The International Surfing Museum
Some of the Best Surf Memorabilia is in Huntington Beach, CA
Surf City's surfing museum offers a wide range of culture that includes the Jan and Dean Exhibit, historic surfboards, photos of the great women surfers, and much more.
If you are planning a trip to Huntington Beach, California, you definitely want to visit the International Surfing Museum. This non-profit, 2,000-square foot museum was founded by realtor Natalie Kotsch some 20 years ago. Her vision was to establish a local attraction that would highlight the surfing culture and showcase nearly a century of the best surf memorabilia that Surf City has to offer. Every aspect of the surfing culture is represented here.
Jan and Dean exhibit
Opening April 20, 2008 and running through mid-October, this exhibit will feature 1960s Jan and Dean memorabilia that will include a full record collection, a billboard advertising sign, and a map with over 250 hotel keys tacked onto the various cities that Dean (also a long time Huntington Beach resident) has visited. Apparently, he has been a key collector for years. There will also be a theatre with stadium seating set up in the back corner of the museum. It will show old Jan and Dean clips and concerts from the 1960s, and will run throughout the entire exhibit. In conjunction with this exhibit are the surf concerts that will be held in the adjacent lot outside of the museum. They will run, free of charge, every Sunday (Surfin’ Sunday) beginning April 20, 2008. Worldwide surfing bands are expected to perform.
Duke Kahanamoku
He is considered the “Father of Surfing” and the one who introduced the sport of surfing to the West Coast. Some of the Duke’s collectibles include a 20 inch sculpture bust, his surfboard, a huge poster of him with his surfboard, old photos, and the first 2002 postage stamp in his honor.
The women of surfing
For those that remember the old Sandra Dee Gidget movies of the 1960s, it will be a treat to see old photos of Kathy Zuckerman, the original Gidget and the person that the movies were based on. Still living in So.California, she makes appearances at the museum periodically. There are also lots of photos of the great women surfers that include (world champion) Jericho Poplar, Rell Sunn, Mary Lou McGinnis, and Mary Ann Hawkins, to name a few. Checking out the retro swimwear fashions will also be a treat.
Other must see attractions
There is lots of other surfing nostalgia to check out in the museum. Some of it includes Dick Dale’s first guitar, a guitar owned by Jim Fuller, one of the creators of Wipe Out, the camera that Bruce Brown used to film the surf classic, The Endless Summer, historic surfing photos, vintage movie and concert posters, gold records, guitars, surf trophies, full record collections, and a historic surfboard collection starting from the early 1930s. There is also a rare 9 foot, handcarved koa plank, donated from the Museum of Hawaii.
Museum Gift Shop
For those that want to own (or take home) a touch of California memorabilia there is a gift shop in the museum that carries surf music CDs, stickers, books, key chains, and T-shirts. The museum is located at 411 Olive Ave., just off Main Street. Hours are Monday-Friday from 12 p.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free but donations are welcomed.
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