Free things to do in Santa Cruz — beaches, trails, viewpoints, public art, and walks that cost nothing more than parking (and sometimes not even that).

The largest open studios art tour in the Western US, held every October across all of Santa Cruz County. Over 300 artists in every medium — painting, ceramics, glass, textiles, scu…

Housed in a tiny lighthouse at Steamer Lane — one of the most famous surf breaks in the world — the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum chronicles over a century of surfing in Santa Cruz, fr…
All Things to Do in Santa Cruz