Visit Santa Cruz County (VSCC) has debuted a newly renovated visitor center in Downtown Santa Cruz, adjacent to the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in the heart of the town. The new center features a sensory-friendly space for travelers with autism that has been infused into the new visitor center design. Weighted blankets, fidget toys, tactile pillows and a quiet environment are components of the separate space to instill a low-sensory area for the benefit of neurodivergent visitors.
Each Visit Santa Cruz County staff member received specialized training and are now Certified Autism Travel Professionals through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). Combined with staff accreditation, the amenities featured in the new visitor center have transformed it into a Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) – one of the only of its kind in northern California.
According to a survey by Autism Travel, 87 percent of autistic families don’t take vacations due to the sensory overload involved in travel – including loud noises, dietary changes and a disruption in routine. These stressors can cause discomfort and outbursts if not compassionately managed and addressed.
The new visitor center provides an environment rich with a taste of what the county has to offer in terms of outdoor adventure, family-friendly experiences, field-to-fork and ag-related activities, and art, culture and creative spaces that draw inspiration from the region’s natural beauty.
A polished concrete floor with GPS coordinates lays the foundation for the industrial-cool theme and a floor-to-ceiling map mural identical to the colorful design in the official Santa Cruz County magazine greets visitors. The daily surf report can be seen on a large screen behind the welcome desk, providing real-time weather and tidal information.
The visitor center welcome desk is crafted from a reclaimed redwood tree, evoking the magnificent heritage forests of the San Lorenzo Valley. The single piece slab was sourced from a local sawmill near Felton, where the tree either fell naturally or was removed by a tree service and is estimated to be between 200 – 300 years old. The front of the 14-foot desk – also sourced from local, sustainable redwood – was treated with Shou Sugi Ban, an ancient Japanese wood preservation technique that seals and protects wood, creating a beautiful black color by heavily burning the wood, then gently removing the charred material, and applying a hard wax oil to stabilize and bring out the subtle color tones; however, the natural redwood can still be seen through the burned wood, evoking the element of fire present in California.
One of the most intriguing features of the visitor center is a separate room where a point-of-view augmented reality video will be played on three walls, portraying a variety of only-in-Santa-Cruz-County activities available to travelers. Mountain biking through demonstration forest, admiring art and wine at a local festival, surfing at Cowell’s Beach, wine tasting at a mid-county vineyard, visiting a you-pick farm, hiking a breezy trail at a state park, perusing locally-sourced produce and artisan-made products at a farmer’s market are just some examples of the immersive content that will envelop visitors, enabling them to experience the destination without leaving the visitor center.
This newly designed space is where VSCC’s destination concierge will be able to direct visitors to countywide hotels, restaurants, attractions and parks and beaches.