The
Custom House and the Cooper Molera Complex are good places to start
your walking tour of unique Nineteenth Century buildings in Old Monterey.
Go to the Custom House or to the Cooper Store and Visitor Center and
request a walking tour map of houses, gardens and other historic
buildings.
The Custom House is next to Fisherman's Wharf. If you find yourself at
the far end of Alvarado Street, go to the Cooper Molera Complex. Maps
include information about individual house tours, daily guided walking
tours, and street locations of unique Nineteenth Century buildings in Old
Monterey.
The Monterey State Historic Park Visitor Center is open daily from 10 to 5
pm, and a free Monterey History film is shown every 20 minutes. 20 Custom
House Plaza. Call for information about free walking tours, house tours
and garden tours: 831/649-7118.
Old Monterey's Historic Buildings and Gardens
Cooper Molera and Garden (1827)
John Rogers Cooper, a New England sea captain, and his wife Encarnacion Vallejo de Cooper lived here. The large complex includes an exhibit room, carriage display, historic period garden and livestock. A museum and gift store are open daily.
Custom House and Garden (1827)
During California's Mexican era, the Monterey Custom House presided over Mexico's only port of entry on the Alta California coast.
Larkin House and Garden (1834)
Thomas O. Larkin, American merchant and US Consul to Alta California, built this two-story adobe. Its early 19th Century rooms and its antiques were the stage for intrigue, business deals and lively social occasions.
Stevenson House and Garden (1840)
The story of Stevenson's courtship of Fanny Osborn, his future wife, comes alive amid period settings and displays of Stevenson memorabilia.
Casa Soberanes and Garden (1842)
The entrance to the garden is on Pacific Street at Del Monte Avenue.
First Theater and Garden (1844)
Jack Swan's saloon and boarding house became the site of Monterey's first paid performance. The Troupers of the Gold Coast have been presenting the 19th Century melodramas here since the 1930s.
Casa del Oro and Gardens (1845)
Once a General Store, the Casa del Oro is open for business again as the Boston Store.
Casa Gutierrez (1846)
Tucked away alongside other buildings, the Casa Gutierrez is one of the few remaining adobes built in the simpler Mexican style which once lined Monterey's streets.
First Brick House and Garden (1847)
This building represents the kiln fired brick construction brought to California by settlers in the early American period.
Old Whaling Station and Garden (1847)
The remaining whalebone sidewalk is a reminder of one of Monterey's most important industries from 1850 - 1900.
Pacific House and Garden (1847)
The two story adobe, currently under renovation, houses the Monterey
Museum of the American Indian.
Monterey State Historic Park
