H I S T O RY History Museums & Historic Properties In addition to the properties open to visitors through Monterey State Historic Parks, Monterey County has several other museums and historic sites to explore. José Eusebio Boronda Adobe 333 Boronda Rd Salinas, CA 93901 (831) 757-8085 www.mchsmuseum.com
First Mayor’s House of Salinas City 20 Station Pl Salinas, CA 93901 (415) 381-6737 www.firstmayorshouse.org
Colton Hall Museum & Old Jail Pacific & Jefferson St Monterey, CA 93940 (831) 646-5648 www.monterey.org
Presidio of Monterey Museum Cpl. Ewing Rd Lower Presidio Historic Park Monterey, CA 93940 (831) 646-3456 www.monterey.org
Monterey County’s lighthouses are more than just beautiful structures; since the day these structures were built, the buildings have helped save the lives of men at sea.
The Steinbeck House
Monterey County Agriculture & Rural Life Museum at San Lorenzo Park
Custom House Plaza Monterey, CA 93940 (831) 649-7118 www.parks.ca.gov/mshp
Perhaps Monterey County’s most famous son is novelist John Steinbeck, author of Cannery Row and The Grapes of Wrath. Today, his birthplace in Salinas is open as a cozy informal restaurant; nearby, the National Steinbeck Center museum explores his life and works. Many other writers have spent time here, including Henry Miller (in Big Sur), poet Robinson Jeffers (in Carmel), and Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote “Treasure Island” and stayed in Monterey’s French Hotel. Pick up a copy of the “Scenes For Your Senses” literary and film map at the visitor center upon arrival to explore these sites and more or visit www.montereyinfo.org to preview a copy online. One Main St Salinas, CA 93901 (831) 775-4721 www.steinbeck.org
5 Custom House Plaza Monterey, CA 93940 (831) 372-2608 www.montereyhistory.org
Pacific House Museum
Lighthouses
National Steinbeck Center
Maritime Museum of Monterey
1160 Broadway King City, CA 93930 (831) 385-8020 www.mcarlm.org
Literary History
132 Central Ave Salinas, CA 93901 (831) 424-2735 www.steinbeckhouse.com
Robert Louis Stevenson House 530 Houston St Monterey, CA 93940 (831) 649-7118 www.parks.ca.gov/mshp
Robinson Jeffers Tor House
26304 Ocean View Ave (Between Stewart Way & Bay View Ave) Carmel, CA 93923 (831) 624-1813 www.torhouse.org
Henry Miller Library
Point Sur Lightstation Situated 361 feet atop a volcanic rock outcropping, this lightstation has been part of the Big Sur coast for 110 years. The lightstation itself is accessible via a one-mile hike that climbs 300 feet and ends with a 65-step staircase. Volunteers lead guided three-hour tours on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m. In the summer, tours also are available on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Finally, don’t miss the moonlight tours, held on selected evenings April through October. For more information, call 831-625-4419 or visit www.pointsur.org. Point Pinos Lighthouse Built in 1855, the lighthouse sits on the northernmost tip of the peninsula, a dangerous point of land for sailors who mistakenly believed they had reached the Monterey Bay. The building, Frensel lenses and prisms are all original, and the facility still works today, making it the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast. The structure recently was named to the National Register of Historic Places. Tours are available on Thursdays through Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, call 831-648-5716 or visit www.pgmuseum.org/lighthouse.htm.
Big Sur, CA 93920 (831) 667-2574 www.henrymiller.org
INSIDER TIP “Read Cannery Row – only about a 3 hour read, but my personal favorite Steinbeck novel. Then you can actually go there and be immersed in a sense of place.” - Brad Herzog, Local Author
Point Sur Lightstation in Big Sur Photo courtesy Levi DeKeyrel
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Call 1-877-MONTEREY for information