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Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz, CA

Photo: Sanjay ach, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

AttractionsQuirky FunFamily Favorite

Mystery Spot

465 Mystery Spot Rd · Santa Cruz, CA

Why you should go…

The Mystery Spot calls itself a gravitational anomaly in the redwoods outside Santa Cruz. A guide leads you through a wooden cabin set at a steep slant, where balls appear to roll uphill and you can lean much farther than seems possible. It became a California Historical Landmark in 2014. Tours leave every half hour and often sell out on weekends and holidays, so buy tickets online ahead of time. There is a hiking trail on the property too.

  • #roadside attraction
  • #gravity hill
  • #guided tour
  • #redwoods
  • #optical illusion

Good to know

General attractions guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Book the time slot, not just the ticket

    Timed entry is now the norm at big-draw attractions, and online tickets are often cheaper than the gate.

  • Grab the daily schedule on arrival

    Feeding times, keeper talks, and shows run on a posted timetable that changes day to day.

  • The first hour is the quietest

    Queues build through late morning and peak after lunch, so an early start buys you the shortest waits.

  • Budget past the ticket price

    Parking, lockers, strollers, and food inside the gates are common extras worth planning for.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Mystery Spot, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Club Ed Surf School and Camps

    $50+

    A longtime Santa Cruz surf school offering lessons, rentals and camps near Cowell Beach.

    2.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Santa Cruz County

    Free

    California coastal county known for its beaches, redwood forests, and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

    2.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Downtown Santa Cruz

    Free

    Santa Cruz's walkable downtown shopping and dining district along Pacific Avenue.

    3.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Attractions
    Iconic

    Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

    Free

    Ride a 1924 wooden roller coaster and a 1911 carousel at a seaside amusement park set right on the sand of Main Beach.

    3.5 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    Iconic

    Winchester Mystery House

    $25–$50

    A sprawling, architecturally bizarre Victorian mansion built by firearm heiress Sarah Winchester, open for guided tours.

    21 mi awayMore like this

  • Attractions
    Iconic

    Monterey Bay Aquarium

    $50+

    Watch sea otters, sharks, sea turtles and a towering kelp forest at an aquarium on the old Hovden Cannery site on Cannery Row.

    28 mi awayMore like this