Before it was known for its aquarium and wharf, Monterey was the capital of Alta California. Much of that history is still standing downtown, and the self-guided Path of History links it together.
Start: Custom House Plaza
Begin at the Custom House, California's oldest government building and its first registered historical landmark. It is part of Monterey State Historic Park, next to Fisherman's Wharf, and about seven minutes from Bay Breeze Inn.
Follow the markers
The Path of History is marked along the sidewalks through downtown. Along the route you will pass:
- Historic adobes and their gardens, many preserved by Monterey State Historic Park.
- Stevenson House, named for writer Robert Louis Stevenson, who stayed in Monterey in 1879.
- Colton Hall, where delegates wrote California's first constitution in 1849. It is now a city museum.
Add the Presidio
Walk or drive up to Lower Presidio Historic Park, above the harbor. The Presidio of Monterey dates to 1770, and the City of Monterey's free Presidio of Monterey Museum (https://monterey.gov/your_city_hall/departments/museum/presidio_of_monterey_museum.php) covers the site's long history. Check museum hours before you go.
Tips
- Building and garden hours vary. Check Monterey State Historic Park (https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=575) for what is open that day.
- Wear comfortable shoes. Downtown Monterey has hills.
- Come back in December for Christmas in the Adobes, when many adobes open for evening visits.
Staying at Bay Breeze Inn
Bay Breeze Inn is off Highway 1 in Seaside, a short drive from downtown Monterey, with free lobby coffee all day and an outdoor picnic area with BBQ. Book direct at baybreezeinn.com.
Photo: El Castillo, Presidio over looking Monterey Bay by Kristen (Krimp) Fuentes, via Wikimedia Commons. Original photograph and this image adaptation licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized; website renditions may be cropped and converted in format. This license applies only to the photograph.
