Part of Sonoma County’s wine region, Santa Rosa enjoys a countryside ambience near the high-tech corridors in Silicon Valley. Picturesque vineyards, quaint museums and outdoor activities lend a small-town charm to this important link in the chain of California’s wine-growing territory.
Things to do in Santa Rosa
Sonoma County wines rival Napa Valley, especially when it comes to small family estates and handcrafted wines from places like St. Francis Winery & Vineyards. Spend an afternoon at Matanzas Creek Winery for bocce ball, picnics and strolling through lavender fields. You can also join winery and brewery bike tours.
View original comic strips and tiled murals memorialising the iconic “Peanuts” cartoonist at Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center. You can watch documentaries about cartooning and try your own hand at the art. Kids will love the Snoopy doghouse, labyrinth and a Kite-Eating tree.
More family fun awaits at the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County, which features a miniature train station, bubble activities and airtunes with Koosh balls. Head out to Sonoma Serengeti for a simulated African safari with giraffes and herds of galloping wildebeest.
Spring Lake Park connects to Annadel State Park, where you’ll find plenty of outdoor fun. You can rent a boat, go fishing or stand-up paddleboarding, and let the kids play on the carousel and miniature train. In the evening, have dinner in the Railroad Square Historic District or South A Street Art District, then catch a concert with mainline entertainers at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts.
Getting around Santa Rosa
Taxis, ride-sharing service and city buses offer transportation in Santa Rosa. You can also rent a car at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport on Airport Boulevard, about six kilometres from town.