Tours & Attractions - Santa Rosa, California



1. Sonoma County Museum

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 579-1500
Address: 425 Seventh Street

Description: Housed in the old post office built after the 1906 earthquake, the museum was moved and restored as a part of local grassroots activities. The lower floor is devoted to an extensive collection of art exhibits, history and heritage of the county, and photographs of the local landscapes and people. The second floor is given over to exciting temporary exhibits. Past ones have included displays of cartoon art and a woodworking exhibit of bowls, boxes, and furniture. The Museum Shop has a particularly intriguing assortment of books and items with Sonoma County themes. The museum and gift shop are open 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday year-round. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for seniors and students.


2. Redwood Empire Ice Arena

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 1667 West Steele Lane

3. Charles M. Schulz Museum And Research Center

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 2301 Hardies Lane

4. Safari West

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 3115 Porter Creek Road

5. Pacific Coast Air Museum

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 2330 Airport Boulevard

6. Scenic Aerial Tours

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 542-8687
Address: 5010 Flightline Drive

Description: Pick your pleasure—coast, vineyards, or San Francisco? Sweeping over our beautiful scenery from the air in a small plane is a wonderful way to drink in the sights, especially if your time is limited. This service flies seven days a week, as long as the weather cooperates. Flat rates (not per person) begin at $235 for a 45-minute tour over the coastal waters or above numerous wine-growing valleys. A more extensive vineyard-gazing tour lasts about 100 minutes and costs $283.

7. Getaway Adventures

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 568-3040, (800) 499-2453
Address: 2228 Northpoint Parkway

Description: The folks at Getaway do winery tours on bikes (one in upper Napa Valley and another in Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg), and even a couple of kayak tours on portions of the Russian River. Basic prices start at $125 for the hybrid bike rides; kayak tours start at $145.

8. 6Th Street Playhouse

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 52 West Sixth Street (Railroad Square)

9. Wells Fargo Center For The Arts

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 50 Mark West Springs Road

10. Santa Rosa Junior College Summer Repertory Theatre

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 527-4419
Address: 1501 Mendocino Avenue

Description: With more than 35 seasons under its belt, the SRT is a longtime local favorite. Running from mid-June into early August, plays rotate throughout the season and include musicals, dramas, and comedies. The lineup for the 2008 season included The Producers, The Crucible, The Women, and Kiss Me Kate. Performances are held variously at the college, Wells Fargo Center for the Arts (see previous listing), or local high schools. This is a professional training program geared to actors in graduate school, all of whom come on scholarships for summer work. Paid directors are well known and usually work on a rotating basis—six work each season. Ticket prices range from $10 to $25.

11. Santa Rosa Symphony

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 50 Santa Rosa Avenue, Suite 410

12. Arts Council Of Sonoma County

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 579-2787
Address: 404 Mendocino Avenue

Description: Curating new exhibits every eight weeks, the council serves as a resource center for artists and provides a gallery for their work. A typical art competition commissioned by the Sonoma Land Trust challenged artists to portray imagery inspired by Sonoma County’s agricultural environment. It’s not just two-dimensional art. The council supports not only visual arts but the performing arts, too, with an emphasis on music and poetry. The gallery is open Wednesday through Friday from noon to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.

13. Howarth Park

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 630 Summerfield Road

14. Redwood Empire Ice Arena

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 546-7147
Address: 1667 West Steele Lane

Description: Charles Schulz, famous for his Peanuts cartoons, grew up in Minnesota and never lost his love for ice-skating. The rink he built in Santa Rosa is a beautiful venue compared to the outdoor rinks he knew in his youth. A full range of skating is offered, with mornings reserved for programs and classes (many world champions have trained here). The arena is open daily, but hours vary. The cost is $9 for adults and teens and $7 for children younger than 12 (weekends). Aside from the ice arena, there’s a wonderful Snoopy’s Gallery gift shop that’s appealing to all ages (see the Shopping chapter). You can also buy skates here, both ice and roller. (For more information on the arena and the Charles M. Schulz Museum next door, see the Attractions chapter.)

15. Riley Street Art Supplies

City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 526-2416
Address: 103 Maxwell Court

Description: This is a great place to pick up children’s craft supplies, including face-painting kits, tempera paints, tattoo books, how-to-draw books, and build-your-own foam dinosaur kits. It’s also a premier shopping spot for professional artists and craftspeople.
Back to Santa Rosa, CA