Sanctuary Center Launches $1 Million Renovation

Monterey Bay Sanctuary Fund has begun a capital campaign to refresh the Sanctuary Exploration Center's visitor experience, exhibits and school curriculum.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in National Parks

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a single kelp frond rising through teal water beneath a band of pale fog, with a small tide-pool rock at its base. — The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Fund has launched a $1 million capital campaign to renovate three exhibit galleries at the Sanctuary Exploration Center across from Santa Cruz Wharf, which draws about 50,000 visitors a year. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Fund has launched a capital campaign to renovate the Sanctuary Exploration Center across from the Santa Cruz Wharf, which receives about 50,000 visitors a year. Three exhibit galleries will be renovated over the next two years.

Why it matters

The renovation aims to reflect current science and the challenges posed by changing ocean conditions, while motivating visitors to act. The center's free admission and school programming make its updated exhibits accessible to local families and students.

The center has hosted more than 614,000 visitors since opening in 2012 at a cost of $16 million, drawing about 50,000 visitors a year. The $1 million campaign goal is a fraction of the original build cost, and the final exhibit designs have not been announced.

The players

Monterey Bay Sanctuary Fund

A newly formed organization leading the capital campaign to fund the Exploration Center's renovation.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

A federally protected marine area designated in 1992 that covers 6,094 square miles of coastline and operates the Exploration Center.

The details

The project's first phase is community engagement and planning, which will gather audience input to shape exhibit design concepts. That input will inform the exhibits' messages, interactive elements and overall visitor experience. The sanctuary's education team will also work with teachers to develop lesson plans.

2000: Funds became available for visitor centers through NOAA.
1992: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary was designated.
2012: The Sanctuary Exploration Center was completed.
Over the next two years: Three exhibit galleries will be renovated and $1 million raised.

National Parks Context

Visitor centers across the National Marine Sanctuary system were made possible by NOAA funding that became available in 2000, following the 1992 designation of Monterey Bay. The Exploration Center's renovation extends that model by updating exhibits to reflect current ocean science.

Admission to the Sanctuary Exploration Center is free, making it an accessible stop for visitors to the Santa Cruz Wharf area. Visitors planning a trip should expect exhibit changes as the renovation proceeds over the next two years.

The takeaway

Monterey Bay's marine sanctuary spans 276 miles of coastline and supports 36 marine mammal species, more than 180 seabird and shorebird species and more than 525 fish species. Visitors can see that diversity firsthand at the center's free exhibits.

What happens next

Three exhibit galleries will be renovated over the next two years, and the sanctuary plans a grand opening event once exhibits and lesson plans are complete. The sanctuary will also publish K-12 lesson plans and host an open house for teachers.