The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History is available for group visits at no cost to Monterey County schools. Visits can consist of either a self-guided walk-through, or a talk from one of the Museum staff on a specific topic, or a combination of both.
LOCATION: The Museum is located in downtown Pacific Grove, at the intersection of Forest and Central Avenues.
HOURS: The Museum is open from 10-5 daily except Mondays.
FEE: The Museum is free to the public. The only fee that might apply to a group visit is for classes from outside Monterey County wishing to receive a talk from the Museum staff, in which case the cost is 50 cents per student.
GROUP VISITS: School groups must have a reservation to visit the Museum, even for just a walk-through. Up to 60 students from a school can tour the Museum at one time. If the group has requested a talk by one of the Museum staff, groups of more than 30 students will be split up and alternated between listening to a talk and touring the Museum.
TOPICS: The Museum staff is available to give talks on a wide range of natural history subjects, including, but not limited to, the following: whales & other marine mammals; birds; butterflies (emphasis on Monarchs); mammals; insects; local Native Americans; and geology & paleontology. Please call the Museum for information about the availability of other topics.
RESERVATIONS: To make a reservation for a group visit, call the Museum at 648-5716. Please have the following information available: name of school or group; name and phone number of a contact person; number and age level of students; preferred date and time of visit; desired topic of talk.
PARKING: 90-minute limit on Forest Avenue; two-hour limit on Central Avenue and on Grand Avenue (one-way going south – recommended for school buses). Unlimited parking on three sides of Jewell Park, directly across the street from the front entrance of the Museum.
FACILITIES: The Museum building and restrooms are handicapped accessible, with a wheelchair ramp and handicapped parking located at the front of the Museum on Central Avenue. An on-site wheelchair is also available. No food or drinks are allowed in the Museum, but Jewell Park is located directly across the street, and the picnic areas at Lovers Point are only a 3-5 minute walk from the Museum.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE: Please be on time! There may be a group scheduled after yours, and we want you to have enough time to explore the Museum. The entrance to the Museum is on Central Avenue to the left of the life-size whale sculpture. If your group arrives early, please send someone into the Museum to check with us. Usually your group can spend time exploring the Museum until your program time, but if there are other groups ahead of you, it is better to remain outside. Feel free to allow your students to climb on "Sandy" the Gray Whale while you wait.
DURING YOUR VISIT: Supervision is the responsibility of teachers, parents, and other group leaders. Feel free to touch objects which are not protected in exhibit cases. The elevator is for freight and handicapped/elderly use; it is not a toy. The Museum Gift Shop is available for student purchases, at your discretion. Please set limits on spending or prohibitions on shopping before your arrival at the Museum. We only have a limited number of Gift Shop volunteers to handle purchases, so please allow only a few supervised students at a time to shop.
AFTER YOUR VISIT: There are many other interesting places to visit in the vicinity of the Museum. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is nearby, as well as the many historic buildings of Old Monterey. During the fall and winter, the Monarch Butterflies roost in the various butterfly groves in Pacific Grove. Asilomar State Beach has a dune preservation program, and there are many good spots along the coastline for beach or tidepooling excursions. The Point Pinos Lighthouse is also available for school group tours – please call the Museum for reservations.
CANCELLATIONS: Please let us know as soon as possible so that we can make room for other group reservations.
We look forward to seeing you at the Museum!