Museum of Art, Monterey (must see)
The Monterey Museum of Art holds a unique position as the sole nationally accredited art museum in the region spanning from Santa Barbara to San Jose. Established in 1959 under the umbrella of the American Federation of Arts, this institution has significantly enriched the cultural experience of both Monterey County residents and visitors for more than six decades.
The Museum operates from two distinct locations, namely 559 Pacific Street and 720 Via Mirada (La Mirada). The Pacific Street site boasts eight galleries, housing administrative and curatorial offices, as well as the Buck Education Center, complete with classrooms, a library, and the Youth Gallery. In 1983, the Monterey Museum of Art acquired the historic La Mirada estate, a site steeped in the heritage of the Monterey area.
The Museum's permanent collection boasts an impressive array of over 14,000 artifacts, spanning various categories including early California painting, photography, contemporary art, Asian art, and American art. Notable highlights within the collection encompass works by distinguished artists like Armin Hansen, William F. Ritschel, Joan Miro, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso, along with renowned photographers such as Edward Weston and Ansel Adams. The Monterey Museum of Art curates approximately twenty exhibitions each year, featuring thematic displays drawn from the permanent collection, showcases of local artists, and major traveling exhibitions from other esteemed institutions.
In addition to its exhibition endeavors, the Museum actively engages in educational initiatives that impact numerous local youths on an annual basis. These programs encompass docent-led tours, classes, lectures, workshops, curatorial tours, and public events such as the popular Community Day, designed to cater to families and offered free of charge.
The Museum operates from two distinct locations, namely 559 Pacific Street and 720 Via Mirada (La Mirada). The Pacific Street site boasts eight galleries, housing administrative and curatorial offices, as well as the Buck Education Center, complete with classrooms, a library, and the Youth Gallery. In 1983, the Monterey Museum of Art acquired the historic La Mirada estate, a site steeped in the heritage of the Monterey area.
The Museum's permanent collection boasts an impressive array of over 14,000 artifacts, spanning various categories including early California painting, photography, contemporary art, Asian art, and American art. Notable highlights within the collection encompass works by distinguished artists like Armin Hansen, William F. Ritschel, Joan Miro, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso, along with renowned photographers such as Edward Weston and Ansel Adams. The Monterey Museum of Art curates approximately twenty exhibitions each year, featuring thematic displays drawn from the permanent collection, showcases of local artists, and major traveling exhibitions from other esteemed institutions.
In addition to its exhibition endeavors, the Museum actively engages in educational initiatives that impact numerous local youths on an annual basis. These programs encompass docent-led tours, classes, lectures, workshops, curatorial tours, and public events such as the popular Community Day, designed to cater to families and offered free of charge.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Monterey. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51±¬ÁÏÍø: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Museum of Art on Map
Sight Name: Museum of Art
Sight Location: Monterey, USA (See walking tours in Monterey)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Monterey, USA (See walking tours in Monterey)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Monterey, California
Create Your Own Walk in Monterey
Creating your own self-guided walk in Monterey is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Monterey State Historic Park Walk
Monterey State Historic Park is a National Landmark and a part of the Monterey Old Town Historic District. Found on the grounds here are a group of significant old-time houses that once made up California's earliest capital and were the site of the state's first constitutional convention. Today these buildings retain their rich heritage, preserving an important part of Californian as... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles
Monterey Introduction Walking Tour
Monterey is one of California's oldest cities, having been settled since 1770. The Spanish and Mexican governments both used the city as a capital for Alta California. Monterey offered many important firsts for California during this era, including a newspaper and printing press, public school, library, and theater.
This city was the location for the first constitutional convention in... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
This city was the location for the first constitutional convention in... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
Cannery Row Walking Tour
Cannery Row – the waterfront street in Monterey, California – was once home to a number of sardine canning factories, the last of which closed down in 1973. The former nickname for Ocean View Avenue became the street's official name in January 1958 to honor John Steinbeck and his famous eponymous novel. In the novel's opening sentence, Steinbeck described Cannery Row as "a poem,... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles