November 2010

The Center serves as an education and research facility and is the only local organization dedicated to the collection, study, curation and exhibition of San Diego County's archaeological artifacts. (from website)

The Capitola Museum offers changing exhibits on the history and art of the area, as well as on special seasonal and topical themes. Museum grounds now include a reconstructed cottage from the era of the early 20th century beach resort. Restoration of a wash house is a new, ongoing Museum project.

The Native American Gallery features one of the most comprehensive portrayals of Native American life in Upper California. The gallery explores the cultural histories and artistry of local tribes including the Karuk, Shasta, Konomihu, Okwanuchu, Achomawi and Modoc. The Trappers Gallery presents a wealth of material relating to the acquisition of fur-bearing animals in the area during the early 1800's. Highlights include personal adornment items, weapons, survival skills, and a recreation of an 1830's Scott Valley spike camp used by trapper Stephen Hall Meek. The Gold Mining Gallery on the second floor houses original clothing and equipment that the early miners used as well as photos of gold mines located in Siskiyou County. The remainder of the exhibits on the second floor area are presently being developed. They will include galleries recounting the settlement period, Chinese, transportation, and other aspects of Siskiyou County history.

The museum houses a collection of rare firearms that were the core of the first artifacts that have grown into the Jake Jackson Museum. The Paymaster Mine Two Stamp Mill replica houses the only working steam stamp mill on the west coast. Visitors can see a cabin lived in by one of many ditch tenders for the La Grange mine. The Blacksmith Shop provides tools and instruction for blacksmiths of every degree of expertise. 

More than a pretty waterfront town, Tiburon has a rich railroad and maritime history, which is captured in the Railroad & Ferry Depot Museum. It has a shoreline location with views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Angel Island. The only dual-use terminal to survive west of the Hudson River, it has been restored and currently houses a museum of railroad-ferry history.

The Gatekeeper’s Museum is a reconstruction of the original Gatekeeper’s Cabin – home of the water master who controlled the flow of water out of Lake Tahoe. Exhibits include Native American baskets, resort memorabilia, historical photographs, clothing, oral histories, maps, archival documents, newspapers and artifacts.

The Marion Steinbach Indian Basket Museum has amassed a world-class collection of over 800 utilitarian and fine baskets from 85 tribes throughout California and western North America. In addition to collecting baskets, Marion also collected Native clothing, jewelry, tools and pottery. Pottery from Maria Martinez is featured in the collection.

The front gallery is full of photographs and artifacts depicting the county's geographical regions. The six regions are represented as follows: Sonora, Crossroads of Tuolumne County; North to Columbia; Jamestown and the Way West; South of the River; Out to Tuolumne and Up in the Hills. Other displays contain information on the overland treks across the Sierra Nevada between 1841 and 1860, Mark Twain and pioneer firearms. There's even a display on Soapbox Derbys dating back just prior to World War II. (from website)

The permanent exhibit depicts the Bear Flag Revolt of June 14, 1846, when a group of Americans rode into Sonoma, captured General Mariano Vallejo, raised the Bear Flag and proclaimed California a free republic. The revolt was achieved peacefully, but the republic lasted only 25 days, until a U.S. Navy officer, a grandson of Paul Revere, rode into town and replaced the rough banner with the Stars and Stripes.

Other exhibits and displays portray Sonoma history from the Miwok Indian period, the founding of the Pueblo of Sonoma by Mariano Vallejo, glimpses of a kitchen, parlor, bedroom and schoolroom of pioneer days, and the original stage curtain from the Union Hall and Hotel in Sonoma. The curtain was painted around 1906-07 by California artist Sidney Tilden Daken and other artists.

For railroad buffs, the Rand Room has the ticket counter, agent's desk, telegraph keys, brakeman's lantern, the big iron safe, train schedules and a map of early Sonoma Valley railroads. On the track behind the Museum are a caboose (open for visitors on request), refrigerator car and cattle car.

Fifty years of Florida's rich history are featured in West Palm Beach's Yesteryear Village.

From 1895, when the 19th century and its Gilded Age legacy of splendor was coming to a close, to 1945, when America won the most cataclysmic conflict the world had ever seen, the residents of this southeastern Florida left a number of distinctive structures. Yesteryear Village contains a variety of these, including a blacksmith shop, a general store, and various historic homes. It also has the United States' only big band museum.

Touring the Historical Museum enables visitors to see a wide array of unique artifacts, photographs, furnishings and textiles dating from the 15th century. Santa Barbara's rich multicultural history is represented with artifacts from Chumash, Spanish, Mexican, "Yankee" and Chinese culture. The Gledhill Library contains rare literary and visual documents including 50,000 historic photographs. Two early 19th century buildings, the 1817 Casa Covarrubias and the 1836 Historic Adobe are adjacent to the Museum.