OVERVIEW

The town remains a collection of residential and commercial buildings dating from the mid-to-late 19th century that retain a good and sometimes outstanding level of architectural integrity. It is a great stop on your way to the coast. It is steeped in history and film lore. A favorite stop for touring motorcyclist heading to the twisting jaw dropping views along highway 1.

Town

The Bodega Country Store has been a landmark business Sonoma County since the 1850’s when it was the McCaughey Brothers Mercantile Store and when Bodega was still called Bodega Corners. It has been featured in motion pictures and gained notoriety from it’s connection to Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” With an idyllic location, a strong local community and strong tourist business The new owners are recreating and restoring a thriving small business enterprise with community at the core. Ariel Coddington, proprietor, leased the space in 2018. Ariel and her partner Bradley can be found at the store most days, connecting with their neighbors and selling healthy local food, interesting local beers and wines, and working on opening the grab and go deli.

NORTHERN LIGHT SURF SHOP

We’ve been providing high-quality surf equipment, accessories, and clothing to the Sonoma Coast since 1986 and have been consistently voted Sonoma County’s Best Surf Shop for over 15 years!

Owners Ben and Sarah Dougherty strive to maintain a laid-back, relaxed feel at the original Bodega location as well as at the new location in Valley Ford, located in the beautiful and historic “Dairyman’s Bank” building.

Come by our shop on the way out to the coast today and let us help you fulfill your surfing needs.

ARTISANS’ CO-OP

Visit our art gallery and explore each room filled with surprises, from hand-tooled leather bags and sand dollar earrings to sheepskin slippers. Find unique pieces for your home, gifts, or a remembrance of your visit to where Hitchcock's film "The Birds" was made.

Spiritplay Studio is a working Studio for Fiber Arts hosted by Robyn Lynn Smith a Fibershed Producer, Handwork Teacher and former kinder teacher of 20 plus yrs.
Robyn incorporates and showcases local Fiber from small farms and producers with her Felted Toys and Dollie’s.
Spiritplay hosts a Used Toy Coop
Of local families whom trade put natural toys of similar value.
Robyn offers Special Orders online or in shop.
Robyn hosts Open Studios most Thursdays-Saturdays
Her website is spiritplaynaturaltoys.net

The Historic Town of Bodega Art Gallery is located in the original blacksmith shop from the 1850's and has been an art gallery since the 1960's. We showcase and sell many forms of art, paintings, and beautiful centerpieces. We are currently showcasing 4 renowned artists, please see them below.

We also have amazing jewelry and gems. For their authenticity, we have appraisals available. Come on, collectors, and collect another gorgeous gem and painting for your collection to offset the depreciating dollar. Fine art holds its value over time and year after year continues to outperform the S&P 500.

COLLEENS COFFEE SHOP

Stop by for great coffee and great service; on your way to the Bodega Bay Headland, to see the the Gray Whales on their 14,000 mile migration. Bodega, home of Alfred Hitchcock's movie, The Birds.
Bagels, Breakfast Sandwiches, Breakfast Burritos, Chile Rellenos Casserole, Homemade coffee cakes, muffins and cookies!

sea gull antiques

Antiques, Gifts and Collectables. 17190 Bodega Highway. A great selection of vintage goods like old radios, phones, cameras, glass jars, records, marbles etc.

COMMUNITY LINKS

Casino Bar & Grill - Facebook Page
17000 Bodega Hwy, Bodega, California 94922 - (707) 876-3185

Colleen's Coffee Shop - Facebook Page
17175 Bodega Hwy, Bodega, California 94922 - (707) 876-1810

Northern Light Surf Shop - Facebook Page - Website
17191 Bodega Hwy, Bodega CA 94922 - 707-876-3032 | Surf Report: 707-876-3110

Artisan' Co-op - Facebook Page - Website
17175 Bodega Hwy, Bodega, California

Bodega Art Gallery Website
17255 Bodega Hwy, Bodega, CA 94922

BRIEF HISTORY

First Settlers:
The town of Bodega was known historically as Bodega Corners or Bodega Roads, to distinguish it from the Port of Bodega or Bodega Bay, as it is known today, which is about four miles from Bodega. Bodega and Bodega Bay are named for discoverer of the bay, Juan Francisco Bodega y Caudra, who first sailed into the harbor in 1775. The area was first settled by the Russians, however, who established temporary settlements at Bodega Bay and the Salmon Creek Valley, in the vicinity of Bodega, in 1809. In 1811 they established permanent settlements in Salmon Creek Valley and at Fort Ross, for which Bodega Bay later served as the port. In 1841, however, the Russians negotiated the sale of livestock and equipment and the assets at Fort Ross to John Sutter and left California. Stephen Smith, with whom the town of Bodega is most closely associated, would soon establish his ranch at the Russian settlement of Salmon Creek Village, about a mile northwest of Bodega.

Bodega Bay was located within the Bodega Rancho during the Mexican era, and Bodega Corners was located east of the boundary of that rancho, in the Rancho Estero Americano. The Bodega Rancho was granted to Captain Stephen Smith and Manuela T. Curtis.

Early settler Edward Manuel McIntosh was the claimant for the Estero Americano Rancho,located east of the Bodega Rancho.

The Smith Ranch:
It is estimated that Captain Stephen Smith first visited the Sonoma Coast in 1839 or 1840, when he anchored at Bodega Bay. Smith homesteaded his ranch and constructed his mill, which would be the first steam mill in California. They also built the tannery, which was said to be the first successful tannery in the region and was in operation until it burned in 1868. Smith chose a location for the mill at the edge of the forest, one mile from what would become Bodega Corners. The drift of early settlement in Sonoma County was naturally toward Bodega because, not only the Russian had demonstrated its fitness for agriculture, but Captain Stephen Smith had established himself there and was in a position to assist immigrants in their venture in agricultural pursuits”

Bodega Corners
The town of Bodega got its start in 1853 when George Robinson, who had been a resident of Bodega Bay, established a saloon at the crossing of three roads, which gave the town its name of Bodega Corners. In addition to the saloon there was a blacksmith shop, a hotel, which later burned down. The first merchants were Donald McDonald and Rositer Bros. The town was situated in the center of a rich dairy country. It continued to grow with several churches, a school-house, a Masonic, Odd Fellows and Good Templars' Lodge. There were three stores, a shoemaker, a blacksmith and wagon shop, one hotel and two private boarding-houses, one livery stable, two physicians, and one butcher-shop. The first school was built in 1866 and the St. Teresa of Avila Church was constructed by a shipwright in 1859, with lumber donated by Jasper O’Farrell.