Surfing Museum Lighthouse Point

Located in the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse at Lighthouse Point on West Cliff Drive, the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum opened its doors in June 1986 as the first surfing museum in the world. The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum at Steamer Lane is staffed by friends of the Santa Cruz Surfing Club who have surfed Santa Cruz waves since the 1930s. As the club grew and became more serious, they elected officers and had T-shirts and sweat shirts made with the club's logo. Members and their friends spent many happy years growing up on the sands in front of their clubhouse. Beach volleyball and the rigors of surfing resulted in strong and healthy bodies. Most members served in the armed forces in World War II. Fortunately, they all returned home safely, but things were never the same on the beach again. Many of the members drifted away from the old ways and got on with their lives - college, marriage, families, jobs and responsibilities. In 1952, the board house was taken down and the club disbanded.* The clubhouse itself is now part of a private home on Frederick Street. The club members and their friends have had three reunions since then. The 50th reunion, 1986, was held at the Coconut Grove just a few months after opening the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse Surfing Museum. In 1992, based on an inspiration of some of the original club members, a surfing sculpture monument was erected on West Cliff Drive at Pelton Avenue. It is dedicated to all surfers, past, present, and future. The 18-foot bronze sculpture at Lighthouse Point, dedicated May 23, 1992; the surfer is by Tom Marsh; the base is by Brian Curtis