Amidst the beautiful vineyards, wineries, farms, gourmet restaurants, top-flight hotels and excellent spas of the Wine Country in Sonoma County, visitors will come across an unexpected, and fun, surprise when they pull into the town of Santa Rosa - Snoopy. Not Snoopy specifically, but an entire museum dedicated to Charles Schulz, the cartoonist who created Snoopy and the many other lovable characters from the “Peanuts” comic strip. A visit to the museum can provide a fun way to spend an afternoon while in the Wine Country.
Charlie Brown in Santa Rosa
Schulz was born in Minnesota, but ended up spending much of his life in Santa Rosa. Just months after his death in 2000, groundbreaking began on the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center.
The museum officially opened in 2002 and, in a nod to Schulz’s Minnesota roots and love of hockey (which Snoopy could often be found playing on the frozen surface of Woodstock’s birdbath), the facility sits right by the Redwood Empire Ice Arena, also known as “Snoopy’s Home Ice.” Schulz often played in senior hockey tournaments there. The arena is also home to the “Warm Puppy Cafe.”
The museum itself can be experienced in many different ways depending on what one is looking for. There are insights into Schulz’s life, including a re-creation of his studio which was previously located at One Snoopy Place in Santa Rosa. There is also a wall preserved from the nursery for Schulz’s daughter that features his drawings of Peanuts characters as well as characters from other children’s stories. Many of the docents at the museum knew Schulz on a personal level and can relate stories about him. Of course, there are also many exhibits relating to the drawings of Schulz and how he made them for nearly 50 years.
Artistic Tributes to Charles Schulz
The admiration that many artists have held for Schulz can be found in exhibits they have contributed to the museum. The most striking installation is 17-by-22-foot mural made by Japanese artist Yoshiteru Otani. The mural is made up of over 3,500 ceramic tiles, each of which has an individual Peanuts comic strip on it. When placed altogether, the tiles form a giant picture of Lucy holding a football as Charlie Brown runs towards her, hoping against hope that this will be the time he actually gets to kick it. The overall visual effect is stunning.
Another tribute comes from the artist Christo, a friend of Schulz who made his way into a Peanuts strip in 1978 when Snoopy found his dog house completely wrapped in the style Christo had made famous. In 2003, Christo submitted an actual wrapped Snoopy house to the museum.
Charles Schulz Museum Store
Those who want a remembrance of their visit to the museum can find it at the museum store, which has an astonishing array of Peanuts-themed products, including a yellow t-shirt with a black wavy line on it, just like Charlie Brown wears.
Charles M. Schulz Museum
707-579-4452
2301 Hardies Lane
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays during the fall, winter and spring from Labor Day through Memorial Day. Open every day during the summer.
The Wine Country is a great place to visit for many reasons beyond the wine. Spend an afternoon with Linus, Lucy, Charlie Brown and all the Peanuts gang at the Charles M. Schulz museum.
