Larkin House

One of the first two-story houses built in Monterey, the Larkin House sits in the heart of Monterey at 464 Calle Principale and was built by Thomas Larkin.

Thomas Larkin came to California from the East Coast in the early 1800's and combined New England colonial architecture with the local building materials of adobe and redwood to build this mansion, used as both residence and store. Thomas Larkin, a merchant from New England who influenced early California government, was the first and only American consul to Alta California. After 1844 his home was used as the seat of government as well as the highlight of society.

Alice Larkin Toulmin, Thomas Larkin's granddaughter, acquired the residence early in the 20th century, filling it with fine furnishings and antiques. She later donated it to the state of California in 1957 as a historic monument. It has since been designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Visitors can tour the residence on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Fridays at 3:00 p.m., or Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

The Larkin House is a 1.5 hour scenic drive away from the San Jose International Airport and is within a mile or two of other attractions, including Point Sur Historic State Park, Monterey Sports Center, and Monterey Bay Boat Charters.