I visited this museum, in December of 2025. And it is almost Valentine's Day, 2026 so I am late to…read morerecord my experience, I understand that. But I rather take down the Christmas on Super Bowl weekend than wait to take the lights down near the 4th of July.
I went to this place on my first trip to Santa Cruz. And I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this place, and its focus on Santa Cruz Culture. Thorough out my life, I have heard that Santa Cruz is known for crystals, and forest green. But on my trip here, I learned that Santa Cruz is also famous for surfer culture, As some of the pictures, demonstrate surf boards, like cups, hair styles, and volcanoes, come in a variety of lengths, shapes, colors and purpose. I also learned that surfing has its origins from Hawaii, and even though I did not know that, it totally makes sense. I will never be on a surf board, catching a big wave, while the breeze hits my face, and pelicans fly above, but by visiting this museum I learned the historical value of the surf movement that waved hello, initially, in Santa Cruz by way of Hawaii.
My favorite room was that one that reflected the beach and ocean vibe of Santa Cruz in place. The room was colored in a deep blue that did not resemble clear waters, more like the deep blue that is found when the ocean seems to be infinite. I am not sure the exact shade of blue that the room was painted in, but I will call it calming serenity blue, which is a close cousin to royal blue. If popcorn yellow and burnt cocoa brown are colors than mine can be colored too, I do not need Crayola level authority to christen colors.
The pictures in the room continued my trance into serenity. The paintings showed these peaceful seascapes, where sky and sea became partners in a waltz, not interwoven as one, but paired into slow movement that induces stillness upon the viewer. Other pictures showed a calm beach, where the shore water had white froth as it met the sand. In the background, there was a rock formation and behind the rock formation was a tranquil sky brighten by subtle hues of a descending sun. Even as I reviewed the pictures for this yelp, I found the paintings to be, in a phrase: rest in ocean and pastel candy colored strokes. The room also had a speaker that played the sounds of the ocean, quietly about a chair. I allowed myself to transport myself to a beach shore, to experience the colors of the sea breeze.
The museum also tried to educate others on its place in USA farm produce history. One of the pictures discusses the migration pattern by stating, "Today Mexican men, women and children cross the border voluntarily- but at great risk of violence and rape." This is just my opinion, but this sentence, is too broad yet to specific at the same time to accurately paint a picture of the migration experience of many Mexicans and by extension other people who seek to come to America to fulfill their version of the American dream. The way it is written, again from my interpretation, implies that the choice to come to America is one that is a "voluntary" decision like skipping or going to the gym, or using a credit card for a jacket when it does not fit your means. Meaning, that the word voluntary may ignore the vast conditions that push others to migrate, other than personal choice. But this is just one Yelper's opinion, if that makes sense.
In another, poster, which I clipped, explains how Santa Cruz goes alternative. The poster explains that "Santa Cruz became a cauldron of cultural experimentation, neighborhood activism, intellectual exploration and environmental protection in the 1960s and 1970s." I think that the word cauldron here is not the right choice because a cauldron most often then not, holds a witches brew. And, most witches brews that are mixed in a cauldron, are meant to produce a potion that results in some type of calamity or curse. I know I may be nitpicking, but if a museum is going to report history, they should be prepared for a response, as history should be reported with objective caution, not editorial perspective. A better word, again in my opinion, would be site, like Santa Cruz became a site of.... this gives objective reporting, as a posed to imagery that a word like cauldron produces. I think, and thus I write.
Angela Davis, said, according to a poster, I also clipped, " I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change, I am changing the things I cannot accept."
I also really enjoyed playing with Christmas train models for about 10 to 15 minutes. I was not transported into the Polar Express, but, it was fun to turn on cabooses and view their speed and stops through the tracks. It was a zen kind of moment.
The museum also had a sculpture garden and a picture of a man in front of a giant redwood that made me want to find a giant tree and walk inside its tunnel. I guess, what I am trying to say is that this museum has a lot to see and ponder about. I was stirred, and calmed, by it.
