A Return to the 'Peanuts' Museum

One of my favorite places in Santa Rosa is the Charles M. Schulz Museum. I like it so much, I've been a member for the past two years. Today, we picked up my current membership packet and explored two of the current exhibits expected to conclude before I can return again.



I was most interested in Snoopy in Orbit. What's not to love? "The Beagle has landed… at the Schulz Museum! Into space with NASA in the 1960s, aboard the International Space Station, and now around the Moon as the zero-gravity indicator for the Artemis I mission—Snoopy has flown further than any human astronaut! See the historic Snoopys, now safely home on Earth, alongside other never-before-exhibited space-flown Peanuts artifacts!"

This 1969 Astronaut Snoopy Doll is the most special artifact in this exhibit. It has been loaned by Mike Massimino, former NASA Astronaut.
Like many children, Mike Massimino dreamed of going to space. He even received this special astronaut Snoopy toy from his older brother, Joe, to embody his high-flying ideas. For Massimino, the dream of going to space came true in 2002, aboard STS-109, a Columbia shuttle-based mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, and on another similar mission on STS-125.
Astronaut Massimino brought his special Snoopy along in 2009, aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. How very, very cool!
Snoopy, the zero-gravity indicator for NASA’s Artemis I mission (November-December 2022), was on view for the first time since returning to Earth.


This plush Astronaut Snoopy, made by Hallmark, flew aboard a Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply craft to the International Space Station in November 2019. The Cygnus are autonomous spacecraft that bring supplies and science experiments to the space station and can launch satellites.

This exhibit was totally out of this world!
Another changing exhibit, dear to my heart, is It’s Time for School, Charlie Brown! "Even if all you heard from the teacher was “wah, wah, wah,” school memories never fade away. At the bus stop, in class, lunchtime, classroom crushes, show and tell, homework—when it comes to the Peanuts gang, there’s a lot to learn! See original Peanuts art alongside vintage school-related products and relive the days of lunchboxes and learning—with plenty of laughs!"
For most of us, school memories never entirely fade away, and Charles M. Schulz certainly found much inspiration in his memories of school days while writing and drawing his daily comic strip. He was a reserved, rule-following kid who often felt invisible in school. Yet he also cherished fond memories of friends and the few supportive words he did receive from teachers. The school-related stories in Peanuts are a mix of encouragement and failure, such that nearly every reader can empathize.
The 'driver' of this bus is Mr. Schulz, himself, taped driving his five children to school. What a treasure.


Each part of the school day was discussed in this exhibit. I loved this about Lunch. "A brown bag lunch can be a home-packed oasis in the middle of the swirling school day. Maybe a parent wrote you a note of encouragement and dropped it in. Or perhaps all you find inside is your least-favorite sandwich. At least if you have a Peanuts lunch box, you will find some comfort in the friendly, familiar faces on it. Lunchtime reflections, squabbles, snubs, and joys are all found in Peanuts."




Who didn't love Joe Cool?  This character, came along when Charles⁠ Schulz overheard his son Craig talking with his⁠ friends and describe someone as, “a real Joe Cool.” Snoopy first appeared as Joe Cool on May 27,⁠ 1971. Many more “Joe” personas would follow, including Joe Preppy, Joe Blackjack, and another inspired by Craig: Joe Motocross. Who knew?

With photo opportunities, interesting history, and childhood nostalgia, the Charles M. Schulz Museum is definitely one of my favorite places... in any city.

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