Formerly the capital city of California when the state belonged to Mexico, Monterey is a city full of culture and history. The local Monterey public library offers this description: "Everywhere you look in Monterey there are remnants of other times and other lives. History is part of our daily routine: we do business and work in historic buildings and stroll along historic walkways. The city is also home to a wide variety of public art - paintings, sculptures, photographs and murals are all part of the artistic program."

Part of the town is still referred to as Old Monterey.