Custom House Plaza

Custom House Plaza is a large pedestrian-only area with a big fountain in the middle. Here you are surrounded by gorgeous historical buildings, including the Maritime Museum and the Pacific House Museum. A few steps to the north is Fisherman's Wharf and a few steps to the south is Alvarado St, the main strip of Downtown Monterey.

This is a fun place to hang out with kids, because of the wide open spaces. Grab a crepe at Crepes of Brittany and let the kids run wild for a while. They can admire the posterboard people from the 19th century on the balcony of the Pacific House Museum. Or the huge anchor outside the Museum of Monterey (which has a Dali exhibit called Dali17 because Salvador Dali lived in Monterey in the 1940s). Because this area is lacking in shade, it's nicer in winter than on hot late summer/fall days.
Walk up Alvarado Street for a lovely meal at another crepe place, Monterey Crepe Company, while looking out their large windows at the historic buildings, or sit on the patio outside at Starbucks.

Directions

On the satellite version of the map, this looks like a parking lot! But there must have been a fancy car show in the plaza the day the photo was taken! Usually the area is a pedestrian-only area with a fountain in the middle.
In the map it looks like Lighthouse Ave goes straight through the plaza, but actually it's an underground tunnel. This can make your GPS a bit confused around Monterey. Follow the signs instead, if your GPS is leading you around in circles.
Custom House Plaza is between the northern end of Alvarado St (where it dead ends) and Fisherman's Wharf. You can park along the road on Alvarado St or you can park in the Fisherman's Wharf parking lot.
Museum of Monterey and Dali17 exhibit, open Sun-Thurs 10-5, Fri and Sat 10-6. Entry is $20 for adults, $16 for seniors and students, $10 for children, and free for children aged 5 and under.
Crepes of Brittany, 211 Alvarado St, Monterey CA 93940, call (831) 649-1930.
Monterey Crepe Company, 321 Alvarado St, Monterey CA 93940.

Click on map for interactive view