Valley Center History Museum
 The main building of the museum, June 2010. | |
| Established | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Location | Valley Center, California |
| President | Earl Brown |
| Website | Official Website |
The Valley Center History Museum is a history museum in Valley Center, located in the North County region of San Diego County, California. Founded in 2003, the museum displays historical photographs and artifacts from Valley Center and the surrounding area.
History
The History Museum traces its roots to 1972 when a group of citizens formed the Local History Committee and began collecting historic documents, photographs, and memorabilia. The name of the organization evolved in 2001 into the Valley Center Historical Society which opened the History Museum in 2003.
In 2015, the Museum expanded by 50 percent to accommodate a historic stagecoach, that was built in 1848 and served as a Civil war ambulance, provided local transportation, and was featured in a number of Western motion pictures.
The expansion also permitted better access to the Museum's signature exhibition on the California Grizzly Bear featuring a taxidermy mount of the unique species that has been extinct since 1924. It is one of only three specimens in existence. The Museum also enhanced its displays of famous and notable people with a connection to Valley Center, among them Eleanor Roosevelt, Wyatt Earp, John Wayne and Betty Crocker.[1]
Features
The History Museum cares for a valuable and irreplaceable collection of artifacts, photographs, historic documents, oral and written histories, personal diaries, vintage newspapers, original art, burial records, and private papers. It is also involved in historic preservation.
The museum partners with the Valley Center branch of San Diego County Library to leverage its resources and reach new audiences, and oversees nearly 1,000 volumes of local and regional history in the Library's Valley Center Room.
References
- ↑ "Museum Expansion". Valley Roadrunner. Retrieved December 10, 2015.