by John Roberts

Created on: May 31, 2010

Are you a Peanuts fan? Or an admirer of comic strip art? Then the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California is well worth a side trip when visiting the San Francisco or wine country areas. Santa Rosa also boasts the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens which is a pleasant place to visit. Located at 2301 Hardies Lane, the museum is a mecca for all things Peanuts. Why Santa Rosa? The Minneapolis born Schulz lived and worked in Santa Rosa for over three decades. The museum is located across the freeway away from the downtown area and situated on a quiet residential dominated thoroughfare.

Plans for the museum began while Schulz was still living and its location was based on being across the street from the Redwood Empire Ice Arena (better known as Snoopy's Home Ice) which Schulz built in 1969 and his studio. Visitors will view an introductory video explaining a typical work day for Schulz that included breakfast and lunch at the Warm Puppy Cafe inside the ice arena and his seat was positioned so he could view the skaters. On Tuesday nights, he played in a seniors hockey league. Schulz worked in his studio creating the day's Peanuts strip and sometimes he would stroll down to Coddington Regional Mall where he would hang out at the book store or eat an ice cream cone.

There is ample free visitor parking behind what is a three building complex comprised of the museum, ice arena and Snoopy's Gallery and Gift Store. The grounds are dotted with supersized Peanuts figures that attract photo ops and there is a Snoopy labyrinth. Admission is charged. The auditorium plays classic Peanuts shows and cartoons. The great hall is dominated by two huge artworks by Yoshi Otani. "Morphing Snoopy" is a bas relief wood sculpture of Snoopy's alter-egos. The spectacular ceramic tile mural is comprised of thousands of comic strips forming an image of Charlie Brown trying to kick that football.

The first floor contains an animation wall discussing the Peanuts television programs and two temporary exhibit galleries. The strip rotation gallery changes every four months and displays original Schulz panels following specific themes. The other gallery may show examples of comic strip artists who influenced Schulz. The upstairs gallery features another rotation of original Schulz artwork. In fact, a person could spend hours reading comic strips because the museum has around 7,000 of the some 18,000 comic strips that Schulz produced during 50 years of Peanuts. The biographical gallery covers the life story of Schulz and there is interesting memorabilia including family photos, very early artwork and the magazine containing the first Peanuts he sold.

His studio was disassembled and brought to the museum where it was put back together. Visitors can enjoy seeing Schulz's desk and work space, the very drawing board where Peanuts was reborn daily. His book collection and other mementos are on display. Down a hall where the restrooms are located, there is a display of Peanuts merchandise through through the decades. Outside in the courtyard the kids will get a kick out of the kite-eating tree and hologram birdbath. It should be noted that museum logo merchandise is only sold in the museum gift shop while there is a large selection of general Peanuts merchandise and skating gear at Snoopy's Gallery and Gift Shop. Do not forget to check out the hand prints and signatures of famous skaters and tennis players (and Tony Hawk)  placed in the courtyard in front of the ice arena and Schulz's Hollywood Star of the Walk.

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