Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

The Sanctuary Exploration Center is a fun, interactive, ocean-themed space to explore the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. We offer meeting or event space rentals for our classroom, exhibit hall, and the whole building.

Rentals can generally occur 7 days a week between 8am – 10pm. The spaces available for rent at the Sanctuary Exploration Center are as follows:

Classroom/ Meeting Room:
Size: appx. 850 sq. ft.
Capacity: 60 people
Amenities: Projector, AV, tables, and chairs available for use. Access to the outdoor courtyard. Optional coffee/tea service provided. Many excellent lunch options nearby. A great, quiet space for meetings!

Exhibit Hall:
Our exhibit hall is an oceanic themed space filled with educational exhibits, engaging displays, a movie theater, lobby, and a patio with an ocean view. The exhibit hall is a great place to host a special event, wedding event, comedy show, or a party.
Size: appx 2,500 sq ft.
Capacity: 150 people.
Amenities: theater room, AV, microphones ocean view balcony, lobby, exhibit hall, tables & chairs.
Amplified Music Permitted: Yes
Alcohol Permitted: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
*can only be rented outside of public access hours (Wed – Sun 10am-4pm).

The Whole Building:
Rent out the whole 12,500 sq. ft space to host a large gathering.
Size: appx. 12,500 sq. ft.
Capacity: 300 people.
Amenities: classroom, outdoor courtyard, kitchen access, projector, theater room, microphones, ocean view balcony, lobby, exhibit hall, tables & chairs.
Amplified Music Permitted: Yes
Alcohol Permitted: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
*can only be rented outside of public access hours (Wed – Sun 10am-4pm).

Designed and built to meet green building standards, the Exploration Center demonstrates a commitment to sustainability, using the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria by achieving a LEED Gold Certification. In every aspect from facility operations to the gift store, the Exploration Center serves as a model for environmentally sustainable design, construction, and operation methods.