National Steinbeck Center - Salinas, California

K

I really enjoyed walking through the museum. There were a lot of great displays categorizing his life, his loved ones, and his writings. It was fun seeing original writings and artifacts from his life. There’s also a great gift shop with his books, postcards, and other merchandise. Tickets were $15 unless you match one of their discounts.

Gary S.

A very impressive museum covering his entire life. I especially loved the research of which location and event inspired which book. Unfortunately, many of the audiovisual stations were not functional.

R G.

I had to stay one more day as the Center is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Glad I decided to wait for it to open. Steinbeck movies are playing in each area. Stayed for an hour just being amazed over his works. Now I have to go look for his films!
Of course, I had to check out the store and they have a load of books to offer.

Marilyn W. S. F. A.

So glad I got to come here! Steinbeck is my all time favorite author and “East of Eden” is my favorite book! They have an amazing exhibit with the movie playing on a loop! I could stay for hours. I hope more people come to visit! His house is 2 blocks away! Learned a lot more about the great man!

John L.

A must stop for any Steinbeck fan, and very interesting and informative for everyone. The exhibits are quite detailed and give you good information about his major works including Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row and East of Eden. Also, plenty of fantastic biographical information as well as giving you a sense of what it was like for him to grow up in Salinas.

Neal

Beautiful, detailed museum chronicling John Steinbeck's life.

This museum is a short walk away from the Salinas Amtrak station and Greyhound stop. There are restrooms and a theatre. The exhibits include VR headsets, models, and plenty of photos. If you're interested in John Steinbeck's life, this is the place for you. Admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for students, teachers, military, county residents, and seniors, $7 for ages 6 to 17, and it's free for kids 5 and under and members.

Maria E.

This is an amazing museum, much larger than I expected. It covers the entirety of Steinbeck's life and helps us to understand the influences shaping his writing. Some of the exhibits are interactive and quite fun. There are video displays showing segments of his works that ended up being filmed.

A word or two about the staff. We got lost twice getting to the museum. We called the museum and staff patiently gave us directions to get us back on track. They were cheerful and friendly, and greeted us warmly once our group got to the museum.

Signage is confusing. The museum is part of a college campus. Signage for the campus is much more prominent than signage for the museum.

There is a large, low-cost public parking garage in close proximity to the museum and many restaurants close by.

Charles T.

Got a membership as an early birthday present to myself. It was a good decision. Had a small hiccup with getting my membership card but the nice lady and gentleman at the desk assured me I was taken care of.

For the museum I went with a friend and walked around for 2 hours. That still wasn't enough time to read everything in the exhibits, which is a good thing. Awesome learning experience and a place you'll definitely want to visit more than once. Got 2 books and a key chain from the gift shop. Looking forward to coming back soon.