Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is located inside the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse and displays surfboards, photographs, and equipment showing how the sport evolved in Northern California. The collections inside trace changes from early wooden boards through foam models to the short boards that became standard by the 1970s.

Three Hawaiian princes introduced the sport to the area in 1885 by riding waves on wooden boards in the San Lorenzo River. The region became a center for modern surfing through the 20th century, shaping how the sport developed along the California coast.

The museum documents how surfing became woven into the local identity and how the community here relates to this sport through the displayed boards and stories that span generations.

The lighthouse is accessible from ground level and offers views of the shoreline and breaking waves below. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes since the stairs are steep and the top platform can be windy.

The Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse functions as both an active navigation light for ships and as a museum building at the same time. It holds the distinction of being the first dedicated surfing museum built anywhere in the world.

Location: California

Inception: 1986

Operator: http://www.santacruzsurfingmuseum.org/

Opening Hours: Monday, Thursday-Sunday 12:00-16:00

Website: http://santacruzsurfingmuseum.org

GPS coordinates: 36.95146,-122.02671

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:47