The Steinbeck Museum was a wonderful literary stop in Salinas. We also visited the Steinbeck House…read moredown the street, which made the experience feel more complete. As a tribute to Steinbeck and his connection to the area, the museum was thoughtful, engaging, and well worth the visit. I especially enjoyed the quirky gift shop, always a bonus when a museum shop has personality. The drive into Salinas was also unexpectedly lovely, with so many fields and vegetables growing. It gave the whole visit a strong sense of place and helped connect the landscape to Steinbeck's writing. A great stop for literature lovers, history fans, or anyone looking for something meaningful to do in the area.

While I can't remember the last time that I've read a book by John Steinbeck, I thoroughly enjoyed…read morevisiting the National Steinbeck Center. Unfortunately, reading his books wasn't part of my high school English curriculum; however, my interest in his works was rekindled by visiting this amazing facility! I spent at least a couple hours meandering through the exhibit, beginning with a short film telling the story of his life. It was fascinating to learn how John Steinbeck was both shaped by his hometown, and how much influence he had on the literary landscape during his lifetime. There is so much to look at and discover here! If you're a book nerd, whether a Steinbeck fan or novice like me, check this place out. Ticket prices are reasonable, and they offer discount for locals, veterans, and youth, or if you become a member. I can't wait to visit his childhood home next!

A well put together model train track with historically accurate towns, roads and building…read morestructures of the Monterey County train routes circa 1950s. Quite fun to see the attention to detail. The miniatures are so fun to look at. They have a caboose, engine, mail car and an ice freight car with a nice video of the packing practices of local produce over the years. We had a great time talking with Brenda, and then with her husband Mike, who has done much of the restorations and has worked to get the museum to be what it is today. We had a great time.

Been there many times now with our kids, who love the model train, wooden toy trains, while adults…read moreenjoy the history and culture that can be learned from all the dedicated enthusiasts and volunteers.

We had such a lovely time at the Steinbeck House Mother's Day Tea. The service was exceptional, and…read moreknowing that the staff are all volunteers made the experience even more special. Everyone was so warm, attentive, and welcoming. The food and tea were absolutely excellent -- beautifully prepared and delicious. And of course, the house itself is charming, with gorgeous table settings that made the afternoon feel elegant and memorable. Everything was done with such care and attention to detail. A wonderful way to celebrate Mother's Day!

My wife and I had an amazing lunch on Thursday for our anniversary. The food is always terrific and…read morechanges monthly. Our server told us about the free monthly tours which included all three floors of the house and one was this Saturday, today. The tour was great and there was so much information on John Steinbeck and the history of the Salinas area. Our tour guide was John and he did a terrific job and had so many personal stories that he added into the conversation. Probably from over 12 years experience and knowledge of Steinbeck. Highly recommend and chicken mushroom crepe is hard to beat. Thank you and we can't wait to be back!

Framed a high dollar poster of Monterey Bay for me in two days flat. Great work, price was right,…read moreand they included wall hangars and advice for hanging. Couldn't ask for better service. Highly recommend AAA+++ .

They did a great job re-framing a 70 year old family heirloom watercolor painting which included a…read morenew mat and backing. Mathew was the best at helping me decide what color mat to choose. The called me to come pick it up within a week. They have a great location, easy on and off Hwy 101 at John Street and Alisal.

Came here and saw Now You See Me, Now You Don't…read more I'm going to have to raise my eyebrows at the previous reviews. Maybe it's because I've never interacted with any of the employees during my visit. It's been years since I've stepped foot inside this cinema, like most new and grandiose multiplex. It's comfortable and even got to see my movie in DOLBY ATMOS! The visual and audio was more than enough for me. I didn't feel like I was at the ritz, I felt like I was at a movie theatre. More: I don't buy concessions when I go to the movies, so I don't know about "unforgivable" prices but to use more reserved vocabulary, this is how they make money to pay their employees, I should know I worked at a movie theatre before. Overall I had a great experience, buying tickets online was easy and pleasant. I enjoyed my movie - thank you for the hospitality!

I am all for supporting local businesses, so we chose Maya Cinemas in Salinas for a new movie and…read morewere disappointed from start to finish. First, the phone app disappeared. The kiosk to print online tickets was broken, which meant everyone had to wait in line at the concession stand just to get tickets. Then, since we had not visited in a while, we were not familiar with the layout anymore. Our movie was in Theater 1, but the numbering/signage was unclear. We saw Theater 2, but there was no visible number for Theater 1 nearby, leaving us second guessing whether we were in the right place. Once inside, the theater itself felt very worn down. The seats were so worn they looked dirty, and there were no food trays. I did like how far back the recliners went, but the farther you reclined, the more a barrier in front blocked the bottom portion of the screen. We also paid for the Dolby sound experience because my husband appreciates good audio quality, and he immediately noticed that not all of the surround speakers were being used, particularly the rear speakers. That noticeably took away from the movie experience. Overall, this theater feels neglected and run down. It is disappointing to see what was once a thriving theater decline so much. Unfortunately, we will not be back.

Brought five friends/clients to Salinas to visit the National Steinbeck Center. Pulled into the…read morelot across the street from the Center. Unfamiliar with the area, we searched for where to pay. Walked to far side of lot and bought ticket with help of a friendly Parking Control Officer. Walked back to other side of lot and saw another officer writing me a ticket. I RAN and explained we had just arrived and here was my paid ticket. She very kindly said she would tear the ticket up. (We could not have been there more than five minutes. Further, I'm not going to try to cheat in front of my clients!) I have now been sent a citation in the mail and wrote a letter of protest. It was returned with the reason: "No evidence to support reasonable doubt that the violation did not occur at time of violation." I paid the fine but will protest again. It's only $38 but it is also patently not a fair citation. The woman said she would destroy it! I particularly put the Steinbeck Center in the itinerary because I want to support this amazing museum which has been struggling economically. Does the City of Salinas care? Bite the hand that feeds......

This is a fantastic library with a considerate and professional staff who welcomes every member of…read morethe public. This is a public library - so naturally there is an appropriate educate one needs to follow when attending this facility. Other reviewers are critical of the staff and how they handle situations. I've had the pleasure to attend this library long enough to see situations handled both well, and others that could use improvement but overall I applaud the staff at the library for doing their very tough job. You all do a much better job than I would be able to. Thank you for your hard work for our community! My customer experience has been very good and I'll continue to visit this library on a regular basis. See you soon!

Went into the John Steinbeck Public Library because I saw a video of it online & since I went to…read morethe National Steinbeck Center had to check this out, they have a nice sculpture of Steinbeck out front. The video had Snappy the Turtle on there so I had to go see him. He's near the entrance on the Left. It's nice to see a live creature in a library. There's a New Books section, John Steinbeck collection, many computers, Teenage area even w/ video games to play. If I lived closer I'd use this library.