Audio Walking Tours

Coastal Trail Audio Tour

Download our audio tour and join us for a walk along the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, starting just outside the Aquarium. Our director of interpretive programs, Jim Covel, gives you an insider's view of the rich natural and human history of this spectacular section of the bay. The complete half-mile walking tour (all six segments) takes about half an hour. Download in iTunes

Ways to download audio:

iTunes Feedburner ZIP Download printable map pdf
Start Coastal Trail Audio Tour

  • 01. Introduction

    This walking tour begins at the main entrance to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and heads south along the "Rec Trail".

  • 02. Rec Trail

    Learn the colorful history of the "Rec Trail" (the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail), which runs from Marina to Pacific Grove.

  • 03. Oceanview And Eardley

    Journey back in time and hear stories about the Chinese fishing village that was once located here.

  • 04. Monterey Boat Works

    Hear about this historic site where commercial fishing boats were built and repaired, and bootleggers landed during prohibition.

  • 05. Hopkins Marine Station

    The oldest marine science lab on the Pacific coast.

  • 06. Pocket Beach

    Learn about the wildlife that frequents this location: harbor seals and their pups; elephant seals; whales; and even local deer and Canada geese. Keep your eyes open!

Cannery Row Audio Tour

Download our audio tour and join us for a walking tour of famed Cannery Row, starting just outside the Aquarium. Our director of interpretive programs, Jim Covel, supplies fascinating insight into Cannery Row, inspiration for the famous John Steinbeck novel of the same name. The complete one-mile walking tour (all 11 segments) takes about an hour. Download in iTunes

Ways to download audio:

iTunes Feedburner ZIP Download printable map pdf
Start Cannery Row Tour Audio Tour

  • 01. Aquarium Entry

    This walking tour begins at the main entrance to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, site of the famed Cannery Row.

  • 02. La Ida Cafe

    Learn about the La Ida café—now a restaurant—made famous in Steinbeck"s "Cannery Row."

  • 03. Wing Chong Building

    Hear about the Wing Chong store, a popular hangout for characters in the two Steinbeck novels set in this area.

  • 04. Ed Ricketts Home

    If this building could talk! Learn about Doc Ricketts lab, where he lived, did scientific work, and entertained the most colorful and famous characters of the Row.

  • 05. McAbee Beach

    Learn about McAbee beach, where Portuguese harpoon whalers watched for their prey and a Chinese village once stood.

  • 06. Fish Hopper

    Hear how the simple concept of a wooden "fish hopper" revolutionized the sardine business and helped bring in 70 tons of fish each hour.

  • 07. Monterey Plaza Hotel

    Learn how this spot became the site of an elegant family estate — until the "fragrance" of the canneries drove the residents away.

  • 08. Bust of Ed Rickets

    Hear about the tragic death of Doc Ricketts, which took place on this spot, and where a memorial stands today.

  • 09. Del Monte Express

    Learn about the Del Monte Express. In the 1880s, this train helped move sardines from the canneries to points across the country in just a day or two.

  • 10. Monterey Canning Company

    Hear about the canning business, how it changed over the decades, and how it all came to an abrupt end in the early 1950s.

  • 11. Cannery Worker Shacks

    Learn about the lives of typical cannery workers, who stayed in unassuming shacks.