This weekend, California’s historic Western Flyer fishing boat is opening up for exclusive public viewing hours during the the statewide Doors Open California event.
The boat, which is moored a few hours down the coast in Moss Landing, is the exact vessel made famous by author John Steinbeck and biologist Ed Ricketts in their 1940 expedition to the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez).
Their notes were eventually worked into Steinbeck’s book, The Log from the Sea of Cortez, published in 1951. The vessel, which was painstakingly restored in 2015, only opens for infrequent public open houses or private tours.
Touring the Western Flyer
Now, the Western Flyer will briefly open to the public for first-come, first-served tours on Saturday and Sunday, September 19th and 20th.
The Western Flyer Foundation will lead tours every 30 minutes from 11am to 4pm, strictly capped at 20 people each. It’s a rare opportunity to check out the wheelhouse, engine room, and science lab where Ricketts conducted his research.
You can pair your visit with an outing at Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Doors Open California 2026
The Western Flyer event is just one of many events for history lovers this month as part of Doors Open California. The festival is organized by the California Preservation Foundation, inviting the public to enjoy unprecedented access to sites that are normally off-limits.
This weekend, visitors can join Doors Open events in Old East Davis, take a walking tour through Gold Rush and rail sites in Colfax, and enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of historic homes in Mariposa. Marysville’s Packard Library will also open up to the public for the first time in years, and Arboga will take visitors through its 1942 Arboga Assembly Center, where more than 2,500 Japanese Americans were confined during WWII.
Next weekend, Doors Open California will finish its roster of exclusive hidden-gem tours down in Southern California, with tours of Richard Neutra’s private reunion house in L.A. and the hand-built Rubel Castle in Glendora.
🌐 Learn more: California Preservation Foundation