Explore Snoopy and The Peanuts in Sonoma County

Charles M. Schulz Museum and Snoopy’s Home Ice

Whether you fly or drive to Sonoma County, the best place to start your Peanuts adventure is at the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport. The fact that the airport is named for Schulz illustrates the affection local people felt for this quiet and unassuming cartoonist.

Out front, large bronze sculptures of Charlie and Linus lean against a stone wall, watching visitors come and go. Inside find wall paintings featuring Snoopy flying his doghouse.

Have a question? The airport information booth looks just like Lucy’s psychiatric booth, complete with signs: “Airport Help 5¢” and “The Helper is In.”

Five-foot fiberglass images of the gang are everywhere. Charlie Brown directs visitors to self-check-in, Lucy holds a world map, Snoopy poses in his pilot’s gear, and Woodstock perches on his nest.

For your next stop, head to the Kaiser Permanente offices (3925 Old Redwood Highway), where outside you can see Woodstock reading to small birds. Behind the building, along a nicely landscaped patio, three characters await. Snoopy with Woodstock, Charlie Brown, and Lucy at her psychiatric booth waiting for the next person willing to pay 5¢ for her advice. Comfortable wooden benches welcome you to relax.

Young and old love a visit to the Charles M. Schulz Museum. In addition to the museum, on this fun campus you’ll also find Snoopy’s Gallery and Gift Shop and Snoopy’s Home Ice ice skating rink with the Warm Puppy Café. This is where Schulz spent a lot of his time, and where you can get a real feel for the cartoonist and his creations.

The gift shop sells all things Peanuts, from fuzzy Snoopy dolls to Charlie Brown’s zigzag shirt. In addition to clothing and toys, you’ll find books, music, figurines, home décor, and more.

Next door, rent skates and glide across the ice. Or kick back at the café, enjoying a snack or meal while watching skaters through the windows. Curl up in front of the gas fireplace with a cup of Peppermint Patty hot chocolate. This café was one of Schulz’s favorite hangouts, and he ate breakfast and lunch here almost every day. His favorite table by the front window is permanently reserved for him.

Just across from the ice rink, the Schulz Museum is 8,000 square feet of art and whimsy, designed with clean, modern lines and a spirit of fun. Changing exhibitions around fun themes display the largest collection of Schulz’s original cartoons in the world. There’s something here for every age, from the “kite-eating tree” and oversized birdbath in the courtyard to the mural a Japanese artist created using 3,588 comic strip tiles. There’s also a re-creation of Schulz’s studio, a timeline of his life, and a 1951 original wall that he painted in the nursery of his Colorado home.

The museum’s 100-seat theater shows a variety of animated Peanuts specials and fascinating interviews. You can check the theater schedule ahead of time to help you plan your visit.

If you want to stretch your legs on the Schulz property, take a stroll to the baseball diamond and a cement roller hockey court just north of the museum’s parking lot.

For those with children (or the young at heart), next door to the Schulz Museum, you’ll find the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County, with interactive, hands-on exhibits focused on art, nature, and science.

Schulz was also a frequent visitor to the nearby Coddingtown shopping mall, where he would spend hours in a bygone bookstore. Now, just inside the mall entrance you’ll find fiberglass statues of Charlie Brown and Snoopy by a colorful play area designed for children under 42 inches tall, with padded benches for parents. There’s a wide variety of eateries in the mall and surrounding neighborhood.

Check in for the night at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country, which has a fiberglass statue of Lucy. Or have a memorable stay at the historic Hotel La Rose.

Find the Peanuts statues in Santa Rosa and beyond

Start the day in Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa. Here you’ll find a bronze statue of Marcie reading a book on an inviting bench under shady pine trees. For a great photo, slide in next to her. Not far away, a blue fiberglass Lucy with butterflies in her hair stands near a glittery glass-mosaic-covered Woodstock.

For breakfast, head to Dierk’s Parkside Café, popular for its modern twists on classic comfort food like homemade cinnamon rolls grilled like French toast, or scrambled eggs with Sonoma duck confit.

Another tasty option near the square, is Mac’s Deli & Café offering a selection of omelets, Benedicts, breakfast bagels or sandwiches, pancakes, and more.

Explore and stroll down Fourth Street, where you’ll find shops, galleries, coffee houses, and outdoor cafes. Also within walking distance, is a fun fiberglass Lucy at the Santa Rosa City Hall.

Next up is Santa Rosa’s historic Railroad Square district. Begin at the California Welcome Center, in the historic railroad depot. A fiberglass Lucy welcomes visitors, and in addition to offering free tips, the center sells a bit of Peanuts memorabilia. On the lawn near the depot, a bronze statue of Charlie Brown stands with his pal, Snoopy.

Several fiberglass Peanuts statues are nearby, so as you hunt for these fun photo opportunities, you can stop in at specialty shops, coffee houses, antique stores, and restaurants.

Keep your eyes peeled for these Peanuts characters:

• A dapper Snoopy in front of A’roma Roasters
• Woodstock as a Beaver Scout in front of Omelette Express
• Charlie Brown as railroad conductor and Snoopy as a train engineer
• A sporty Snoopy in front of Chops teen center
• An impressive bronze sculpture of Lucy and Schroeder with his toy piano in the courtyard of the Finley Community Center
• Five bronze Peanuts statues at architect Larry Simons firm (110 Stony Point Road)

Next, visit Double Decker Lanes in the next door town of Rohnert Park. The Peanuts gang was known to bowl from time to time and this family-friendly, 50-lane bowling alley has a way-cool fiberglass Snoopy decked out in a bowling shirt and colorful shoes. A true taste of Americana, Double Decker Lanes has a snack bar, video games, and a full-service bar.

Now it’s on to the eclectic town of Sebastopol, where Schulz first lived in Sonoma County. Main Street features unique stores, galleries, restaurants, and wine tasting rooms. In Sebastopol, you’ll also find The Barlow, a 220,000-square-foot business center that’s home to an intriguing mix of shops, as well as food producers, wine-makers, brewers, and artists.

Take a reflective stop at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, for a thoughtful visit to Schulz’s gravesite. Locate the three fountains staggered along a small rise, and Schulz’s grave at the top, next to the highest fountain. Here you’ll find a plaque, engravings of Peanuts characters, and some meaningful words remembering the man who brought laughter, joy, and understanding to millions of people worldwide.

From here, take the highway to the coast to explore the towns of Bodega and Bodega Bay and enjoy a fresh seafood dinner atRocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf (there is a Charlie Brown statue inside).

Or cuise just a bit to the Bohemian Highway. Only 10 miles long, this scenic two-lane roadway winds through towering redwoods, serene pastures, rocky ravines, and the tiny hamlets of Freestone, Occidental, and Monte Rio.

Explore the small resort towns along the Russian River. Schulz and his wife, Jeanie, loved to kayak along the river near Healdsburg and Guerneville. You could stay another day in scenic Sonoma Wine Country to splash and paddle on the river in their wake.

Discover more things to do, restaurants, and hotels in Sonoma County.