Museum of Natural History-Santa Cruz

<p>Located across the street from Seabright beach, the Museum of Natural History has artifacts from the local area and from the Ohlone, a central coast Native American tribe. Its collection also features fossils of ancient animals from the Santa Cruz region; live animals, including a king snake, beehive and a touch pool of tidal critters; an ecological garden learning center; a small surfing museum; and a temporary, rotating exhibit.</p> <p>Visitors can park for free on Pilkington St., and can get a free parking permit inside with their museum ticket. The museum owes its origins to Santa Cruz local Laura Hecox, a naturalist, lighthouse keeper, and avid collector of animal and Indian remains. When Hecox died in 1904, she deeded her collection to the City of Santa Cruz, which created the museum and gradually added new items to the collection.</p>