santa cruz surfing museum

The museum is located inside Abbot Lighthouse on West Cliff Drive. It's one room filled to the brim with local surfing memories. Old photos, surfboards, wetsuits and other items of interest. Really a great place to stop and see. Plus it's free.

located at Steamer Lane...home to some amazing local surf lore. They change sections each season. Watch the surf just outside the front door!

This is a great little stop during your walk on West Cliff. Interesting facts and history of surfing in the area.

This is a unique little place on West Cliff Drive that celebrates the history of surfing and pays tribute to a young man named Mark Abbot who lost his young life in a tragic surfing accident.Surfers will love this humble red-bricked place. The history of the sport is told sparingly through photos and text, and is divided up into decades. It begins with the Hawaiian influence in the 1700s and moves forward into the present day. You will see some old surf boards and some surfing videos (which are played silently inside a lucite case) before you come to the Mark Abbot memorial.The memorial is in a small room closed off by a locked iron gate. You can peer through the gate to view a pile of gray stones with a small bronze sculpture on top of them. The sculpture was a favorite of Mark's. His ashes are interred beneath the stones. A sad story, but a sweet tribute to a young man who lost his life while pursuing his favorite sport.The small museum has a cash wrap area that sells candy, snacks, keychains, tee shirts, books, hats and surfing postcards. I thought the museum was well-organized. There's a free will donation. You can buy a special Santa Cruz Surfing Museum sticker for five dollars.The wonderful views of the ocean are worth the trip. This area is called Steamer Lane, a famous area for surfing. You can stand at the cliff (fenced in for safety) and watch the braver-than-average surfers take on the waves of the Pacific.

I grew up in Santa Cruz and learned so much! I just love the surging history. I live out of state now and brought 9 yr old daughter there for a visit and she loved the museum. Unfortunately, major paring issues, we almost didn't get to see this great place. Get there first thing in the morning and stay put. It's sad that after all these years the parking drama continues! But it might just be worth it once your in the museum.

A small quaint shop that houses photos and boards from the Hawaiian beginnings in Santa Cruz. Very small and the line winds around the exhibit quickly. Take the time to read and see the photos displayed. No fee...just donations to keep it going.

The parking area is small though the views are stunning. Great beach for your dogs to run as well. The museum is tiny but is very interesting.

I'm not a surfer but this museum was a good way to look into the history of surfing in the area of Santa Cruz. It's only one small room but it's got so,e great tales of the place and is located in a beautiful place.

Small and funky lil surf museum at light house with killer views of Steamer Lane. It seems kinda self-indulgent... But hey, it's a surf museum!If you surf, go somewhere else---smile! I visit several times a year for a surf getaway. Stay outa the way and respect.Parking can be a challenge. Make sure you pay attention to the signs.

Free museum covers the Santa Cruz surfing scene and history. Located in an old lighthouse on the famous West Cliff Drive. It took us 5 minutes to see the whole thing, it was interesting, but since we were not surfers, it was not really for us. The guy behind the counter was busy talking about waves to another kid so we could not buy the trinket my son wanted, but there are plenty of places to buy trinkets in Santa Cruz so we went on our way. The following Sunday night we were back in the parking lot watching the sun go down and were treated to a group of Fire Dancers who I was told were there each week after dark doing there thing...that was fun!

Don't let the size fool you. This is a great little museum dedicated to the surfer. Then step outside and watch the surfers. What could be better! Cool t-shirts too!

This is a very small but fun surfer museum. Santa Cruz and Huntington Beach are the two cities in California that compete for the number 1 position as the "Surfing City" for California. The museum is by a popular surfing area of Santa Cruz.

This is Mecca for surfers and those who love to watch. It is filled with the historical items that became surfing: original wetsuits, wooden longboards, great old photos. The location is a surfingshow like no other.

Small but interseting little museum with great pictures and artifacts from the past. Bought souvenir t-shirt there and they are good quality.

Stopped by during our PCH trip. Great place to learn the history of surfing and get a feel for Santa Cruz in the 20s to 60s. Lots of reading and no hands on exhibits so the little ones might not like it.