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Explore the nature of Santa Cruz — wherever you are! Connect with local experts and join your community in deepening understanding about nature, science, and stewardship online and in-person. Stay updated about upcoming events by signing up for our newsletter.

Upcoming Events

  • 12/6 A Family Fun First Friday: Dino December!
    Bring your whole family for a T-REXcellent night at the Museum! From dinosaur-themed arts and crafts to fossil displays and interactives, audiences of all ages are in for a DINOmite evening! In addition to the hands-on festivities, local children’s book author … Read more
  • 12/7 Scientific Illustration & Observation in Sculpture
    Love nature, science, and art but don’t know where to start? Here is your opportunity to master a new skill and bring home your own environmentally-inspired masterpiece after just one class.   … Read more
  • 12/7 & 12/8 Museum Store Holiday Sale
    Shop local this holiday season and find unique gifts for natural history fans of all ages. The Museum Store carries a variety of educational and fun gifts, including one-of-a-kind items from … Read more
  • [FULL] 12/8 Horticulture Workshop: Create a Living Holiday Wreath
    Let’s get festive with native flowers, succulents, and air plants!  Deck the halls and get into the holiday spirit by crafting a living botanical wreath. This course will satisfy both plant and … Read more
  • 12/13 Winter Special: Sea Glass Art
    As part of this special seasonal offering, discover the beauty of beachcombing as you create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece from shoreline treasures. Using local and sustainability sourced resources, participants will learn the … Read more
  • 12/14 Local Artists Market
    Join over 20 local Santa Cruz artists as they showcase their craftsmanship! We will be featuring a wide array of goods, ranging from paintings and photography to jewelry, decor, and embroidery. … Read more
  • 12/15 Intro to Plein Air Painting – Beachscapes
    Go outside and learn to paint gouache and watercolor landscapes while surrounded by nature as inspiration. This open-air art workshop will teach the techniques necessary to capture environmental perspectives through the … Read more
  • 12/21 Saturdays in the Soil
    We are coming together as a community to steward Tyrrell Park through the City’s Adopt-A-Park program. At the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, you gain new wisdom about local ecology, … Read more
  • 1/10-12 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair
    This January, the Museum will once again partner with the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz to transform the London Nelson Community Center into a mycology paradise. Stroll through a re-created woodland … Read more
  • 1/25 Laura Hecox Day
    Join the Museum for the annual Laura Hecox Day open house, celebrating the pioneering lighthouse keeper, naturalist, and Museum founder. Born in 1854 and raised in the original Santa Cruz lighthouse, … Read more

Registration Policies
Want to know more about our events or share your suggestions about potential topics? Email us at events@santacruzmuseum.org.


Upcoming Nature Club Events

Nature Club takes young explorers (6th-8th grade) into local habitats to learn about the amazing living world around us while making discoveries along the way. Learn more.

  • 2024-25 Fall/Winter Nature Club
    Nature Club takes young explorers (6th-8th grade) into local habitats to learn about the amazing living world around us while making discoveries along the way. Across four excursions, youth will learn … Read more

Watch previous lectures, tutorials, and more.


Public Programs at the Museum offer dynamic and inclusive places for learning, dialogue, study, and exploration. Through community outreach, virtual presentations, small-group gatherings in nature, large community events, and stewardship and volunteer opportunities, the Museum builds community around a shared curiosity for and appreciation of the natural environment. Programs help communicate how science impacts our daily lives by connecting local experts with community members, including academics, artists, non-profit organizations, and tribal members.