Christmas in the Adobes
Less Than Four Weeks Away
Christmas in the Adobes
Friday & Saturday, Dec. 11–12 · 5–9 p.m.
Historic Old Monterey · 42nd Year
It starts at dusk.
The first luminarias flicker along the streets of Historic Old Monterey, a door swings open, and warm light spills out of a room that was here before California was a state.
Inside, the sala is dressed for the holidays. Music drifts in from the next adobe. A State Parks volunteer welcomes you the way a Monterey family would have welcomed guests in the 1840s. Then you step back into the cool December air, and the next lantern-lit doorway is already waiting.
This is Christmas in the Adobes, and in its 42nd year it is less than four weeks away.
Two Nights a Year
Only on These Two Nights
Doors that open twice a year. Many of the community partner locations on the route welcome the public only during Christmas in the Adobes.
California Historical Landmark No. 1. See the Custom House, the oldest government building in California, by luminaria.
More than 20 historic locations. Holiday décor, live music and refreshments at select adobes, all within a walk of each other.
History you can step into. Volunteers bring the rooms to life, and every building has a story waiting.
Kids come free. Youth 17 and under need no ticket, so bring the whole family.
Tickets Are Moving
Sales are running well ahead of last year. Choose your night now so your group can go together.
Choose Your Night
Tickets
Ticket | Price |
Adult, single night Friday or Saturday | $30 |
Adult, Two-Night Gold Pass Both evenings | $45 |
Youth, 17 and under | Free |
Our Tip
Take the Gold Pass
Twenty-plus buildings is a lot to see in one evening. For $15 more you get both nights to wander without watching the clock.
How to Get Tickets
Online: at MSHPA’s Christmas in the Adobes page through Eventbrite. Pick up your wristband and map at one of three will-call locations the night of the event.
In person: at the Custom House Store (Thu–Sun, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.) or the Pacific House Store (Tue–Sun, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.). Military and MSHPA member discounts are available at the Custom House Store only.
A Gift That’s Ready to Give
Buy at either store and you leave with your wristbands in hand. Tuck them into a holiday card for someone who loves Monterey.
Friday, Dec. 11 · 4–7 p.m.
Make a Night of It
Begin Friday in a garden designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1927 and hidden behind the Pacific House Museum. Aramark Destinations of the historic Asilomar Hotel & Conference Grounds hosts a holiday reception in the illuminated Memory Garden, with seasonal bites and wines from Joyce Winery.
The adobes open at 5, so you can raise a glass in the garden and stroll straight into Christmas in the Adobes. Space is limited. Reception tickets and Christmas in the Adobes tickets are sold separately; neither ticket includes the other. Select “Holiday Evening Reception” on the ticket page for the reception.
When | Friday, Dec. 11 · 4–7 p.m. |
Where | Memory Garden 20 Custom House Plaza, Monterey |
Ticket | $65 per person plus Eventbrite fees |
Includes | Reception, seasonal bites, wine from Joyce Winery |
Before You Go
Good to Know
Rain or shine. Dress for a December evening and wear comfortable walking shoes.
Wristbands at will-call. Eventbrite tickets are exchanged for wristbands and are not accepted at individual locations.
All sales final. Tickets are nonrefundable, and there are no phone sales.
We’ll See You Under the Luminarias
Every ticket helps bring local elementary students into the historic buildings where California’s story began, and supports preservation across Monterey State Historic Park, including California’s First Theatre. When you walk through those doors in December, you help keep them open all year.
P.S. Want to be part of the magic from the inside? State Parks needs volunteers both nights. Contact Aaron Gilmartin at Aaron.gilmartin@parks.ca.gov.
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