November Newsletter / News from the Adobes
The November Dispatch
News from the Adobes · November 2026
Luminarias in December, a garden lit for the season and a month for giving thanks.
Returns for Its 42nd Year
Christmas in the Adobes
Friday & Saturday, Dec. 11–12 · 5–9 p.m.
Historic Old Monterey
Long before California was a state, Monterey was its capital. The adobes along its streets served as homes, offices and restaurants. The Custom House, the oldest government building in California, was the region’s commercial center.
For two evenings each December, those rooms fill again. Luminarias line the paths through Historic Old Monterey, and more than 20 historic locations open their doors with holiday décor, live music and refreshments at select adobes. Many of the community partner sites open to the public only on these two nights, which is what makes the evening feel like a secret Monterey has kept for 42 years.
Wander at your own pace, step into a sala lit for the season and hear the stories behind the buildings where California’s early history happened.
Ticket | Price |
Adult, single night Friday or Saturday | $30 |
Adult, Two-Night Gold Pass Both evenings | $45 |
Youth, 17 and under | Free |
The Insider’s Choice
Take the Gold Pass
Two full evenings to see every building without rushing, for just $15 more than a single night.
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 or the Pacific House Store. Military and MSHPA member discounts are available at the Custom House Store only.
Good to Know
The event runs rain or shine, so dress for the evening. Eventbrite tickets are exchanged for wristbands at will-call and are not accepted at individual locations. Tickets are nonrefundable, and there are no phone sales.
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.
Friday, Before the Adobes Open
An Evening in the Memory Garden
Tucked behind the Pacific House Museum is a garden most visitors walk right past. The Olmsted Brothers, the landscape firm behind some of the country’s great public spaces, designed the Memory Garden in 1927, a tranquil oasis in the center of old Monterey.
On Friday, Dec. 11, it glows. Aramark Destinations of the historic Asilomar Hotel & Conference Grounds hosts a holiday reception in the illuminated garden, with seasonal bites and wines from Joyce Winery, in partnership with MSHPA’s Christmas in the Adobes. The reception runs 4–7 p.m., and the adobes open at 5, so the evening flows from one into the other.
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 |
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.
Volunteer at the Adobes
Ever imagined being an 1840s señorita receiving guests in your sala? Be a State Parks volunteer for a night. Contact Aaron Gilmartin at Aaron.gilmartin@parks.ca.gov.
For Local Businesses
For 42 years, local businesses have helped light these two nights. Sponsorship puts you in front of holiday guests and supports history programs for Monterey’s students. Learn more at MSHPA.org.
Thanksgiving
A Season of Thanks
The Custom House was built for arrivals. When ships sailed into Monterey Bay, this is where their cargo, and the news they carried, first came ashore in California.
This Thanksgiving, we are grateful for everyone who keeps coming back to these buildings: the members who have sustained the park since 1975, the volunteers who greet visitors and staff our stores, the teachers who bring their classes through the adobes and every guest who buys a ticket, a book or a cap. Because of you, California’s First Theatre is open again, and the stories of early Monterey are still told inside the rooms where they happened.
From all of us at the Monterey State Historic Park Association, thank you, and happy Thanksgiving.
Planning a visit Thanksgiving week? Please check holiday store hours before you go.
Saturday, Nov. 28 · Shop Small Saturday
Shop Local. Support History.
The Saturday after Thanksgiving is the day to shop close to home, and few gift shops are closer to Monterey’s story than ours. Find books on California history and the coast, plus our embroidered California caps featuring the grizzly bear, California quail, sea otter and orca.
Every purchase at the Custom House Store or Pacific House Store supports Monterey State Historic Park, including the programs that bring local grade school students into its historic buildings. While you’re there, pick up your Christmas in the Adobes tickets in person.
Store | Hours |
Custom House Store | Thu–Sun · 11 a.m.–4 p.m. |
Pacific House Store | Tue–Sun · 10 a.m.–4 p.m. |
Since 1975
Become a Member
Since 1975, the Monterey State Historic Park Association has worked alongside the park to keep its adobes open, its stories told and its educational programs available to the community. Membership makes that work possible, and payments can be made through Square at the Custom House Store.
Member Tip
Join before you buy your Christmas in the Adobes tickets, then purchase at the store to receive member pricing.
Help Keep Monterey’s History Alive
Whether you become a member, shop our stores, volunteer or join us under the luminarias in December, you help preserve the places where California began. Thank you for sharing Monterey’s history with the next generation.
Learn more at MSHPA.org
Comments