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Lighthouse Field State Beach's Santa Cruz Surfing Museum at Steamer Lane

Santa Cruz Surfing Museum in the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse is located at the famous Steamer Lane, a surfing destination for surf vacations. But there's also another interest for tourists. The Lighthouse Field State Beach located here is strikingly beautiful and offers not only opportunities to stroll, sunbathe and relax, but also watch butterflies and birds that include the Black Swift.  Sea lions populate the offshore rocks at Point Santa Cruz, which forms the northern boundary of Monterey Bay and is recognized as one of the few remaining open headlands in any California urban area. Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse at West Cliff Drive is home to Santa Cruz Surfing Museum and Lighthouse Field State Beach.

The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is in the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse at Lighthouse Point on West Cliff Drive. Overlooking internationally renowned surfing hotspot Steamer Lane, the museum has photographs, surfboards, and other interesting items tracing over 100 years of surfing history in Santa Cruz. Each Christmas tourists and local residents gather for  "Caroling Under the Stars."
 

Inside the museum guests can enjoy displays of surf boards and memorabilia ranging from redwood "planks" to modern high-tech designs and shapes, wetsuits, photographs, videos and a gift shop with books, T-shirts, sweatshirts, posters, and more.

Steamer Lane is one of the most famous surfing spots in California. Filled with love and lore, one tale of how Steamer's got its name was that 1920's steam ships used the waves breaking out over the third reef as a guide to turn into Santa Cruz. Or possibly surfers watching a storm surge break on the outer reef joked that the wave was so far out, it was in the Steamer Lane. It's waves are often large and not recommended for novice surfers.

What a surprise and delight for the Surfing Museum to see Paris Hilton's photo on the cover of top fashion magazine, Elle, and on her chest Paris wears the Santa Cruz Surfing Club t-shirt.

Surfing came to Santa Cruz in the 1930s and has continued to grow ever since. Located in the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse at Lighthouse Point on West Cliff Drive, the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum opened its doors in June 1986 as the first surfing museum in the world.

Santa Cruz Surfing Museum & Steamer Lane Surfing
701 West Cliff Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-420-6289

Administration located at:
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
1305 East Cliff Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
831-420-6119
831-420-6451 fax
santacruzsurfingmuseum.org