Excerpt from Cabrillo National Monument Website:

http://www.nps.gov/cabr/

The Visitor Center is a complex of facilities including the breezeway, information desk, bookstore, viewing patios, Cabrillo exhibit, theater, Ballast View rest area, and rest rooms. The administrative offices are also part of this complex but most visitors do not enter this component. The Visitor Center at Cabrillo National Monument is the perfect place to get oriented to the park. Rangers and volunteers are always available to answer questions and provide suggestions on what to do. Here you can:

• Find the day’s schedule of auditorium programs and ranger talks.
• Get your National Parks Passport book stamped.
• Chat with a ranger.
• Pick up a Junior Ranger activity for kids.
• Check out the day’s weather forecast.
• Find out when low tide is.
• Get a hands-on feel for 16th century armor and navigational instruments.
• Tour the Age of Exploration exhibit.
• Come in out of the elements if it’s foggy, raining, or windy outside, but take in the world class view from the surrounding patio when the weather is nice.
• Make your educational and souvenir purchases in the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation Store.

Films are scheduled on the hour, unless they are preempted by a ranger program. Films may alternatively
be shown in the Visitor Center. Check the daily schedule for times. Films that may be shown include:

In Search of Cabrillo
On the Edge of Land and Sea
Kumeyaay
First Breath: Gray Whale Migration

 Top Visitor Center Questions

You should be familiar with the answers to some of the top questions asked in the Visitor Center.  If you’re not, please seek out a Ranger or VIP who can provide you the answers.

1. This is my first time here. What is there to see and do?
2. Where is the lighthouse? How do I get to the lighthouse?  Can I drive to the lighthouse?
3. Where’s the second lighthouse?
4. Where is the monument? (Some are referring to the historical marker and others are referring to the Cabrillo statue.)
5. Are there any trails? Where are they?
6. Where is the bathroom?
7. Do you have the National Park Passport stamp?
8. Where can I get change for the penny press machine?
9. Where can I get something to eat or drink?
10. Do you have a Junior Ranger program?
11. Who can be buried in the cemetery? (Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery)
12. Are the weapons / armor real?
13. What’s the next movie?
14. Where are the movies shown?
15. When is low tide?
16. How do I get to the tidepools?
17. Can I walk to the tidepools?
18. Can I buy an annual park pass here?
19. What are the requirements for a senior park pass? An access pass?
20. Is the rattlesnake real? Alive?
21. Are there any ranger-led programs today?
22. What are the park’s hours? (Phone call)
23. How do I get to the park? (Phone call)
24. Can I bring my dog to the park? (Phone call)
25. Do you sell _____ ? (Get familiar with store contents)
26. How do I get from here to ____ ?
27. When’s the next bus?

Last revised 27-Jun-16