Museum of Natural History, Morro Bay

The Museum of Natural History in Morro Bay is in a lovely location with gorgeous views through cypress trees toward the bay and Morro Rock. The interior, though it has some interesting exhibits, is very dark. There is a cool area with three beautiful wheels you can turn to hear the sounds of nature. On the balcony are whale bones, a compass, and amazing views. In one room are skeletons of a brown pelican, a dolphin, and a sea lion- so different in shape to what you would expect. There is a plaque of animal footprints. The stuffed mountain lion makes you realize how large these animals are. The gift shop is nice, and we bought a little bird stuffie that sings a song.

It's also nice to go for a walk in the pretty nature that surrounds the museum, through the cypress and eucalyptus trees. If you take the path near the sculpture of the Native American man holding up a bird, you can walk past the heron rookery to Bayshore Bluffs Park. It is a wonderful walk on a dirt path, with stunning views- the Bayshore Bluffs Park walk. It ends at a lovely marina in front of a townhouse complex. You can also walk around the side of the museum for stunning views over Los Osos, and up the boulder strewn area to the top of the stairs for an amazing lookout point over Morro Bay- you are King of the Mountain!
It's a short walk to Bayside Cafe from here, where you can watch people launch their kayaks and walk the Marina Peninsula Trail, a loop trail on a wooden boardwalk with awesome views!
After, have a cup of tea at the spacious outdoor seating at Buttercup Bakery and Cafe on Morro Bay Blvd, a hippie area in Morro Bay town. Or have a beer and sandwich at High Street Deli on 2nd Street in Los Osos, a very cute area.

Directions

Museum of Natural History is located in Morro Bay State Park at 20 State Park Rd, Morro Bay, CA 93442, call (805) 772-2694.
Open daily 10-5. Entrance is $3 for adults, free for children under 17 years old.

Click on map for interactive view