Museum
How long do I need to plan for my visit to the Museum?
It is really up to individual preference how long to allow yourself! We recommend about 90 minutes for our exhibitions alone, but the Museum also includes a movie theater, Education Room with coloring pages and animation tools, and beautiful grounds. Beyond the Museum, there is also a much larger commercial gift shop (Snoopy’s Gallery and Gift Shop), ice arena (Snoopy’s Home Ice), and café (The Warm Puppy Café) on the Schulz campus.
Is there parking available at the Museum?
Yes! The Museum offers free parking and has a large lot available to our visitors. There is also street parking nearby on Hardies Lane.
What items are NOT allowed in the Museum?
The following items are prohibited inside the Museum:
- Pets and emotion support animals (only ADA approved service and support animals are allowed)
- Food and beverages
- Smoking or vaping
- Weapons
- Knives, box cutters, and scissors
- Flowers, plants, feathers, and balloons
- Flammable liquids
- Permanent markers and spray paint
- Bicycles (can be secured outside)
- Recreational electric scooters and hoverboards
Is photography permitted inside the Museum?
Yes! Photography and videography are both permitted inside the Museum. However, flash and tripod photography are prohibited.
Are pets permitted inside the Museum?
No. Unfortunately, for the safety of our original artwork, animals are not permitted inside the Museum (with the exception of registered service animals.)
Do you have a café?
The Museum itself does not have a café, and food is not permitted inside the building for the safety of our original artwork. However, The Warm Puppy Café is right across the street at Snoopy’s Home Ice! You can visit them here.
Is the Museum kid-friendly?
Absolutely! The Museum even has an Education Room designed for kids, or just kids-at-heart, to create and draw their own comic strips, color Peanuts coloring sheets, or design their own zoetrope! The Museum also has a movie theater that plays Peanuts animated specials and documentaries throughout the day and offers a Family Guide full of activities for our youngest visitors to enjoy while they are here.
How do I learn about your accessibility?
The Charles M. Schulz Museum is for everyone to enjoy! Find information about our accessibility options here.
What is the Research Center?
The Research Center is where much of the behind-the-scenes magic of the Museum happens! Scholars, reporters, students, and the like can schedule an appointment to access oral histories, business and personal papers, photographs, and multimedia that are not available to the general public.
What else is there to do in Santa Rosa? In Sonoma County?
There are so many fun things to see and do in Santa Rosa and Sonoma County! Visit the link below to see everything our region has to offer:
https://visitsantarosa.com/
Why is the Museum located in Santa Rosa? Why not Minnesota?
The Schulz Museum and Research Center is in Santa Rosa because it was Schulz’s home from 1958 until his death in 2000. His studio, which is still very active, and his beloved Redwood Empire Ice Arena, are here. Santa Rosa has long been a special destination for Peanuts fans, long before the Museum opened in 2002.
Charles Schulz’s widow, Jean Schulz, has been involved with the Museum from the beginning and still lives in Santa Rosa. All of the Schulz children live in California or in the western U.S. and Sonoma County was Schulz’s home for over 40 years.
Why is there a Snoopy Museum in Tokyo?
The Peanuts Gang has long been extremely popular in Japan, even rivaling the strip’s popularity in the United States. Peanuts’ partners in Japan made opportunities available to create Snoopy Museum Tokyo, and the Museum is very proud of this ongoing partnership.
Copyright Permissions, Donations, and Appraisals
How do I seek permission to reproduce the comic strips and/or artwork?
The Museum does not own the rights to Peanuts and cannot give permission for use of Peanuts artwork. If you are interested in obtaining the rights to use the Peanuts characters for your product, you will need to reach out to Peanuts Worldwide LLC. The best way to reach them is by emailing info@peanuts.com.
What is the Museum’s donation policy?
The Museum would like to know about your original Peanuts cartoon strip or other original artwork by Charles M. Schulz. If you are a lucky owner or collector of Schulz-related material, please contact us at (707) 579-4452.
The Museum actively collects items related to Charles M. Schulz’s life, art, and career including original cartoon strips, artwork, photographs, letters, as well as vintage Peanuts-themed toys and games (manufactured prior to the year 2000).
The Museum follows a specific collection policy and is unable to accept all gifts without prior staff review. If you feel you have a potential donation for the Museum, please contact us at (707) 579-4452 before sending or dropping off items or fill out our Collection Donations Form.
Do you provide appraisals?
Museum staff does not authenticate or appraise the artwork of Charles M. Schulz. As a buyer of any unauthenticated art, you are responsible for determining for yourself the value the work brings to your life, knowing that it has no assigned monetary value and that you may or may not have an original. Appraisals for materials offered as gifts-in-kind are prohibited because the Internal Revenue Service regards the Museum as an interested party to such contributions. If you wish to obtain an independent appraisal for your piece, please contact one of the organizations listed at the bottom of this page for information on how to find a certified appraiser near you.
An appraisal is not necessary for gifts-in-kind valued at less than $5,000 by the donor. Additional information on appraisals and qualified appraisers is included in Internal Revenue Service Form 8283, which must be filed by persons claiming the donation of a gift-in-kind valued at more than $500.
An Authentication Committee has been established by Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates to respond to inquiries as to Peanuts artwork or the original art of Charles M. Schulz. Contact the Committee at authentication@flyingace.net.
Peanuts Comic Strip
Why is the comic strip named Peanuts?
Originally, Charles Schulz named his strip Li’l Folks, but when it became syndicated in 1950 by United Feature Syndicate, there was concern about possible copyright infringement with a cartoon called Little Folks by Tack Knight that had been published in the 1930s. Schulz suggested Charlie Brown or Good Ol’ Charlie Brown, but the syndicate decided upon Peanuts.
“I don’t like the name of my strip at all. I wanted to call it Good ol’ Charlie Brown, but the person at the syndicate who selected Peanuts just picked it at random from a list of possible titles he jotted down. He hadn’t even looked at the strip when he named it. The syndicate compromised on Sunday, though. Once I rebelled and sent it in without any title. We finally agreed to put Peanuts at the top and include Charlie Brown in the subtitle on Sunday.” – Charles M. Schulz, 1969
How many newspapers has Peanuts appeared in?
Peanuts debuted in seven newspapers on October 2, 1950: The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The Allentown Call-Chronicle, The Bethlehem Globe-Times, The Denver Post, and The Seattle Times. Shortly after Schulz’s passing in 2000, Peanuts was reported to be printed in 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries in 21 languages.
What art tools did Charles Schulz use to create his comic strip?
The Peanuts strips were drawn on Strathmore 3-ply paper with India ink. For lettering, Schulz used a Speedball C-5 pen and for drawing the strip he used an Esterbrook 914 radio pen. When Schulz learned that the company that manufactured the nibs for this pen was going out of business, he purchased the remaining inventory of his favorite nib.
Are there new Peanuts comics strip being created today?
There are no new Peanuts comic strips being drawn and produced to run in newspapers. Charles Schulz’s children did not want anyone else to draw Peanuts after his death in 2000. However, there are new Peanuts comic books.
How can I look up or purchase a copy of my favorite strip?
GoComics.com is a great resource for all comic fans! You can search by the date the strip was published and order a copy of the print on the same page.
Peanuts Animated Specials
How many Peanuts TV specials and movies are there?
A total of 45 Peanuts animated television specials, a Saturday morning television show (1983-1985) and an eight-part television mini-series on American history (1988) have been produced over the past five decades.
Five full-length Peanuts motion pictures have been released in theaters: A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969), Snoopy Come Home (1972), Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown (1977), Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don’t Come Back!!) (1980), and The Peanuts Movie (2015).
I had to animate Sparky’s [Charles Schulz’s] characters in such a way that you wouldn’t see the turns. I found ways of animating this and hiding the fact that [the] scope of the movement was very limited. … Snoopy saved me because Snoopy is more like a real animated character. He can do anything—move and dance—and he’s very easy to animate, whereas the kids are nearly impossible! I’ve always had to think quickly and learn how to cope with the limitations of the design.
– Bill Melendez, 2005
The last animated special, Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown, was released to DVD on March 29, 2011, and its first airing on television was on November 24, 2011. This special was animated by Wild Brain Entertainment and was directed by Andy Beall and Frank Molieri.
Is the Museum involved in the new animations created with AppleTV for The Snoopy Show?
No, the Museum is not involved in creating the new content. For questions or concerns regarding any Peanuts shows on AppleTV please reach out to them directly.
Was the Museum involved in the creation of The Peanuts Movie (2015)?
The Peanuts Movie team visited the Museum to look at our exhibitions and take tours of the archives and collections for inspiration before and during the movie’s production. The Schulz campus hosted three days of press tours and events, during which the Museum hosted events with various members of the film team and others. The Museum hosted The Peanuts Movie: Behind the Scenes during which the film’s producer, director, animation supervisor, and other team members discussed the creation of the film. The Museum also hosted several other events including a panel with some of the voice actors, and Ms. Harriet Glickman who told the story of Franklin’s creation.
Peanuts Characters
Did Charles Schulz have a dog or dogs in his life that influenced his creation of Snoopy?
“Snoopy’s appearance and personality have changed probably more than those of any of the other characters. As my drawing style loosened, Snoopy was able to do more things, and when I finally developed the formula of using his imagination to dream of being many heroic figures, the strip took on a completely new dimension.”
– Charles M. Schulz, 1975
Charles Schulz had many dogs in his life, from his childhood dogs Snooky and Spike to the dogs his family had after he was married with children. Spike was cited as the biggest influence on the creation of Snoopy. Other dogs in the Schulz family included Major, Lucy, Carmel, Dropshot, and Andy. Schulz said that his favorite dog was Andy, a mixed-breed dog that was rescued by Jean Schulz from a fox terrier rescue group in 1988.
Did Charlie Brown always wear his iconic zigzag shirt?
Charlie Brown appeared in the first Peanuts comic strip on October 2, 1950, but his first appearance in the famous zigzag shirt didn’t occur until the strip published on December 21, 1950.
How many siblings does Snoopy have?
In the Peanuts comic strip, Snoopy has five named siblings: Spike, Belle, Marbles, Olaf, and Andy. However, in the June 18, 1989 strip, Snoopy states that “there were eight of us in the litter.” In the animated special, Snoopy’s Reunion (1991), Snoopy’s other two siblings are mentioned by name; Molly and Rover.
Why are adults typically not shown in the Peanuts comics strip?
“I usually say that they [adults] do not appear because the daily strip is only an inch and a half high, and they wouldn’t have room to stand up. Actually, they have been left out because they would intrude in a world where they could only be uncomfortable. Adults are not needed in the Peanuts strip. In earlier days I experimented with off-stage voices, but soon abandoned this as it was not only impractical but actually clumsy. Instead, I have developed a cast of off-stage adults who are talked about but never seen or heard.”
– Charles M. Schulz, 1975
This Peanuts strip was originally published on May 30, 1954.
Why does Marcie call Peppermint Patty ‘Sir’?
Although Charles Schulz never revealed why Marcie calls Peppermint Patty “Sir,” we suspect it has to do with the two characters first meeting at summer camp. In a series of strips from 1968 (before Marcie was introduced), Peppermint Patty serves as tent monitor at summer camp and is referred to as “Sir” by the character Sophie. Schulz often made military references in his camp strips and compared being sent to camp with being drafted!
What is inside Snoopy’s doghouse?
Although Snoopy’s possessions are periodically described in Peanuts (including records, books, a Van Gogh painting, and a pool table), the interior of Snoopy’s doghouse is never actually shown in the comic strip. The only time the viewer sees inside Snoopy’s doghouse is in the 1981 animated special, It’s Magic, Charlie Brown.
How many characters did Charles Schulz create for Peanuts?
There are over 70 distinct characters in Peanuts! The main characters are Charlie Brown, Sally Brown, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Snoopy, Spike, Linus van Pelt, Lucy van Pelt, and Woodstock. Supporting characters include Eudora, Franklin, Frieda, Violet, Lydia, Patty, Rerun, PigPen, and Shermy. A wealth of information on both main and obscure Peanuts characters, can be found in Andrew Farago’s excellent book, The Complete Peanuts Family Album.
Are the Peanuts characters inspired by anyone Charles Schulz knew in real life?
Yes! Several characters share names with people Schulz knew in his life. None of the characters, however, are copied exactly from these friends and family. All of the characters in Peanuts are most reflective of their creator, Charles Schulz.
“It’s a broad exaggeration, of course, but I suppose almost all of the experiences of the characters are mine. The wishy-washiness of Charlie Brown is my own. The sarcasm of Lucy would be the sarcasm that I would be capable of and used to use a lot more than I do now. Learned sometime ago that it is not a very good idea and I tried to tame it. This gives me an outlet! Linus has weird little thoughts. Naturally they are my own thoughts.”– Charles Schulz
