Browse original publications, detailed history journals, fascinating podcast episodes, and an expansive archive to uncover the rich history of Santa Cruz County. For information about the Historic Landmark Program, click here.
Call for Contributors! The History Publications Committee of the Museum of Art & History is pleased to announce that History Journal No. 10 will be devoted to the history of the art and artists of Santa Cruz County.
Check out all the MAH's Santa Cruz County history publications written alongside local historians, environmentalists, politicians, and superstar community members.
The MAH's expansive archive is open by appointment and offers research material pertaining to all aspects of Santa Cruz County's history.
Please contact us at 831.429.1964 x7019 or archives@santacruzmah.org for any research requests. Please note, in-person archives appointments are on pause from November 1, 2025 through January 11, 2026. Thank you for your understanding.
Archives Specialist, Jessie Durant, discusses historic preservation in Santa Cruz and various events and anniversaries being celebrated throughout the county.
Explore Evergreen Cemetery, one of the oldest public cemeteries in California. Follow the self-guided tour and learn more about the people who made Santa Cruz County what it is today.
From the galleries to the gardens, to our offsite historic sites, we’re excited to offer residencies where artists, historians, activists, and scholars can dig in deeper to reveal how our past and this current moment shape our future.
Tune in to the MAH's podcast, 'That Was Weird' as your hosts, Marla & Gabriel, interview the artists who sparked hope after tragedy using art and community.
Statement on Harmful Language in Archival Description
In line with the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History’s Vision, Mission, and Values, the Archives seeks to describe archival materials in a manner that respects those who create, are represented in, and interact with the collections we care for. Archival description appears in collection guides and digital object metadata. We acknowledge a user may encounter language that is racist, colonialist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise harmful or offensive. This language may result from archival description that has been created over the years by creators of collection material, previous caretakers, or by MAH staff since acquisition.
When we encounter harmful language, we are committed to reviewing and updating it to acknowledge and repair harm, and documenting such updates. However, original description that comes from the archival material itself can provide important context about its creators, custodial history, and/or source, even when the language can cause harm. In such cases, we are committed to providing additional context where possible.
We are currently implementing practices to address harmful language as part of both retrospective and ongoing description work. Communities with less access to and privilege within museums and archives have had less control over how they are represented and described. Therefore, the MAH is dedicated to working with members of the community to assess and update descriptions using language that communities choose for themselves. We acknowledge that language evolves over time and that efforts to create respectful and inclusive description must be ongoing and iterative. As such, we welcome your feedback and questions at archives@santacruzmah.org
