For most of Steinbeck's life, his hometown disregarded him for his exposes on immigrant life and progressive views. However, in 1998, Salinas made up for years of past regressions and honored its home son with the National Steinbeck Center. This is the mecca of all Steinbeck fans and excellent place for beginners to go to gain a background on this great American writer.
The center is open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm, except for major holidays. Adult ticket prices are $11 with discounts for teachers and students.
First, go to the room with Steinbeck's passport photo on the entrance to see a video that gives a good overview of his life and work. It is about a 20-minute video that is well worth the stop. The rest of the center is full of interactive and interesting displays on Steinbeck's life and works. The center also gives insight into historic Salinas, including the plight of the migrant workers that are documented in The Grapes of Wrath. The center also shows excerpts from videos and plays of the many adaptations of Steinbeck's work. There are also fun activities and guessing games for students of elementary age to partake in. The best part of the exhibit for me was the inclusion of the actual Rocinante, the camper truck Steinbeck took on his trip around America in the late 1950s. The book Travels with Charley is a great account of this trip and Steinbeck shows insight into the problems we would face as Americans in the years to come.
The center also includes a gift shop that has all of his printed works as well as numerous other trinkets. A great place to load up on t-shirts, mugs and posters. The official website is .