The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History has an ambitious plan for its 2026 exhibits and events schedule, with the first six months of the year encapsulating everything from driftwood sculpture to great white sharks. Under the leadership of Executive Director Dr. Rachel M. Miller, the Museum has seen unprecedented growth in exhibits, outreach, and programming, which will be on full display in the coming year.

January will begin with current exhibitions Wings of Wood and Beyond Illustrating Nature with Lindsay Newey and Iffat Karim cycling out to introduce two new exhibits: Tethered Light by LA-based artist Raphaele Cohen-Bacry on January 21 and Beyond Illustrating Nature with Calene Luzco on January 7. A special virtual meet-and-greet with Raphaele will be held on February 22 at the Museum for anyone interested in meeting her and discussing her work.

January will also see a number of exciting events, including a screening of a new documentary Western Monarch Butterflies: Preserving Our Pollinators with filmmaker Ian Nelson, a bird walk with local guide Amanda Preece, and a special Science Saturday celebrating Sandy the Whale and animal migrations.

Featuring a reptile and amphibians theme, February will host a special book talk about the amphibians of California with Dr. Emily Taylor of Cal Poly San Louis Obispo, a herpetological painting party with Nicholas Ta, artist and founder of Reef Renders. That month’s Science on Tap will take a deviation into the world of fish with a night about great white sharks with Hopkins Marine lab scientists led by Dr. Barbara Block before circling back to the theme with a Reptile Revelry Free Science Saturday.

March will be the Museum’s Member Month and will introduce a new rotating exhibit by artist Lynn Butler, with a meet and greet taking place that First Friday, 3/6. The night before, 3/5, the Museum will host a History on Tap about the Women who Saved Pacific Grove featuring local scientist and author Steve Palumbi (The Death & Life of Monterey Bay, The Extreme Life of the Sea). That week will end with a Women in Science Tea on Saturday, 3/7, which will feature a special panel of local women scientists discussing their work and paths in their careers. There will also be a variety of special member-only events including brown bag lectures, special science walks, and more. The month will close with a special Science Saturday celebrating the Museum's founder Mary B. Norton on 3/28.

April will feature more science walks and brown bag lunches, and close out with the Museum’s annual Student Research Symposium, a special event open to the public showcasing the work and accomplishments of studies conducted by students working with the Museum’s LiMPETS and Watershed Guardians programs.

May’s First Friday will bring with it the opening of Illustrating Nature, the Museum’s most popular annual exhibit. A long-standing partnership with CSU Monterey Bay’s Science Illustration program, Illustrating Nature features the work of graduating artists and will hang for six weeks, during which time there will be several associated events including paint and sips with program graduates, field workshops, and demo days. There will also be a special market with featured artists on June 5 for those interested in purchasing art prints or originals. The following weekend will feature the Walk of Remembrance in Pacific Grove, celebrating the history and contributions of the fishing village community and their descendants, as well as AAPI community members.

June at the Museum will feature a special Science on Tap around creatures of the land, sea, and air, and continue with brown bag lunches, science walks, and artist workshops. The departure of Illustrating Nature will see the introduction of a photo exhibit by local photographer Jason Bradley, with a special event to celebrate its opening tentatively scheduled for July 10.

Listed Events:

January:

Documentary Screening: Western Monarch Butterflies: Preserving Our Pollinators, 1/16, 5:30-7:30pm

LiMPETS RIM teacher training: 1/17

Bird Walk with Amanda Preece: 1/30, 9am-12pm

Science Saturday: Migration Celebration! 1/31, 10am-3pm

February:

Book Talk: Amphibians of California, 2/6, 5:30-7pm

Animal Painting Party, 2/7, 10:30am01:30pm

Science on Tap: Great White Sharks, 2/12, 5:30-7:30pm

Virtual Meet and Greet with Raphaele Cohen-Bacry, 2/22, time TBD

Science Saturday: Reptile Revelry, 2/28, 10am-3pm

March is Member Month!

History on Tap: The Women Who Saved Pacific Grove, 3/5, 5:30-7:30pm

First Friday: Lynn Butler Exhibit Opening, 3/6, 5:30-7:30pm

Women in Science Tea, 3/7, 2-3:30pm

Member Brown Bag, 3/20, 12:15-12:45

Science Saturday: Mary B. Norton & Women in Science, 3/28, 10am-3pm

April:

Special Member Walk: 4/1 Time TBD

Member Brown Bag Talk: 4/24, 12:15-12:45pm

Student Research Symposium: 4/25, 10am-3pm

May:

First Friday: Illustrating Nature Opening-5/1, 6-8pm

Walk of Remembrance: 5/9, Events start at 11am

Illustrating Nature Workshop: 5/22

Free Science Saturday: 5/30, 10am-3pm

June:

Illustrating Nature Workshop: 6/2

Illustrating Nature Artist Market: 6/5, 5:30-7:30pm

Science on Tap: Creatures of the Land, Sea, & Air, 6/11, 5:30-7:30pm

Member Walk: 6/19

About the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History

In 1883, the Museum opened its doors among the first wave of natural history museums in America. Naturalists of this era began a national tradition of hands-on science education and nature preservation, a tradition the Museum has continued for over 140 years. The Museum’s mission is to inspire discovery, wonder, and stewardship of our cultural and natural world. The Museum supports conservation, scientific literacy, co-curation, and deep learning towards a resilient community and sustainable future. Their work is made possible, in part, by the following generous donors: American Water Charitable Foundation, City of Pacific Grove, Community Foundation for Monterey County, Harden Foundation, Helen Johnson Endowment Funds, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, and Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund. The Museum is open to the public Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-4pm. For more information visit www.pgmuseum.org.