Monterey Bay

Coastal Discovery Center

Located on beautiful San Simeon Bay, the Coastal Discovery Center offers interactive exhibits and educational programs highlighting the cultural and natural history of San Simeon, California state parks, and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Located at William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach just across the entrance from Hearst Castle, the interface of land and sea is unique and draws people here for recreational opportunities and inspiration. Protecting these special places preserves them for use and enjoyment for generations to come.

• Location: San Simeon, California
• Admission: Free
• Hours: Friday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Best for: Hearst Castle visitors, Big Sur explorers, wildlife watchers, families

Accessibility Features

Physical and Mobility Assistance

• Wheelchair Accessibility/Mobility

  

  • The Coastal Discovery Center is fully accessible for visitors with mobility disabilities or in wheelchairs.
    • There is a ramp from the ADA parking space.
    • Our video exhibits are equipped with “reader rails” that host tactile buttons, which are ADA compliant.
    • All exhibits are wheelchair accessible and the Coastal Discovery Center is all on one level.
  • William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach (San Simeon State Park)
    • The park has a wheelchair accessible public restroom area.
    • The park has wheelchair accessible picnic tables.
• Transportation
  • Parking

    

    • The parking lot has 100 general spaces and two ADA accessible spaces. It also is large enough for tourism buses.
    • The visitor center is within a State Park, and the parking lot belongs to them. That access and use of the parking lot is at the discretion of State Parks (CA Dept of Parks and Recreation).

Service Animals

Service dogs are always welcome at the Coastal Discovery Center. We follow the U.S. Department of Justice’s requirements for service dogs as listed under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Service dogs are defined as animals trained to provide assistance to a person with a disability.

Sight and Hearing Impaired Assistance

• Sight Impaired Assistance:
  • We have several tactile exhibits and experiences within the sanctuary including a “talking tidepool” with physical buttons and various animal pelts/skulls.
• Hearing Impaired Assistance
  • Our videos are open captioned

Sensory Friendly Assistance

• The Coastal Discovery Center has several exhibits that include loud noises (i.e., Sound in the Sanctuary, Talking Tidepool, Delta Sub Videos, and Elephant Seal Noises).
• For a quieter and less busy environment, we recommend visiting the Coastal Discovery Center during the off-season (October through March) on a Friday.

Language

• Spanish language brochures are provided at the front desk.
• The Sound in the Sanctuary exhibit is equipped with a Spanish language translation.

Sanctuary Exploration Center

Located just steps from the beach, the Sanctuary Exploration Center is a highlight of any visit to Santa Cruz! This center highlights the special waters of nearby Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. You can explore the sanctuary's remarkable wildlife and ecosystems, such as the kelp forest, various deep sea animals, and migratory species. Explore your role in protecting one of North America’s underwater treasures.

• Location: Santa Cruz, California
• Admission: Free
• Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Best for: Families, beachgoers, nature lovers, surfers

Accessibility Features

Physical and Mobility Assistance

• Wheelchair Accessibility/Mobility
  • The entire facility is ADA wheelchair accessible, with an elevator to access exhibits on the second floor, and has wide pathways. Exhibits are at heights that accommodate all mobility levels.
  • There is seating available throughout the center.
• Transportation
  • There are metered, accessible parking spots in a parking lot out front of the center, and a loading zone for buses or shuttles with a crosswalk and ramp adjacent.
  • The Santa Cruz Metro Buses are fully ADA accessible. Routes 19 and 20 have a daily service stop by the center.
  • During the summer months, the city of Santa Cruz operates a fully ADA-accessible shuttle from downtown to the center. Shuttle rides are $1.00 but guests at the center can pick up vouchers to ride for free, while supplies last.
  • Bus Access: There is a loading zone adjacent to the Exploration Center for buses to drop off and pick up passengers. The path from the loading zone to the Center is accessible and less than 100 ft from the entrance. Buses can park at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, a half mile from the Center for free.
• Parking

  There is a small parking lot adjacent to the Center with approximately 15 metered parking spots* Of those spots, one is a reserved ADA space and one is reserved for electric vehicle use. There are additional metered parking spots along the street, with approximately 5 of them within 100 ft of the entrance. Visitors can also use the loading zone for dropping off and picking up passengers if they need to park further away.

  This parking lot is closed and under construction through at least December 2023

Service Animals

Service dogs are always welcome at the Sanctuary Exploration Center. We follow the U.S. Department of Justice’s requirements for service dogs as listed under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Service dogs are defined as animals trained to provide assistance to a person with a disability.

Sight and Hearing Impaired Assistance

All of our films and exhibit videos have captions in addition to audio, and all way-finding signs are in braille.

Sensory Friendly Assistance

• The Sanctuary Exploration Center has a few exhibits featuring sound and potentially loud noises (i.e., Sounds in the Sanctuary, Tidepool Exhibit). The lights in the theater dim for the presentations, and feature some loud noises.
• School programs are offered Wednesday–Friday during the school year (September–May) and involve groups of up to 30 students in K–12 grades exploring the exhibit galleries during the mornings.
• For a quieter and less busy environment, we recommend visiting on weekdays in the summer, or on weekends in our off season, October–March. Guests who are concerned about sensory issues are encouraged to reach out to our team to get the best advice for visiting.
• Exhibits are tactile and designed for multi-sensory exploration. Visitors are encouraged to inquire about additional hands-on exploration opportunities from our Docents.