Santa Cruz's first museum, founded in 1904, showcases the region's natural history through the lens of local naturalist Laura Hecox, celebrating diverse habitats and local marine life.
The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History stands out for its rich collection, including fossils, minerals, and Native American artifacts collected by lighthouse keeper Laura Hecox, who dedicated her life to public education.
Kathleen Aston, the museum's collections manager, remarked, 'We like that part of our history,' emphasizing the institution's dedication to preserving and sharing the region's natural and cultural heritage.
Since 1954, the museum has operated in a historic Carnegie Library building, maintaining its mission to educate visitors about the unique ecology and history of Santa Cruz.
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