A look back at presidential visits to the Central Coast
Many Presidents have graced the Central Coast for a visit. Whether for business or pleasure, presidential visits to our area can be traced back over a hundred years.
President Barack Obama made a brief stop in Monterey in February 2018, and his predecessor George W. Bush has made multiple visits to the Monterey area. Obama was also spotted in October of 2022 in Point Lobos.
Before "43", President Bill Clinton gave a speech at CSUMB, introducing it as the 23rd California State University in 1995.
George H.W. Bush started the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. In the 1990s, he played in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am multiple times.
It hasn't only been quick visits. In 1891 Benjamin Harrison used Monterey's Hotel Del Monte for an extended stay. He worked out of the hotel, and it was referred to as his "Western White House."
William McKinley made his presidential visit in 1901. Two years later, Theodore Roosevelt made stops in Santa Cruz and Monterey.
"Nothing has pleased me more in California than to see how thoroughly awake you are to preserve the monuments of the past, human and natural," President Theodore Roosevelt said.
The last time a president visited Santa Cruz County was in 1989, when then-President George H.W. Bush visited those impacted by the Loma Prieta earthquake.
