Monterey State Historic Park, Historic state park in Monterey, United States
Monterey State Historic Park contains about 17 buildings that span from Spanish colonial times through the 1900s, each showing different architectural styles. The structures were built and used during separate periods in California's early history and represent how the region developed under different rulers.
This site grew during Spanish colonial rule and was later expanded under Mexican and American control, each period leaving its own buildings and uses. The oldest structures date to the 1820s and show how the region shifted from one government to the next.
The buildings here show how Spanish, Mexican, and American settlers left their mark through different construction styles and ways of living. Walking through each structure, you can see how daily life and work changed over more than a century.
The park is open year-round with guided tours available through the different buildings. Wear comfortable shoes since you walk between the structures on foot, and some paths are uneven.
The Old Whaling Station was built as a private home in 1847 and only became the headquarters and employee housing for the Old Monterey Whaling Company in 1855. Its front walkway is made of whale vertebrae, one of several buildings in the area that feature whalebone.
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