The Monterey State Historic Park Association (MSHPA) is proud to announce the opening of their new gift shop location in the historic Custom House. The shop specializes in locally made greeting cards, crafts, games, and books on Monterey history. It is staffed entirely by volunteers; proceeds support the park's educational programs. We welcome you to visit us seven days a week!

The Custom House was first constructed in 1827 by the Mexican government to collect custom duties from foreign shipping at a time when Monterey was the capital of Alta California, Mexico’s northernmost province. In 1841, Thomas O. Larkin, U.S. Consul to Alta California, contracted with the Mexican government to rebuild and expand the Custom House into its present form. It was here that Commodore John Drake Sloat raised the American flag in July 1846, officially claiming California as a U.S. territory.