Attractions in Monterey

Cannery Row
765 Wave St.
Monterey CA
831-649-6690
When Monterey's sardine industry was at its peak, John Steinbeck made this mile-long street famous with his novel Cannery Row. Today, it is a tourist attraction, with souvenir shops, theme restaurants and coffee shops. The building at 800 Cannery Row belonged to Ed "Doc" Ricketts, a close friend of the author and a central character in the novel. It is open now only on special occasions. Directly across the street, next to Mackerel Jacks, is Steinbeck's actual neighborhood, now commemorated by plaques explaining the highlights and significance of the buildings.

Fisherman's Wharf
Once a dock for sardine fishermen and their nets, Fisherman's Wharf is now the center of activity for whale watching and other cruises. It is a popular spot for walking the waterfront, shopping, and dining. Sea kayaks, bicycles, surfboards and even authentic reproductions of Ford's Model A Roadster are for rent.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
299 Foam St.
Monterey, Monterey Peninsula.
831-647-4201.
The largest marine sanctuary in the U.S., it extends along the coast from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco south to San Simeon. The coastal area abounds with a variety of invertebrates, fish and seabirds (including several on the endangered species list, such as the American peregrine falcon and the short-tailed albatross.)
Monterey Bay Aquarium guides offer an underwater introduction.

Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row
Monterey CA 93940
831-648-4888
From rocky tide pools to the open sea, the permanent exhibits at the renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey's top attraction, showcase the staggering abundance of marine life in Monterey Bay, the largest national marine sanctuary in the country and home to the submerged Monterey Canyon, an underwater canyon twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. Sea otters, jellyfish and a million-gallon indoor ocean showcase the mysteries of Monterey Bay with a three-story kelp forest, tide pools, penguins and many fascinating open sea creatures.

Monterey Museum of Art (Civic Center)
559 Pacific St., Monterey CA 93940
831-372-5477
A small town museum with a cosmopolitan and educational edge, the Monterey Museum of Art has two locations. The Civic Center Museum includes a variety of local and Californian artists in a variety of mediums. Most notable are the Monterey Museum of Art's significant collections of works by Ansel Adams, Armin Hansen, William Ritschel and Edward Weston.

Monterey Museum of Art (La Mirada)
720 Via Morada , Monterey CA 93940
831-372-3689
A smaller, more intimate Monterey museum, the Monterey Museum of Art La Mirada is located in the Monterey's oldest neighborhood, in once was once an adobe house and was later an elaborate home for entertaining celebrities. Gardens, unique furnishings and a historical feel, as well as the Monterey Museum of Art's Asian Collection.

The Presidio of Monterey Museum
Lower Presidio Historic Park
Corporal Ewing Road
Monterey, CA
831-636-3456
The museum traces the history of this site from the time of the Native American settlements through its military history beginning with the mission and presidio established by Spanish missionary Junipero Serra and Captain Gaspar de Portola. Exhibits include the Spanish and Mexican periods and the facility's development as a cavalry post.

Monterey State Historical Park
20 Custom House Plaza
Monterey CA 93940
831-649-7118
A cluster of historic Monterey buildings and manicured gardens near Old Monterey. The Monterey State Historical Park brings the varied history of the area to life with guided walking tours of some of California's oldest buildings, including the adobe Custom House, built in the 1840s, an old whaling station and the Pacific House, a Monterey museum exploring Monterey's history as a Native American village, and the capital of Mexico's Alta California.

Stevenson House and Garden
530 Houston Street
Monterey, CA
Author Robert Louis Stevenson spent time in residency here (it was then known as "The French Hotel"), writing Vendetta of the West and outlining Prince Otto and Amateur Emigrant. An early Mexican garden is on the grounds.