Located close to San Francisco, Santa Rosa is a perfect destination if you want to spend some quality time with your nearest and dearest.
The city is filled with shopping destinations, public squares, vast state parks, and attractions boasting gorgeous views.
But do you know what makes it an even more interesting place to visit?
Santa Rosa is the hometown of iconic cartoon character Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang.
The city has an entire museum and several statues that were put up in their honor.
Moreover, Santa Rosa features scenic landscapes where you can participate in adventurous activities like getting to see rhinos and giraffes.
With so much to offer visitors, this city will be an exciting place to explore on your next vacation.
These are the best things to do in Santa Rosa, California:
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Downtown Santa Rosa is the hub or the heart of the town.
It has everything people want to check out on their vacation.
With some of the best fashion boutiques, bookstores, and delicious restaurants in California, downtown Santa Rosa is a must for your itinerary.
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There are certain tourist attractions located downtown, such as the old district, Old Courthouse Square, and the Museum of Sonoma County.
This place also hosts public events like live music performances, movie nights, and special markets.
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Santa Rosa takes pride in its talented people.
For this very reason, they have dedicated an entire museum to the talented Charles M. “Sparky” Schulz.
All of his life’s works are showcased here.
The museum features different facts related to the Peanuts cartoon.
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He worked on the famous comic strip for more than 40 years, right in his very own hometown, Santa Rosa.
The collection contains his photographs, letters, and several unreleased documents.
There is also a recreation of the Schulz studio and other characters from the cartoon.
Fans can enjoy coffee and ice cream at Warm Puppy Café and Snoopy’s Home Ice.
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Safari West is a gorgeous tourist attraction located just 10 minutes away from downtown Santa Rosa.
Want to experience an African Safari without actually going to Africa?
There are a lot of safari tours you can avail of here.
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The forest spreads across more than 400 acres, and there are a lot of wild animals like rhinos, antelopes, and giraffes.
If you want to spend a night here, you can book a say at one of the luxurious tent cabins located onsite.
You can also join a private safari and enjoy an experience of a lifetime!
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Springlake Regional Park is perfect for your summertime adventures.
The main attraction of this state park happens to be the 72-acre reservoir.
People mainly go swimming or boating in this vast water body.
When you go swimming, you will get floaties, and lifeguards are always there on duty during the swimming season.
There are also available paddle boats and motorboats that will take you all around the lagoon.
There are a lot of fun-filled activities that you can try out at this park.
The park also happens to have a vast campsite where you can spend the night.
There is also parking available for your RVs.
Tennis courts, playgrounds, and picnic spots can be found here.
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The Old Town district is a go-to eating and shopping area near the lively downtown Santa Rosa.
The most interesting thing about this part of Santa Rosa is that it has very old buildings, some of which have been there for over a century.
The Old Town’s most iconic attractions are the Peanuts cartoons statues that were erected in honor of Charles M.”Sparky” Schulz.
Certain rail lines take passengers from the surrounding towns to this part of Santa Rosa.
If you want to feel the city’s historical significance, try to spend a night in Hotel La Rose, which is almost a hundred years old.
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Luther Burbank was once a well-renowned horticulturist in Santa Rosa.
Now, all that is left of him is his wonderful house and equally mesmerizing garden.
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This urban garden is now a prized possession of Santa Rosa and is one of the city’s landmarks.
Decorated with a cactus garden, trees, and a greenhouse created by the man himself, the house is a dream for people who love gardening.
There is also a museum that showcases several of his artifacts.
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Do you take your adventure activities quite seriously?
Trione-Annadel State Park is one of Santa Rosa’s state parks with some of the best hiking and biking trails.
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You can also enjoy picnicking, horseback riding, or fishing in the man-made Lake Ilsanjo.
Spring Lake Regional Park is located near Trione-Annadel State Park.
The California Cheese Trail is a slice of paradise for cheese lovers.
Like a wine tasting, the cheese trail will take you to some of the best locations that offer the most delicious cheese for your taste buds to savor.
You can meet the chefs who make these delicious treats and ask them about the secrets behind their delectable flavors.
The milk and cheese of the Californian farms are known for their great taste.
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There are a lot of museums here in Sonoma County, but the museum of Sonoma Country has an opportunity to teach more than the others.
Teaching visitors about the local culture, facts, and history of Sonoma County, the museum attracts a lot of attention every day.
There are a lot of paintings from the 19th century displayed here, along with historically important photographs.
The Fire Project has also been set up in the museum to raise awareness of the increasing number of wildfires in California.
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Are you a big fan of farm-fresh organic goods?
The Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market might just be the place for you.
The city is well-known for its farmers’ market, operating since 1967.
Farmers and ranchers from all over the town gather here to sell their fresh goods.
If you love homemade and fresh local products, you drop by and check out the market’s fruits, eggs, vegetables, and many handmade goods like scented candles.
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The Luther Burbank Center for the Arts is found in an exquisite location in North Bay.
This theater hosts performances by well-known and up-and-coming artists.
Showcasing work by local artists, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts houses stunning paintings, sculptures, installations, and more.
It has been around since 1981 and receives a lot of support from the local community.
The Luther Burbank Center for the Arts hosts various exhibitions that help the artists raise funds.
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The Pacific Coast Air Museum is located inside the Sonoma County Airport, stretching over 5 acres.
The coolest part about this museum is that it displays some original airplanes in a hangar that has historical significance.
Comprising almost 30 real airplanes, the museum also showcases military fighter planes and helicopters.
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There are certain events that allow visitors to enter the aircraft.
On Open Cockpit Weekends, you can climb inside any plan you want and sit in the cockpit.
Just like there are shows featuring cars, this museum has shows that showcase new and vintage airplane models.
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Enjoy Japanese luxury without even going to Japan.
In the heart of Santa Rosa lies a Japanese-style spa that will take away all your stress with just one visit.
Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary will work wonders on your tired body.
There are a lot of bamboo and bonsai gardens that bring a flavor of Japan to California.
Sit back, meditate, and blow away your worries with a wonderful Japanese-style spa day.
The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County is one of the most famous museums for children in the county.
Taking the kids here is one of the best things to do in Santa Rosa.
You don’t have to take your kids across the globe to teach them about arts, science, and the world.
Play and learn in Flavortown, BeeHaven, and AirMazing, among other exhibits.
Allow your children to get a taste of adulthood.
They can play farmer, nurse, sell fruit at the farm stand, and many other roles.
A 152-acre community park, Howarth Park is open to the public.
Today, it’s one of the city’s most popular hangout spots.
If you’re looking to spend some quality time with your loved ones, the park features a wide range of activities that are guaranteed to please.
The little park train is a great way to go about Howarth Park on a budget.
It’s a quarter-mile long and includes a tunnel, a pond, and a bridge.
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Railroad Square Historic District is the core of Santa Rosa’s “Old Town.”
It is now a magnificent and historic hub of preservation and legacy surrounded by architectural jewels, charming businesses, antique shops, lively restaurants, and colorful cafés.
Many of the buildings in Railroad Square are on the National Register of Historic Places.
They have been lovingly renovated and maintained to evoke a period when the railroads were in their infancy.
There are many places to eat and drink in the plaza and plenty of things to see and do.
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Over four decades, the St. Francis Winery and Vineyards family has worked hard to create a magnificent winery and vineyards.
There are more than 400 acres of sustainable vineyards on the property in the Sonoma and Russian River Valleys, where the estate has been producing fruit-driven wines since the 1880s.
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The estate’s winery employs responsible and environmentally-friendly winemaking techniques to preserve the region’s natural resources and the surrounding environment.
The Visitor’s Center is an imaginative addition to the undulating vineyards with a rustic bell tower and a bronze bell from Marinelli Foundry that can be heard throughout the valley every hour.
Wine and cuisine are served at the estate’s modern tasting area, surrounded by stunning vistas.
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Bennett Valley is home to Matanzas Creek Winery, a secluded vineyard.
It first opened for business in 1977.
At Matanzas Creek Winery, you may enjoy delicious wines while taking in the stunning surroundings.
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In full bloom, the lavender gardens are just breathtaking.
If you want to sip wine and take in the spectacular scenery of Bennett Valley, Matanzas Creek Winery is the ideal place to do this.
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Sugarloaf Ridge State Park is a vast green area extending over 4,000 acres.
It offers scenes of the splendid Mayacamas Mountains, making it more beautiful.
Can you believe this place sits just 25 minutes outside Santa Rosa?
The hiking trails here are scenic—one offers panoramic views of Sonoma Creek, while another path even lets you see the Golden Gate Bridge if it isn’t foggy.
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Some trails even take you to the Bald Mountain summit.
There are over 40 campsites available within the park, giving visitors ample space for setting up tents.
The Robert Ferguson Observatory is a beautiful point with a telescope if you want to look at the stars on a clear night.
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Are you interested in the books of Jack London?
A 30-minute drive away from Santa Rosa, Jack London State Historic Park is entirely dedicated to the novelist.
It’s built around The Call of the Wild author’s ranch, home, and gravesite.
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The property extends for almost 1,400 acres that visitors can explore.
Though his home was almost destroyed in a fire in 1913, you can still see a lot of remnants and learn about the great man.
There are also a lot of hiking trails here.
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Santa Rosa is a breathtaking place to visit, with various stunning landscapes and intriguing attractions.
Regardless of what you choose to do in this laid-back city, you can expect a good time.
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