Amazing place, but swimming is most likely for good swimmers high changing tide and currents make it risky. Otherwise the dogs beach is heaven !

Small museum, worth visiting after you watch the surfers outside.

Super interesting placeVery small, inside the lighthouse.A little shop inside with interesting stuff

Small but free little museum on the edge of the cliff. Got some nice surfing spots around.

Beautiful view! Nice place to see surfers. Wheelchair accessible.

Cool little place to check out while touring the coast.

A mini surfing museum inside of a lighthouse but always better to go out and watch the real surfers

Gnarly and totally bitchin surfing museum! I learned a lot about the history.of surfing and saw a bunch of really cool vintage surfboards. Wow...these old boards were heavy! Great location at the lighthouse with great views. Definitely worth checking out to round out a complete Santa Cruz experience.

Cannot say anything. It was closed))). But views are incredible, especially sunset

Nice little museum next to the shore. A history of surfing culture in USA.

Cool spot to check out museum and also see surfers right at the cliff

The museum is inside Santa Cruz Lighthouse; a sturdy little Lighthouse and local icon, not far from the surfers statue in tribute to all who ride the waves and in memorial to those who rode their last one. Its a small but very worthy museum, including the samples of the boards they carved out of redwood (can you imagine) ridden by the three Hawaiian Princes who surfed in Santa Cruz, bringing their royal sport to the mainland for the first time. Lots of local heros portrayed here from big wave rider Jay Moriarty to wet-suit legend Jack ONeil. Stand outside and watch for pelicans and whales too.

Beautiful place with a beautiful sea view

One of the best tourist spots in Santa Cruz, even if youre not a fan of surfing. if you fear dogs you may want to avoid this spot, as many locals and tourists bring their pets nearby to a dog friendly beach. but if cool grass, amazing views, historical lighthouses, and cute puppers are your thing stop by. parking is free but closes at dusk, so dont park and walk away too long at the end of the day, less you get locked inside.

Teeny tiny museum with cool Santa Cruz surfing history displays including a video narrative. Some nice surf trinkets and T-shirt’s for sale. Nice Hawaiian story on a historical stone marker outside the front door telling how they brought surfing to Santa Cruz. Setting couldn’t be any better...

Not an ancient lighthouse, only from the 1960s, but it is an icon to surfers, whose sport was catapulted into American culture right around the same time. A must-see for visitors and locals alike.

Quaint little place packed with a lot of history. Friendly staff.

Really cool museum if your into surfing and you cant beat the location.

Awesome depiction of surfing history of US. I loved the display of shark bitten surfboard. Nice place to visit for non surfers as well

A great place to start your day in Santa Cruz, I parked there and walked down through board walk and back had great day.

Pretty cool to learn about some very key local history of Santa Cruz

Great little stop to learn about surfing history.

One of the best place in Santa Cruz!Amazing views

I really enjoyed the two times Ive walked through. Its the perfect size and the prices on merchandise are actually quite reasonable for the area. (Public bathrooms are just down the road and across the street but the busy roads mean it can be a five minute walk from the museum, so plan accordingly.)

The view is stunning. Love watching the sufers.Beware of the Dog beach on the north side of the museum. We were viciously attacked by a very large pit bull with an obstanant owner..

Best spot during winter months in Santa Cruz

Interesting, but very small. Parking is a problem at times, but spectacular view of great surf and Natural Bridges State Park.

Very informational museum and right outside are the surfers.

We saw surfers in the ocean. The surfers are good.

So worth the price of admission, stop in if you are in the area

Tiny. Not mutch room to maneuver if there are other people in there.

It is beautiful!

An old lighthouse is what this museum calls home. Its a nice little stop if you want to see some sights in Santa Cruz and the area its located has a nice view of the ocean. Can get a bit crowded sometimes (I believe the have a limit of people that can be in at once to remedy this) and crowding can be a pain if its a busy day. That said Id definitely go again to see some of the cool stuff they had.

Its a great place to visit

This place looks so beautiful under a moon lit sky.

Great spot to learn about the history of surfing and see surfing in action.

A lot of information packed into a tiny little place. A must see for vacationers. You spend any where from 5 to 45 minutes in there, depending on how into surfing you are.

Its free. Automatic 5 stars. However, it was a fun experience. Glad we stopped in.

Its a free museum right there across from the ocean. Theres a beautiful large patch of grass to chill on & watch the waves. Bring the kids!

Small,but densely packed with items...nice staff.

Excellent view.

My wife and I vacationed to the area in June. We stayed in Santa Cruz one night and wee able to catch the surfers in the evening. This was such a big highlight for our vacation that we came back to kill an hour before we headed to catch our plane back home. Beautiful area with fantastic views.

Small museum dedicated to all things surf. Museum Hours are limited and specific so research before visiting. However, everyday you can park and visit the site even if not entering the museum

Great place packed with a wealth of memorabilia! Afterwards, go out and watch the pros in the water of the cliffs!

Okay, so this is a must-see museum. And here you will get a flavor of one of the two cities claiming to be Surf City. Huntington Beach and Santa Cruz have both vied for this title. HB has its status at the foot its pier facing PCH. Santa Cruz has its attitude.

Very cool

You can get wet here: be careful if you are a witch.

It was fun watching the surfers. The lighthouse is definitely different than all the rest weve seen. However, it is beautiful.The view is fabulous as well.

Cool little lighthouse surf museum at the edge of the park. Fun facts bout surfin history. Great view from the beach.

Cute, little museum located right above a great surf spot (Steamers Lane) and by a wonderful seaside walking path/sidewalk.

Well the museum is a very small the history behind surfing is so important and this is where it all started it just takes you and lets you really appreciate the nature of the sport

Great place to go to if you are in Santa Cruz. Has surfboards from the beginning on the 20th century. Really nice spot, plus its free.

It was nice to see that Hawaii was prominently mentioned here.

Beautiful area

An interesting history of surfing located within the lighthouse makes this quaint little museum well worth visiting.

Small space were you can definitely learn curious facts about how surfing became a sport in the US and how it evolved. Very well maintained.

I have been there, but not since 1979, 1976.First time was with my friend in his 1968 OldsCutlass, they must have gotten over their thing against big block engines in mid sized cars because his had a 455 in it! We continued on to Roseburg, OR. I will finish this later.

It was okay. Cool things to learn about and everything, but the building is small and not much in there.

Well this is a local spot and good spot to go for many things. Fun in the sun, surf watching, photographing and moreBabe Watching, or if your a woman, then Stud watching(maybe see ME???)

This is a wonderful place to learn the history of the Founding fathers of the Santa Cruz surf club-1936 til present. It has a beautiful view of the ocean, and very cool memorabilia from every decade since it was founded. Also, pays tribute to the club members that have passed away. If you look at the benches surrounding the light house, you will notice they have memorials carved into them. Dont forget to pick up your t-shirt souvenir or post cards. This is a great place for children, teens and adults. I try to go as often as possible, my uncle Alexander PINKY Pedemonte is one of the founding fathers, you can spot him in many pictures and on the t-shirts with all the surfers! ;) Check on the hours of operation before you go. Hope you enjoy it.

Best part is that its perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking rocks and sea. Check out the old surfboards signed by Mavericks surfers!

Just on the cliff road so great view from up there and the museum had some cool pics of surfers.

Suf point

The perfect spot to watch the waves crushing in, and surfers, riding it. Santa Cruz at its best!

Freemont Peak

The most important history of California

Nice stop in Santa Cruz, small parking lot, but great views incredible sun sets

Was closed when I arrived, but several local surfers were out surfing and my kids loved watching them ride a wave in then run out and jump off a small cliff and do it again

Very Kool.

Its a small museum but its get a lot of good vintage stuff to see

A must visit for surfers. small but interesting

Fun free little surf museum that shares the history of surfing in the Santa Cruz area.

Beautiful place ..

Perfect place for surf beginners!

Small museum, but full of cool surfing history.

Santa Cruz=GODS GIFT

Cool museum

Super

Hawaii rules.

Excellent

Rip!

Not much for the historically

Beautiful place!

Small but informative

Big waves off the coast here...

Cool memorabilia

Nice

Interesting information about surf life

Positive! historical..

Great view of the bay

Great location and very interesting museum

Good place to see, and to take the kids

Keep it going is Santa Cruz heritage