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★ Spotlight 2027

UCSC

University campus

UC Santa Cruz spreads across a redwood-and-meadow hillside above town, and its best stops are gardens, galleries and working farmland rather than storefronts. Historic lime kilns and a restored hay barn sit near the entrance, while the Arboretum and campus reserve reward slow wandering.

A Morning on the Hill

  1. Start at the Cowell Lime Works Historic District near the campus entrance for the kilns and cooperage, using the free self-guided tour.
  2. Walk over to the Cowell Ranch Hay Barn, the restored 1860s timber barn beside the campus farm.
  3. Drive up High Street to the UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden for the collections, then browse plants at Norrie's Gift & Garden Shop (open Tuesday to Sunday).
  4. Finish at the Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery in Porter College on a Tuesday to Saturday afternoon.

Eat & Drink

  • UCSC Produce Pop-Up

    Organic produce from the campus farm appears twice weekly on library plazas during the school year, offering a simple way to pick up seasonal fruit and vegetables grown a short distance away.

    Local tip: Wednesdays outside McHenry Library and Fridays outside the Science & Engineering Library, 11am to 3pm, academic year.

    • Seasonal

    McHenry Library (Wed) and Science & Engineering Library (Fri), UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064

    Website for UCSC Produce Pop-Up (opens in a new tab) ↗ Directions to UCSC Produce Pop-Up (opens in a new tab) ↗

    Checked

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Spotlight 2027 edition. Places are checked against their own websites, most recently in November 2026. Hours and seasons change, so check before you go. Every business listed is locally owned.

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