Monterey Maritime and History Museum, Maritime heritage museum in Custom House Plaza, Monterey, US.
Monterey Maritime and History Museum occupies Custom House Plaza and houses thousands of objects documenting the region's fishing and harbor activities. The displays include textiles, photographs, and written records that reveal how people lived and worked along the coast.
The museum began in 1971 as the Allen Knight Maritime Museum and relocated to its current location in 1992. The move allowed the institution to expand and present a more complete story of the region's connection to the sea.
The museum reflects how fishermen, merchants, and indigenous peoples shaped the bay's role in daily life. Visitors see how these communities built the harbor and later transformed it into a sardine fishing center.
The museum sits in the downtown area and is easy to reach on foot, with parking available nearby. Plan to spend at least two hours to see the main exhibits and gain a good sense of the collections.
The building features more than 580 glass prisms from the Point Sur Light Station's original lens, which catch and reflect light throughout the galleries. These actual lighthouse optics create an unexpected shimmer as visitors move through the exhibition rooms.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
