worth a visit: the charles m. schulz museum
A recent artlcle on an exhibition at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, Calif., reminded me of just what a fun spot this is. If you find yourself in Sonoma County, and even if you only have a glancing appreciation of the venerable Peanuts comic strip, it’s worth a visit. Designed by architect C. David Robinson, the museum opened in 2002, the year I paid my first visit. I confess I’m a Peanuts fan, but I was surprised by just how cool the museum is. It’s surprisingly modern. There are Bertoia chairs on the deck. There’s a wonderful labyrinth outside that you wouldn’t know immediately is in the shape of Snoopy’s head, and in the backyard is an actual “kite-eating tree.”
But the inside is really what counts. From the huge wall tiled with Peanuts strips that from a distance form the famous tableau of Lucy, Charlie Brown, and the football, to an actual nursery wall that Schulz painted for his children before Peanuts was even born, to rotating exhibitions featuring the themes in Schulz’s work, the museum is engaging. And it’s small enough that you can see everything even if you only have an hour or two. Once you’re done, walk across the street to enjoy the delightfully tacky/kitschy Redwood Empire Ice Arena (and large gift shop), “Snoopy’s Home Ice,” where Schulz ate two meals a day at the Warm Puppy Cafe. –Mary T.
Many thanks to Tomas N. Romero for the photos.
Awwww, I wanna go! I hadn’t even heard of it.
I wrote him a fan letter when I was in third grade, and he sent me a nice letter and some drawings. I wish I knew where they were!
Coolest! Would that you knew were it was!
I grew up in Santa Rosa and spent many a childhood afternoon at the ice arena. Tacky, indeed, but it brings back so many wonderful memories! :)
I’ve since visited the new(ish) museum once and and was also impressed by how modern it’s been designed. It’s a great place to take kids but worth it as an adult too if you grew up reading Peanuts.
Charles Schulz
Charles Schulz was one of my favorite passengers because he interacted with the world around him. He had the gift of connecting with his very presence by just being there. He reached out in an engaging way that I knew that he was watching the world in an interesting way. Thanks Charles Schulz for bringing us a taste of how you saw our world. I would really like to know how Charles Schulz viewed flying. He could explained life in a way that none other could. I am pleased that I had the opportunity of saying, “Thank you Mr. Schulz for flying with America Airlines.”