Cannery Row facts for kids
Cannery Row is a famous waterfront street in Monterey, California. It used to be home to many sardine canning factories, where fish were processed and put into cans. The very last cannery closed its doors in 1973. The street was once called Ocean View Avenue, but its name was officially changed in 1958. This was done to honor the famous author John Steinbeck and his well-known novel, Cannery Row. In his book, Steinbeck described the street as a lively and memorable place.
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The Story of Cannery Row
Cannery Row became famous because of John Steinbeck's novels, Cannery Row (1945) and Sweet Thursday (1954). These books told stories about the people and life on the street during the time of the sardine canneries. Both novels were later made into a movie called Cannery Row in 1982.
Ed Ricketts' Lab on the Row
A special place on Cannery Row was the Pacific Biological Laboratories. This lab was at 800 Cannery Row from 1928 to 1948. It was run by a scientist named Edward F. Ricketts. He was a close friend of John Steinbeck and even inspired some of the characters in Steinbeck's books! You can still see the lab building today. Across the street, there's also an old Chinese-American store and an empty lot, both mentioned in Steinbeck's novels.
Why the Canneries Closed
For a long time, the fishing industry in Monterey Bay was very busy. The bay had lots of sardines because of cold, nutrient-rich water that came up from the deep ocean. This made it one of the best fishing spots in the world! However, by the mid-1950s, the canneries started to close. This happened for a few reasons:
- There were fewer sardines due to overfishing.
- Ocean conditions changed, making it harder for sardines to thrive.
- Other types of fish became more popular.
Eventually, the sardines were mostly gone from the bay, and the canneries had no fish to process. The last one closed in 1973.
Cannery Row Today
Today, Cannery Row is a very popular tourist attraction. It's filled with many restaurants and hotels, some of which are in the old cannery buildings. You can still find a few privately owned fishing companies on the piers nearby.
Fun Activities on the Row
The area around Cannery Row is great for outdoor activities.
- Fishing: Many people enjoy sport fishing from the public fishing spots.
- Kayaking: MacAbee Beach and San Carlos Beach are perfect places to launch kayaks.
- Scuba Diving: San Carlos Beach is one of the most popular spots in Monterey Bay for scuba diving.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium
One of the biggest attractions on Cannery Row is the amazing Monterey Bay Aquarium. It opened in 1984 and is located at the very end of the street. The aquarium was built on the site of the old Hovden Cannery, which was one of the largest canneries on the row. A man from Norway named Knut Hovden started this cannery in 1916. It was the very last cannery to close its doors in 1973, marking the end of an era for Cannery Row.
Images for kids
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The Pacific Biological Laboratories of Ed Ricketts on Cannery Row
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Old Hovden Cannery steam boilers
