Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts, knew from early on that he wanted to be a cartoonist. On February 12, 2000, he died peacefully in his Santa Rosa home. Two years later the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center opened in Santa Rosa.
The museum “has the largest collection of original comic strips on display at any given time,” and hosts Cartoonist-in-Residence “as part of its mission to build an understanding of cartoon art.”
The current exhibit features 50 years of Beagle Scout: Here Come the Beagle Scouts! You can look at the cute beagle scouts until March 12, 2025.
The second exhibit features over 50 original comic strips explaining the 1970 from the eyes of the popular characters like Snoopy’s transformation as Joe Cool. Peanuts Evolution: The 1970s will be on display until May 5, 2025.
On the first floor is a re-creation of Charles Schulz’s art studio, a timeline of his life, and a Wrapped Snoopy House by Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
There are plenty of photo ops, like Lucy’s booth. I especially enjoyed the small sculpture garden with a real giant pumpkin!
The museum is open weekdays, except Tuesdays, from 11 am – 5 pm and weekends from 10 am – 5 pm. General admission is $12, but there are discount options for seniors, students, youth, active military, and EBT cardholders. The location is 2301 Hardies Lane in Santa Rosa, CA.
Which Peanuts character is your favorite?