Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Exploring Neary Lagoon with the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Jenny Rieke, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History's Education Manager, shows students one of Neary Lagoon's new interpretive signs. Museum photo.

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History has made bold strides towards accessibility and community connection through recent signage installations at Neary Lagoon.

Rare Santa Cruz Brittle Star Fossils Shine New Light on Local Paleontology

This rare and extinct Amphiura sanctaecrucis was discovered in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Credit: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.

Ancient “serpent star” fossils, Amphiura sanctaecrucis, not seen in the area since the early 1900s have been unearthed in the Santa Cruz Mountains and donated to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.

From Santa Cruz to the Stars

UC Santa Cruz’s James Lick Observatory, built atop Mt. Hamilton east of San Jose in 1888, was home to the world’s first mountain-top telescopes. Credit: Detroit Publishing Co. 1902 photochrome postcard.

UCSC astronomer ‘Dr. X’ talks about the stellar history of the Lick Observatory at SC Museum of Natural History lecture/cocktail-party.

A Monumental Morning at Cotoni-Coast Dairies

Ascending one of Cotoni's coastal marine terraces, next to the winding folds of a creek ravine. Photo by Mike Kahn.

A tour of the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument with the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Two Great Kid-Friendly Hikes In the Santa Cruz Mountains

Play Fall Creek Bingo under these majestic redwoods. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History photo.

Fun activities created by the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History help students engage with nature and learn about the remarkable resources in our backyard.

Museum of Natural History Explores Cotoni-Coast Dairies

The "Cotoni-Coast Dairies: Monumental Steps" exhibit runs June 7 - August 25, 2024, at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.

The original exhibit, “Cotoni-Coast Dairies: Monumental Steps,” looks at the soon-to-be-open National Monument on Santa Cruz County’s North Coast.

The Wildflowers of Seabright & the Garden Learning Center

California poppies and other wildflowers thrive on a patch of land that once was a lawn. Credit: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.

Felicia Van Stolk of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History explains how a California native-plant garden benefits wildlife in the neighborhood and beyond.

Fossil Sloth Bone Found in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the First of Its Kind Report in This County

Ice Age Sloth Skeletal Art, Credit: Mason Schratter. Courtesy of Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.

Local students find Jefferson’s ground sloth fossil in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the first fossil evidence for this species reported in county history.

Fossil-Hunting Fun in Santa Cruz

Wayne Thompson, paleontologist advisor for the Museum. Credit: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.

Traces and remains of ancient creatures—from whale-ribs to a famous mastodon tooth—frequently surface on Santa Cruz beaches and in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Life in the Intertidal Zone

Bat star in a tide pool. Credit: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Editor's note: The next king tide in the Santa Cruz area takes place on Friday, Feb. 9. Tide pool viewing will be extra-good from Wednesday through the weekend.

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