Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center is a cultural institution at 2301 Hardies Lane in northwestern Santa Rosa, California, dedicated to preserving and exhibiting the artistic legacy of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz (1922–2000). Opened in August 2002 across the street from the cartoonist’s longtime Redwood Empire Ice Arena, the 27,384-square-foot facility houses the world’s largest collection of original Peanuts comic strips, studio artifacts, and archival materials. Travelers visit this Sonoma County landmark to examine original ink-on-paper drawings of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Lucy, explore a full-scale recreation of Schulz’s working studio, and walk through outdoor sculpture gardens integrated into the larger Schulz Campus.
What to Expect at Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center
The museum spreads across two light-filled levels designed to display rotational exhibitions alongside permanent monumental installations. Because original ink drawings are highly sensitive to light exposure, the curatorial team rotates the original daily and Sunday Peanuts strips in the ground-floor Changing Exhibition Galleries every few months, ensuring repeat visitors always encounter fresh panels from the 17,897 strips Schulz drew single-handedly between October 1950 and February 2000. In the Great Hall, guests immediately encounter two signature works engineered by Japanese artist Yoshiteru Otani: a 22-foot-wide ceramic tile mural composed of 3,588 individual comic strips forming an image of Lucy holding a football for Charlie Brown, and a laminated wood relief sculpture showing the evolution of Snoopy from a four-legged puppy in 1950 to the upright canine persona known worldwide.
Upstairs on the second floor, visitors step into an intimate look at the cartoonist’s daily creative routine and personal history. This level features a faithful reconstruction of Schulz’s One Snoopy Place studio, furnished with his original drawing board, leather chair, bookshelf, and family photographs, alongside the Peanuts Nursery wall that Schulz hand-painted in 1951 for his first daughter’s bedroom in Colorado Springs and which was later carefully extracted and restored. The second floor also includes a 100-seat theater screening classic animated specials such as A Charlie Brown Christmas and biographical documentaries, a hands-on education room where adults and children can sketch characters and create zoetrope animations, and an outdoor courtyard anchoring a cobblestone labyrinth shaped like Snoopy’s head.
- Tile Mural by Yoshiteru Otani: Located in the Great Hall, this monumental wall installation arrays 3,588 miniature ceramic tiles printed with daily strips to form a panoramic portrait of Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown.
- Schulz’s Reconstructed Studio: An authentic second-floor installation displaying the artist’s actual drawing board, pens, reference books, and personal awards from his nearby Santa Rosa workspace.
- Rotating Original Comic Strip Galleries: Climate-controlled ground-floor galleries presenting themed exhibitions of original hand-lettered and inked Peanuts strips, preliminary pencil sketches, and vintage merchandise.
- The Nursery Wall: A preserved plaster wall painted by Schulz in 1951 in his Colorado Springs home, featuring early depictions of Charlie Brown, Patty, and Snoopy alongside storybook figures.
- Outdoor Courtyard & Snoopy Labyrinth: A landscaped garden courtyard containing bronze and stone sculptures, benches, and a walkable turf-and-stone labyrinth patterned after the profile of Snoopy.
Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 2301 Hardies Ln, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, United States |
| Neighborhood / Area | Northwest Santa Rosa / Schulz Campus (Steele Lane Corridor) |
| Operating Hours | Mon, Wed–Fri: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Sat–Sun: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Closed Tuesdays (open daily in summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day) |
| Admission / Price Range | Paid admission ($); Adults $12, Seniors (62+) $8, Youth (4–18) & College Students with ID $5, Children 3 & under Free |
| Recommended Visit Duration | 1.5 to 2.5 hours |
| Nearest Transit / Parking | Free on-site surface parking lot; Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) Santa Rosa North Station (10-minute walk); Santa Rosa CityBus Route 1 |
| Official Website & Phone | schulzmuseum.org | +1 707-579-4452 |
Visiting Tips, Getting There & Nearby Pairings
To view the ground-floor comic strip galleries at an unhurried pace, arrive at opening time—11:00 AM on weekdays or 10:00 AM on weekends—or visit after 2:00 PM on school days when morning field trips have departed. General admission tickets can be purchased at the front desk upon arrival, and visitors can access the museum’s free smartphone Digital Guide for audio commentary from Jean Schulz and curatorial staff. Drivers should take US Highway 101 to the West Steele Lane exit and turn north onto Hardies Lane, where free surface parking is available directly outside the entrance. Travelers arriving from Marin County or downtown Santa Rosa without a car can ride the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) train to the Santa Rosa North station at Guerneville Road, located an easy half-mile walk south of the campus.
The facility is fully wheelchair and stroller accessible, equipped with automatic power doors, a wide passenger elevator connecting the first and second floors, accessible restrooms, complimentary loaner wheelchairs at the admissions counter, and tactile/descriptive tour options for visitors with low vision. After touring the galleries, cross Hardies Lane to explore the rest of the Schulz Campus. Directly opposite stands Snoopy’s Home Ice (the Redwood Empire Ice Arena), opened by Schulz in 1969, where you can watch skaters from the Warm Puppy Café—and examine the reserved corner booth where Schulz ate breakfast and lunch almost every day—before browsing collectibles next door at Snoopy’s Gallery and Gift Shop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the opening hours and best days to visit the Charles M. Schulz Museum?
The museum is open Monday and Wednesday through Friday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It is closed on Tuesdays during the fall, winter, and spring, though it opens seven days a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Weekday afternoons and Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM offer the quietest gallery conditions for reading individual comic strips.
How much do tickets cost and are reservations required?
General admission is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors aged 62 and older, and $5 for youths aged 4 to 18 and college students with valid ID, while children aged 3 and under enter free. Advance timed reservations are not required for individual visitors, who can buy tickets at the front desk upon arrival; group tours and specialized Behind-the-Scenes tours can be arranged in advance through schulzmuseum.org.
How much time should I budget for the museum and Schulz Campus?
Most visitors spend 1.5 to 2.5 hours exploring the two floors of indoor exhibitions, watching an animated feature in the theater, and walking the outdoor courtyard and Snoopy Labyrinth. If you plan to have lunch at the Warm Puppy Café inside Snoopy’s Home Ice and browse Snoopy’s Gallery and Gift Shop across the street, budget 3 to 4 hours for the entire campus.
Is the museum suitable for young children and accessible for wheelchairs?
Yes, the museum is designed for visitors of all ages and mobility levels, featuring step-free entrances, an elevator to the upper floor, paved courtyard paths, and complimentary wheelchairs available on a first-come, first-served basis. Families with children appreciate the second-floor hands-on craft and cartooning studio, interactive museum scavenger hunts, and the adjacent ice rink and gift shop.
When planning your Santa Rosa travel guide or comparing verified attractions and museums in Santa Rosa, pair this stop with standout local spots including Trione-Annadel State Park, Flamingo Resort & Spa, Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country, and Children's Museum of Sonoma County (0.1 km away).
