Loading
HomeFAQ
Most visitors arrive with a few common questions. Here's what we get asked most often.
Frequently Asked
Quick answers for first-time visitors, including the question we get most: what’s the difference between Bodega and Bodega Bay?
They are two distinct communities about five miles apart in Sonoma County. Bodega is a small inland village in the rolling hills; Bodega Bay is the coastal town to the west. Confusingly, much of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" (set in fictional Bodega Bay) was actually filmed in the inland village of Bodega.
The Potter Schoolhouse is a private residence and is not open to the public. Visitors are welcome to view and photograph it from the road, but trespassing is not permitted. Built in 1873 and recognized today as a Sonoma County historic landmark, it was the location of the famous playground attack scene in "The Birds."
The Coast Miwok people lived in the area for thousands of years before European contact, with villages at Kennekono and Suwutenne near the present townsite. American settlement grew through the 1840s and 1850s. James Watson opened the first general store in 1852, and the post office officially named the community "Bodega" in 1858. The town had about 250 residents in the mid-1870s, according to the 1877 county history.
The historic core of the village is small and walkable. Most visitors spend 2 to 3 hours exploring the main attractions: the Potter Schoolhouse, St. Teresa of Avila Church, the Casino Bar & Grill, the Bodega Country Store, and the Artisans' Co-op. A full day works well if you pair the village with Bodega Bay or the wider Sonoma Coast.
The Casino Bar & Grill is the heart of Bodega's social scene: pool tables, a full bar, and a rotating chef kitchen featuring different local talents each week. The Bodega Country Store carries snacks and local goods. More dining options sit a short drive away in Bodega Bay, including Ginochio's Kitchen for coffee, breakfast, and lunch, and in Freestone.
Bodega is roughly 65 miles north of San Francisco, about a 1.5-hour drive. The most direct route is US-101 north to Petaluma, then west via Bodega Avenue and Highway 1 south to Bodega Highway. Public transit is limited, so a rental car is recommended.
Bodega is open year-round. Spring (March to May) brings wildflowers and mild weather; fall (September to November) is harvest season with fewer crowds. Summer days are warm but coastal fog can roll in from Bodega Bay, while winter is the quietest season with the chance of rain.
Both. About 211 residents (2020 Census) call Bodega home, and the village remains a tight-knit community with the same family-owned businesses, working ranches, and parish church that have anchored it for generations. Heritage tourism, driven by "The Birds" and California history, supports the local economy without overwhelming the town's small-village character.
Bodega rewards anyone interested in film history, 19th-century architecture, or a quiet working village off the main tourist route. The Potter Schoolhouse and St. Teresa of Avila Church both appear in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," and the village's Carpenter Gothic and Italianate buildings stand within a short walk of one another. Most visitors spend two to three hours here, often pairing it with Bodega Bay and the wider Sonoma Coast.
The main sites cluster in a walkable historic core: the Potter Schoolhouse and St. Teresa of Avila Church from "The Birds," the Bodega Country Store, and the Artisans' Co-op gallery. About two miles east, the 1856 Watson School is a separate stop worth the short drive. The Casino Bar & Grill, family-owned since 1949, anchors the social scene with pool tables and a full bar. Many visitors pair the village with Bodega Bay, five miles west, for beaches and seafood.
Bodega is best known as the inland filming location for Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" (1963): the Potter Schoolhouse and St. Teresa of Avila Church both appear in the film. It is also the Coast Miwok homeland of the village of Kennekono and an 1840s American pioneer settlement that grew from the 1844 Rancho Bodega land grant. Its 19th-century architecture survives largely intact within walking distance.
No. The Potter Schoolhouse is a private residence at 17110 Bodega Lane and is not open to the public. You are welcome to view and photograph it from the road, but please do not enter the grounds or disturb the residents. Built in 1873, it was the setting for the schoolyard attack scene in "The Birds."
Yes. St. Teresa of Avila Church, built in 1859, is an active parish that still holds regular services, and visitors are welcome inside for quiet contemplation outside service hours. The surrounding cemetery has graves dating to the 1860s. The church is among the oldest continuously used Catholic churches in Sonoma County, appears in "The Birds," and was photographed by Ansel Adams in 1953.
Bodega is about 65 miles north of San Francisco, roughly a 1.5-hour drive. The most direct route runs US-101 north to Petaluma, then west on Bodega Avenue and Highway 1. The village sits about five miles inland from Bodega Bay and around 20 miles west of Santa Rosa.
The schoolyard attack scene was filmed at the Potter Schoolhouse in the inland village of Bodega, not in Bodega Bay, even though the film is set in a fictionalized Bodega Bay. Built in 1873, the schoolhouse stands at 17110 Bodega Lane and is now a private residence. Visitors can view and photograph it from the road but should not disturb the people who live there.
Yes, The Casino Bar & Grill is cash-only, though there is an ATM inside so you can get cash before you order. Family-owned since 1949, it is the social heart of the village, with pool tables, a full bar, and a kitchen run by rotating local chefs. You will find it on Bodega Highway in the middle of the village.