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Museums

Monterey County offers a museum dedicated to nearly every aspect of its rich history — agriculture, natural history, maritime, art, native inhabitants and more. Want to teach the kids about how a family farm operated in the 1800s? Head to the Agricultural and Rural Life Museum. What about the Dust Bowl years? The National Steinbeck Center has an interactive exhibit that explores the Grapes of Wrath and the journey of poverty-stricken families to California’s Central Valley during the Great Depression. Ever heard of a Fresnel lens? Monterey’s Maritime Museum has the original Fresnel lens that once illuminated the Point Sur Lightstation, guiding ships to safety through treacherous seas.

Dubbed the “best small town museum in the United States”, the Monterey Museum of Art is home to works by famed artists Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso and fêted photographer Ansel Adams. The museum at the Carmel Mission Basilica gives the visitor a glimpse into California mission life with displays of church vestments and other artifacts from the past. MY Museum (Monterey County Youth Museum) features exhibits that awaken the creativity and sense of discovery in adults and children. Located 30 miles south of Carmel, the Henry Miller Library showcases the books and artwork of Henry Miller and other artists. Located in a small redwood grove, the library also hosts various music, art and literary events. At the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, visitors are greeted at the entrance by “Sandy,” a life-size sculpture of an adult female gray whale. Inside the museum are permanent exhibits that display local plants, animals, geology, and native human populations, as well as a temporary exhibit that changes every few months.

 
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