Shannon M. Marshall
Director of Communications
Monterey County CVB
What are three of the most interesting cultural experi-ences you would recommend for groups meeting in the Monterey/ Carmel area?
Director of Communications
Monterey County CVB
What are three of the most interesting cultural experi-ences you would recommend for groups meeting in the Monterey/ Carmel area?
- Monterey History: Regarded as the country’s most historic city west of Williamsburg, Monterey has more original Mexican-era adobes than any California city, plus three historic missions and more than 45 museums across the county. The city is a Preserve America City and was named one of the National Historic Trust’s 2006 Dozen Distinctive Destinations in March 2006. The California constitution was written and signed in Monterey in 1849, and the history of early California is well preserved in Monterey and can be experienced by visiting the community’s many historic adobes, taking the Path of History walking tour or the Ghosts Trolley of Old Monterey tour, or visiting the historic missions. Initially built within a day’s horseback ride of each other, today they are all within an hour drive of one another.
- Monterey County Arts Community: The arts flourish in Monterey County. Galleries and studio tours showcase the works of artists who have been inspired by the region’s scenery and culture, and events throughout the year highlight dance, theater, music, and much more. Charming Carmel-by-the-Sea, originally founded as an artist’s colony, is famous for its galleries tucked into quaint buildings on small village streets. Groups can take a Carmel Gallery Walk hosted by a professional tour guide. The Monterey Museum of Art features photographs, paintings, sculpture, and folk art of the region, as well as art of California, Asia and the Pacific Rim. In nearby Seaside, the Seaside City Hall Art Gallery extends along the two twelve-foot-wide corridors that lead to the City Council Chambers. Inside the chambers is an additional wall area displaying artwork and the City’s Permanent Art Collection.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Consistently ranked as the nation’s finest aquarium, groups touring the magnificent Monterey Bay Aquarium are met with VIP treatment that includes express entry via a special group entrance and a personal greeter upon arrival. The aquarium’s nearly 200 galleries and exhibits present the marine life and habitats of the Monterey Bay, and the aquarium itself is home to the largest community of open-ocean animals found in any aquarium. Visitors can gaze through the Outer Bay exhibit’s 1 million-gallon tank and come face to face with giant bluefin tuna, flat ocean sunfish, hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, and more.