Entry No. 4 — the Monterey file — filed under: marine specimen lab

Pacific Biological Laboratories (Ed Ricketts' Lab)

Marine biologist Ed Ricketts ran this building as a mail-order biological supply house, preserving and selling specimen slides of Pacific Coast sea creatures to labs and classrooms nationwide — the real-life building, specimen tanks and all, that became Steinbeck's fictional 'Western Biological Laboratory.' It's normally locked and off-limits, opened only for capped, city-run tours.

The move: Reserve a free one-hour tour through the Monterey Museums office (831-646-5648, only 15 visitors per hour admitted) to stand in the back room where Ricketts once kept tanks of live specimens, then walk Cannery Row afterward comparing the real street to Steinbeck's version.

📍 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.

#marine specimen lab #rarely open #reservation required #literary history #free

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Wikipedia · montereypl.libcal.com

last checked: 2026-07-20