Monterey Bay Attractions

Monterey Bay Aquarium - Our exhibits take you into the hidden world of Monterey Bay, a spectacular ocean realm at the heart of the nation's largest marine sanctuary. The exhibits re-create the bay's habitats, from shallow tide pools to the open ocean and deep sea. The aquarium is a nonprofit organization. Visitor admissions, along with member support and contributions, make possible our free programs for visiting schoolchildren, workshops for teachers, sea otter research and conservation and important marine research initiatives.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary - The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) is a Federally protected marine area offshore of California's central coast. Stretching from Marin to Cambria, the MBNMS encompasses a shoreline length of 276 miles, and 5,322 square miles of ocean, extending an average distance of 30 miles from shore. At its deepest point, the MBNMS reaches down 10,663 feet (more than two miles).

Santa Cruz Mission "Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park is the site of a complex of buildings erected around the original Santa Cruz Mission. Part of the cluster, the Neary-Rodriguez Adobe was built in 1791 and is the last of the mission’s many buildings to survive. The lovely, single-story adobe has been restored to its original appearance. Misión la Exaltacion de la Santa Cruz was the 12th mission built in California. It was completed during the 1790s. Damaged by several earthquakes, it collapsed in 1857.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - Choose from heart-pounding rides like the Hurricane, Tsunami, Chaos, and Ghost Blasters. Or classic rides like the 1924 Giant Dipper roller coaster and 1911 Looff Carousel. Plus, there are great rides for kids of all ages -- over 30 rides in all! You can also explore exciting indoor attractions. Enter Sector 7 for wild laser tag action. Step into the Casino Fun Center for state-of-the-art video games, pinball and more. In Neptune's Kingdom, play pool, miniature golf and games. Cruise on over to the Boardwalk Bowl for a few games or to try Atomic Bowling. It's a blast!

Thunder Mountain Winery - Thunder Mountain wine is extraordinary, singing magic in a glass. It can make a simple meal into a feast, or light up a celebration. Our wine is appreciated by long time wine lovers who have watched the price of their favorite wines skyrocket into the clouds. We also love to share it with people who are relatively new to wine drinking or who have been disappointed by wine in the past. Is there really is a difference when you spring for a high-quality, small lot, carefully crafted wine made from truly premium grapes? To quote Sacramento magazine, "Oh, my, YES!"