The Atlas Obscura Guide To

Hidden
Santa Cruz

Discover 3 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Santa Cruz, California

Unusual
Attractions
in Santa Cruz

Community Picks Recently Added

Santa Cruz, California

Court of Mysteries

A strange house built only at night, with rumored mystic inspiration.

36.9549, -122.0453

Added by jmarcusfrost

Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz Mystery Spot

A "gravitational anomaly" located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California.

37.0173, -122.0038

Added by cjwvos

The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum.

Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

Housed in a memorial lighthouse, this museum relays the history of surfing, beginning with the antics of royal Hawaiian teenagers.

36.9514, -122.0267

Added by Cosmic Joke

Are we missing something unusual in Santa Cruz?

Felton, California

Bigfoot Discovery Museum

Roadside attraction and Bigfoot Museum.

37.0415, -122.0726

Added by GregRose

5 MILEs FROM Santa Cruz

SS Palo Alto, the cement ship at Seacliff State Beach

Aptos, California

SS Palo Alto

This concrete ship has had four careers - World War I tanker, floating amusement park, fishing pier, and artificial reef.

36.9698, -121.9150

Added by Anne Reddington

6 MILEs FROM Santa Cruz

Egg vending machine.

Aptos, California

Egg Vending Machine at Glaum's Ranch

At this California chicken ranch four bucks will get you 22 eggs and a chorus of dancing animatronic poultry.

36.9890, -121.8632

Added by jmpasko

9 MILEs FROM Santa Cruz

The Pipe Organ

Bonny Doon, California

The Kingdom of Boomeria

A science teacher's kingdom, complete with castle, enormous pipe organ, and area for epic water battles.

37.0897, -122.1440

Added by Treeman

10 MILEs FROM Santa Cruz

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Stories
About Santa Cruz

Thousands of Surfers 'Paddled Out' to Honor a Legendary Wetsuit Pioneer

Jack O'Neill died on June 2.

by Erik Shilling

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