Must See! Attractions

Page: 1 2

Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds

Events are held at various venues, which range from art exhibits and quilt shows to craft and trade fairs, concerts and reunions. A current event schedule can be found on its website.

Highway 152, Watsonville
831-724-5671, www.santacruzcountyfair.com

Santa Cruz Wharf

There are several restaurants, fish markets, shops, boat rentals, and other recreation activities. Other attractions include Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary exhibits, aquarium displays, views of the coast, and surf action at Steamer Lane. See the sea lions resting on the pier pilings. There are many weekend special events.

Beach St., Santa Cruz.
831-420-5270, www.santacruzwharf.com

Seymour Marine Discovery Center

Visit the University of California Santa Cruz's working marine laboratory. The Center features a family friendly exhibit hall, aquarium, touch tanks, and the world's largest whale skeleton. Guided tours at 1, 2, and 3 p.m. Visit the marine mammal research overlook and other points of interest. The Seymour Center and its Ocean Discovery Shop are open Tue.-Sat., 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., and Sun., noon-5p.m. Call for holiday schedule.

End of Delaware Ave., Santa Cruz.
831-459-3800, seymourcenter.ucsc.edu

University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC)

The campus sits high on the hillside overlooking the Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay. Each of its 10 colleges connects via a paved trail system that passes through various forests, riparian and coastal prairie landscapes. There's a 400-acre nature reserve with walks along its 1-mile trail. Many of the university's arts, lecture programs, and attractions welcome visitors. On campus parking is strictly regulated.

Campus main entrance: High and Bay Sts., Santa Cruz
Campus map of trail system and reserve links: maps.ucsc.edu/cdcommon.html

Watsonville Ocean Speedway

Speedway season, Mar.-Oct., has a fast pace schedule of races. Featured divisions include Late Models, American Stock, Super Stock, 4-Bangers, Wingless Sprints, Destruction Derby, Figure 8, 360 SCRA, BCRA Midges, Dwarf Cars, 410 Sprint Cars, Gene Romero's Flat Track Motorcycles and IMCA Modified.

Hwy.152 at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Watsonville
831-476-9466, www.oceanspeedway.com

West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz

One of the area's most scenic urban coastline routes. It has a 2-mile path along the bluff's edge, that connects Natural Bridges State Park and the Santa Cruz Wharf and Main Beach.

Wild Things

An exotic animal facility that provides professionally, and humanely trained, exotic and domestic birds, and animals for film, television, live productions, education programs and special events. Public tours are offered daily at 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. June-Aug. 44 miles south of Santa Cruz.

Vision Quest Ranch 400 River Rd., Salinas
800-228-7382, www.wildthingsinc.com

Page: 1 2

Special Interests

Look for these symbols throughout Visit for activities, sights & places that offer what you're looking for. Click on a symbol below to only show Must See places with that interest.