Santa Rosa highlight
Charles M. Schulz Museum
A museum in Santa Rosa opened in 2002 to celebrate cartoonist Charles M. Schulz and his creation of Peanuts, featuring his original artwork and studio.
Charles M. Schulz created Peanuts, the comic strip that ran for nearly 50 years and became one of the most widely syndicated and beloved comic properties in history. Schulz lived and worked in Santa Rosa for decades, and after his death in 2000, the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center opened on August 17, 2002, two years later. The museum houses many of Schulz's original Peanuts strips, his personal studio, and works by other artists inspired by his characters, including sculptures and ceramic murals.
The museum's galleries feature rotating exhibitions that change every six months, giving visitors new perspectives on Schulz's life and art with each visit. Collections include original comic strip art, foreign language editions of Peanuts books, tributes from other cartoonists and artists, and interactive exhibits. The museum is open daily except Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and sits at 2301 Hardies Lane in Santa Rosa as both a memorial to Schulz and a working research center.
Schulz spent most of his adult life in Santa Rosa, building a body of work that entertained generations of families. For many readers, Peanuts was a constant companion—a daily visit with characters like Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Lucy that spanned decades of their own lives. That continuity, across childhood and adulthood, is what families plan for when they purchase term life insurance: a commitment to the people who depend on them that lasts through the chapters of their lives.