California's First Theater Image courtesy of USGenWeb Penny Postcard Archives

Established in 1826, Monterey was the Mexican capital of California until the American occupation in 1847. The Monterey Old Town Historic District, a National Historic Landmark, includes buildings from the 18th-19th centuries that illustrate the Spanish colonial era of the town, including the Old Customhouse (the only customhouse north of Mexico from 1828-1845), the Thomas Larkin House, 1835, one of the first two story adobes in California, and Casa Alvarado, the home of Juan Bautista Alvarado, the governor of California from 1836 to 1842.

The Monterey Old Town Historic District consists of two areas: the southern section is bounded roughly by the four blocks surrounding the intersection of Madison and Pacific Streets.; the northern section borders on the bay and includes the blocks surrounding the intersections of Scott, Pacific, Olivier, Calle Principal, and Alvarado Streets. The district includesMonterey State Historic Park which conducts guided tours. Tour schedules vary seasonally. For updated tour information including dates and times, go to www.parks.ca.gov/mshp and click on Tour Information. For more information about historic sites in the City of Monterey, go to: https://www.monterey.org