Entry No. 2 — the Monterey file — filed under: cabinet of curiosities

Pacific Biological Laboratories ("Doc's Lab")

The actual working lab of marine biologist Ed Ricketts — the real-life model for "Doc" in Steinbeck's Cannery Row — where he kept and preserved live specimens before crating them off to schools and museums, and where a men's club that bought the building in 1958 helped launch the Monterey Jazz Festival. Now city-owned and opened only for capped monthly tours.

The move: Catch one of the free public tours on the second Saturday of the month (Jan–Nov, 10am or 11:30am, plus 12–4pm open hours) or book a private hour-long tour ($100 for up to 4 people) and hear docents point out where the 1936 fire tore through Ricketts' library.

• 📍 Cannery Row, Monterey
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 800 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: monterey.gov · Tripadvisor

last checked: 2026-07-20