A small, opinionated museum tucked one block inland from the pier. The collection runs from pre-modern Hawaiian alaia boards through balsa, foam, and modern shortboards, with strong sections on the early Californian surf pioneers and the surf music of the 1960s. There is a Duke Kahanamoku case, a wall of vintage longboards, and rotating exhibits on contemporary surfers.
Admission is by donation. Two hours is more than enough; allow an hour if you are not already a surf-history nerd. The museum also runs the Surfing Walk of Fame plaques set into the sidewalk at Main and PCH outside, and the Surfers' Hall of Fame handprints in concrete in front of Huntington Surf and Sport across the street.