Monterey State Historic Park

UPDATE (Sept 17, 2020) - Thank you for your patience and continued support of California State Parks as we work to limit your risk for exposure to COVID-19 in the outdoors. Monterey State Historic Park is open for active recreation. Some walking trails are open, and parking is available in the City of Monterey parking lots or on public streets. Social distancing protocols of maintaining a 6-ft distance and wearing masks is required.

As a reminder, Californians are encouraged to avoid road trips and stay close to home, maintain physical distancing, wear a face covering when a physical distance of six feet from others who are not from the immediate household members cannot be maintained, and avoid congregating. Everyone has the responsibility to slow down the spread of COVID-19.

Park phone contact: (831) 649-2907

Here are some guidelines for people visiting Monterey State Historic Park:

What is open now?
  • Downtown walking trails are open, and parking is available to vehicles on a limited basis.
  • State Park Gardens are open daily.
  • Visitor services are limited to self-guided walks and mobile phone tours.

What is currently closed at this park and throughout the State Park System?
At this park:
  • House Museums are closed, and guided tours are cancelled.
  • There is no campground at Monterey State Historic Park.

Are there any new visitor guidelines?
Yes, please see below:
  • Stay Safer at 6 Feet: Maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or more. Gatherings, picnics and parties are not allowed. Visitors will be asked to leave if there are too many people at the park to allow for the required physical distance.
  • Stay Clean: Be prepared. Bring soap/sanitizer and pack out all trash. Restrooms will be temporarily closed in order to keep up with cleaning schedules.
  • Stay Covered: The state now requires you to wear a face covering in most indoor settings and public outdoor spaces when you cannot maintain physical distancing of six feet or more from people outside of your immediate household. For details, please visit CDPH’s guidance here. Visitors should also abide by their local county health orders.

Statewide, California State Parks continues to work with locals on a phased and regionally-driven approach to increase access to state park units where compliance with state and local public health ordinances can be achieved. Even though the department has increased access across the State Park System, the need for Californians to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the outdoors remains critical.

For information on statewide current closures and available services, please visit parks.ca.gov/FlattenTheCurve.

Phone Number

(831) 649-2907

Park Hours

Museums- Closed Until Further Notice 

Gardens- Open Daily 

Dogs Allowed?

Yes
Dogs not allowed inside park buildings.

Driving Directions to Monterey SHP

Monterey State Historic Park consists of over 10 historic structures and places within a half mile of the Custom House Plaza, in downtown Monterey, near Fisherman’s Wharf.
From San Francisco, Sacramento and points north: take the Pacific Grove/Del Monte Avenue exit off of southbound Highway 1. There are two other Del Monte exits prior to this one that are incorrect. Follow Del Monte for approximately one and a half miles. Turn right into the Fisherman's Wharf and the Historic Park parking lot.
From Carmel and points south: take the Munras Street exit off of northbound Highway 1. Continue south on Munras which eventually becomes Abrego Street. Continue on Abrego which eventually becomes Washington Street. Follow Washington Street until it ends at the Fisherman’s Wharf parking lot.
From Los Angeles and points east: take Highway 68 westbound from Salinas to Highway 1. Merge into the left lane to head toward Monterey. Take the Fremont Street exit and proceed to the third signal. Turn right onto Abrego Street which shortly becomes Washington Street. Follow Washington Street to the Fisherman’s Wharf parking lot.

Online reservations are not available for this park.

Upcoming Park Events

No events scheduled at this moment.

DAY-USE ACTIVITIES & FACILITIES
Historical/Cultural Site
Picnic Areas
Env. Learning/Visitor Center
Exhibits and Programs
Guided Tours
Interpretive Exhibits
Museums
Family Programs
OTHER FACILITIES & VISITOR INFORMATION
Drinking Water Available

Monterey District State Parks - COVID-19 UPDATE

Due to the critical need to stop the #COVID19 surge, the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park campground sites in Big Sur will temporarily be closed starting Sunday, December 13. Affected reservation holders will be contacted by ReserveCalifornia via email. Cancellations & refunds will be automatic.

Secret Gardens Adventure Lab

Garden Tour

About Monterey State Historic Park

One of California's most historic cities, Monterey served as California's capital under Spanish, Mexican and U.S. military rule.
The U.S. flag was first officially raised in California here on July 7, 1846, bringing 600,000 square miles of land to the United States.

Monterey State Historic Park is a collection of significant historic houses and buildings interspersed throughout Old Monterey. Hour long guided history tours are led regularly; tour information and tour tickets may be obtained at the Custom House (adjacent to Old Fisherman's Wharf). Our history tours are a great way to start your discovery of Monterey. See Tour Information for the current schedule.

Step into the past on the “Monterey Walking Path of History” and view the site where Spanish explorers first landed in Monterey in 1602. See one of the nation’s last remaining whalebone sidewalks. Walk the same streets that famed author Robert Louis Stevenson walked in 1879. Explore this two-mile path and discover some of California’s most historic homes, buildings and beautiful gardens along the way. A self-guided mobile phone tour is available for this more "in-depth" experience. Tour is free, but does use phone minutes. Brochures are available at the Custom House or Pacific House musems.

/pages/575/images/Monterey State Historic Park - Pacific House Museum.jpgMonterey’s Path of History can be entered at any point. Just follow the yellow-tiled markers and discover Monterey State Historic Park, an area that preserves and interprets places and objects of statewide historic significance. Twelve buildings, including the Custom House, the oldest government building in California, and several residences, are all part of Monterey’s 55 Path of History sites.

For more information, call the Pacific House Museum at (831) 649-2907, located at 20 Custom House Plaza, adjacent to the Fisherman's Wharf.

Please visit our non-profit Cooperating Association's (Friends Group) Website: Monterey State Historic Park Association .
Your membership helps suppors educational programs and preservation efforts throughout the park. All profits from Cooperating Association Museum Stores stay in Monterey!


Professional Photography 

Professional photographers wishing to use park settings for publication for either film or still photographs need to obtain a permit from the California Film Commission at www.film.ca.gov.

 

 

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