Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
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![Front profile of PG Musuem]()
About the Museum
History, culture & art come to life through our exhibits, programs, and community science.
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![A child making observations in nature]()
Become a Member
Your membership is not just a contribution; it's a catalyst for inspiring minds that can inspire thousands of people.
Upcoming Events
Visit Us
The Museum and Museum Store are located blocks from the beach and a few minutes drive from the Monterey Bay Aquarium in beautiful historic downtown Pacific Grove. Visit the Aquarium first, bring your ticket, and we’ll give you a $2.00 admissions discount.
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10:00 am - 4:00 pm, Wednesday - Sunday (CLOSED Monday & Tuesday)
The Museum is closed for the following holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.
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$12.00 for Adults
$8.00 for youth 4-18, students with school ID, seniors, and military
Admission is FREE for: 3 years and under, Museum Members, Monterey County residents, Monterey County school field trips, and visitors to only the Museum Store.
Bring your Monterey Bay Aquarium ticket within the last 48 hours of visiting and receive a $2 discount on admission.
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Self-guided tours are welcome to the Museum. If your group includes more than 10 people, please let us know ahead of time and we'll coordinate with any other large groups.
If your group would like a specialized experience, schedule your $30 docent-led tour in our Museum galleries by emailing: admin@pgmuseum.org.
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From Highway 1, North or South directions, take the Highway 68 West Exit. Stay in your right lane. This road turns into Forest Avenue. Follow Forest for 1 block past Lighthouse Avenue. The Museum is located at the corner of Forest and Central Avenues.
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Unlimited parking on two sides of Jewell Park, directly across the street from the front entrance of the Museum. Two-hour limit on Central Avenue and Grand Avenue. All day parking in parking lot on Forest Avenue on Saturday and Sunday only.
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Adult visitors with disabilities will receive complimentary admission upon request. One-to-one aides or attendants of guests with disabilities receive at half price ($4) of the Senior rate. This includes one family member or friend who is serving as an interpreter for deaf guests or as a guide for blind guests. Guests with foster youth may also receive free admission upon request.
Quiet Places:
You can find a quiet space in the Bird Room or Native Plant Garden. -
Food and drink is not permitted in the Museum. A water fountain is located in the garden patio.
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For the wellbeing of all our guests and to protect our collections, and in accordance with the ADA, the PGM only allows trained service animals on Museum property or animals being used as part of a Museum-sponsored program. A service animal is one that is trained to work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Household pets, therapy, or emotional-support animals (ESA) are not permitted.
Exhibitions Overview
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![Belted Kingfisher from PG Museum collection]()
The Amazing Adaptations of Birds
Monterey County is one of the top five places in North America for bird watching due to its diverse number of resident and migratory birds. The Museum's Birds of Monterey County exhibition features 291 bird species and 409 life mounted birds. Highlights include a California condor, and 117 Rollo Beck life-mounted birds.
Pictured Above: Belted Kingfisher from Museum Collection
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![Artist Don Wobber and the jade boulder Leucothea]()
Geology
Entering the Museum's Native Plant Garden you are greeted by a 2400 lb. Jade boulder hoisted from the bottom of the ocean in Big Sur by artist Don Wobber. Come see what else you can discover at the museum, including fossils, bones, and minerals.
Pictured Above: Artist Don Wobber and the jade boulder, Leucothea
Explore our Resources
Our education programs, designed to inspire the next generation of scientists and conservationists. Through hands-on field trips, outdoor learning, and community science projects, the Museum's education programming uses local species and stories to empower students through scientific skills and knowledge.
Audio Tours
We are thrilled to launch two audio tours, created by Museum volunteers, that you can follow along with on the izi.travel website or mobile application!
One tour takes listeners through the Pacific Grove section of the Coastal Recreation Trail, discussing the area’s diverse natural and cultural history. The other audio tour guides visitors through the Pacific Grove Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, enriching the interpretive signs situated along the trail. Listen to the whole tour, or select specific stops that interest you! Each tour also has written transcripts of the audio and related photographs.
We are honored to have received the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Inspire! Grant for the 2024/2025 fiscal year. Much of our upcoming interpretive work will be done with their support.
As a Blue Star Museum in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, active service members and their families get free admission every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
At the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, we offer a reduced admission of $3 to all non-Monterey County resident visitors with an EBT/SNAP as part of the Museum for All initiative. Monterey County residents receive free admission.
