Plan Your Visit
As you make arrangements for your visit, there are a range of accommodations available to suit your preferences and budget. Take the opportunity to explore the local sights—whether it’s a stroll along the beach, a visit to the Boardwalk, or a hike through nature. And rest assured that detailed directions and parking information will be at your disposal for easy navigation and accessibility throughout the event.
Places to stay
Hotel Paradox
611 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Hotel Paradox is a boutique downtown hotel near the Boardwalk. Santa Cruz beaches and downtown shopping and dining are minutes from our door. Located just off Highway 1 and Highway 17 in downtown Santa Cruz.
Hotel Paradox is offering a special rate of $185 per night for stays booked through this link.
Courtyard by Marriott, Santa Cruz
313 Riverside Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Brand new Marriott hotel located two-blocks to sandy beaches and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. This facility is located 3 miles from campus and walking distance to downtown Santa Cruz.
Phone Reservation: (831) 419-8700 or Online reservation
Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley
6001 La Madrona Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Nestled among the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, 10 minutes from Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is within a 15-minute drive.
Hilton is offering a 15% discount for stays booked through this link.
Hampton by Hilton
2424 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Located off State Hwy 1 in Santa Cruz, our hotel is within a two-mile radius of the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, Surfers Memorial, Mitchell Cove, Natural Bridges, and Lighthouse Field State beaches. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a quick ten-minute drive away. Enjoy our free breakfast, cozy guest rooms and suites, and the sun on our outdoor patio.
Hampton by Hilton is offering a 10% discount for stays booked through this link.
Getting there
UC Santa Cruz Campus
1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
- Access directions to campus from Northern California, Southern and Central California, and nearby airports.
- The nearest airports to UCSC:
- San Jose Mineta International (SJC): 35 miles from campus
- Monterey Regional (MRY): 45 miles from campus
- San Francisco International (SFO): 65 miles from campus
- Oakland International (OAK): 70 miles from campus
- Campus parking is included in your registration fee. Parking details will be available closer to the event date.
Golden Alumni Reunion Dinner at the Paradox
611 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
- The Hotel Paradox is located in central Santa Cruz, off Ocean Street. It is approximately 4 miles from UCSC campus.
- Parking details will be available closer to the event date.
Other things to do
Explore campus
UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Enjoy free admission and parking at the Arboretum during Alumni Reunion Weekend. Please check in at Norrie’s Gift Shop where you can also purchase one-of-a-kind gifts and Arboretum-cultivated plants.
- Arboretum: open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Norrie’s Gift Shop: open 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Campus Farm & Alan Chadwick Garden
Both the Farm and Chadwick Garden are open to the public daily for self-guided tours. Tour brochures are available at the Farm entrances or download a pdf version of the tour brochure. Please do not harvest anything without permission.
- Farm & Chadwick Garden: open 8 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Parliament Funkadelic feat. George Clinton – Saturday, April 26 at 7 p.m.
Use code SAMMYSAYS to take advantage of our exclusive UCSC alumni discount to experience a legendary night of funk at the Quarry Amphitheater while you’re in town.
- General Admission: $45 (reduced from $59)
- Premium Seating: $85 (reduced from $99)
Experience Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County is full of beautiful places to explore and fun things to do. With over 14 state parks, wineries, museums, farmer’s markets, surfing, shopping, there are plenty of things to do. Check out all the things to do in Santa Cruz County!
We especially recommend checking out the Seymour Marine Discovery Center and the UCSC Institute of Arts & Sciences:
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
The 20,000-square-foot visitor center – powered by UCSC’s Long Marine Laboratory – offers guests the opportunity to touch a shark, explore the latest discoveries in ocean science, and take in the spectacular Monterey Bay.
- Seymour Center: open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Paid admission required
Institute of Arts & Sciences
The state-of-the-art galleries and screening room offer groundbreaking, national-caliber art exhibitions and social justice initiatives, educating UCSC students and the public about urgent issues impacting our society.
- Institute of Arts & Sciences: open 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Update your UCSC merch
Bay Tree Bookstore
The Bay Tree Bookstore is offering all Alumni Reunion Weekend attendees 20% off any one item purchased online only. Use code Alumni25 at checkout!
Bookshop Santa Cruz
Visit the iconic Bookshop Santa Cruz in downtown, open 9am-9pm every day. The Bookshop is offering 15% off one Slug Shop item during the weekend of April 25-27th. Or, shop online with the coupon code “SLUGALUM” from April 25-30th.