Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park open every day?

No. Its posted hours are Monday and Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Can you visit the Natural History Museum and the Boardwalk in one outing?

Yes. The museum is across from Seabright Beach and a short walk across the river from the Boardwalk, making them a natural coastal pairing.