Heritage Council of Santa Clara CountyMembers
Heritage Council of Santa Clara County
designates History Month participants.
Engages the public’s interest and participation in collecting, preserving, and presenting art, artifacts, and written materials relevant to the history of California and to support historical research, publication, and educational activities.
California History Center and Foundation
The California History Center and Foundation present exhibits, offer
classes with De Anza College, publish books and a periodical, hold a
yearly California Studies conference and operate a library and archives.
California and regional studies are the focus of this multi-faceted
program.
California Room, San Jose Public Library
The California Room contains a collection of materials on California history with an emphasis on the history of San José and Santa Clara County.
Campbell Historical
Museum and Ainsley House
Historical museum and 1925 Tudor-Revival home in Historic Downtown Campbell.
Chinese Historical and Cultural Project
Non-profit organization promotes and preserves Chinese American and Chinese history and culture through community outreach activities.
Chitactac-Adams Heritage County Park
4 miles west of Gilroy at the intersection of Burchell Road and Watsonville Road, this park commemorates Chitactac, the principal village of the Amah tribe of Ohlone Native Americans. Journals created by the Anza expidition identify the location.
Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies
Founded in 1971 as the Steinbeck Research Center, the Center for Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University is now the largest Steinbeck archive in the world. In 1997, the Center was renamed the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies in honor of its founder, a professor of English at San Jose State. The collection houses over 40,000 items--manuscripts, original letters, inscribed first editions, secondary works, film memorabilia, films, cassettes, and over 1200 photographs.
Non-profit corporation dedicated to collecting, preserving and exhibiting Cupertino history to the community.
The Museum, located at Santa Clara University, offers a variety of collections of fine art, decorative art, and historic, anthropological, archeological artifacts.
Organization preserving and exhibiting Gilroy's history to the community.
The Harris-Lass Historic Museum is located in Santa Clara on the last remaining farming site in the city. Exhibit includes a renovated and furnished two story house in Italianate style, plus barn, tank house, summer kitchen and chicken coop.
A 1600 acre farm and wilderness preserve nestled in the Los Altos Hills. Walk in the woods, meet the farm animals, relax. Programs include environmental and multicultural education.
History San Jose manages two sites and a collection of over 500,000 historical artifacts from Santa Clara Valley. Sites include History Park in Kelley Park and the Peralta Adobe & Fallon House in downtown San Jose.
At the Intel Museum in Santa Clara, you experience the power of computer chips first hand, and learn of their evolution and development. Self guided tours, group guided tours by arrangement.
Iron Man Museum, located at the former Joshua Hendy Iron Works site, exhibits items made at the site, World War I and II memorabilia and gold mining equipment.
The Japanese American Museum of San Jose
Non-profit organization collects, preserves, and disseminates the arts, culture and history of Japanese Americans, with emphasis on the Santa Clara Valley.
The mission of the Lace Museum, located in Sunnyvale, is to educate the community about the fine art of lacemaking through exhibits, shows, and community events.
The Museum preserves and presents the history of the Los Altos area. The historic J Gilbert Smith home,
located on one of the last active apricot orchards in the Santa Clara Valley, is a
turn-of-the-century (1905), shingled farm house built with many Craftsman-style features.
Outdoor agricultural exhibits are also displayed. An associated museum contains an interactive exhibit about
the history of land use over time in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills plus rotating exhibits
with historical focus. History House of Los Altos was declared a State Point of
Historical Interest in l987.
Hours: 12 - 4 pm, Thurday through Sunday. Free admission.
Moffett Field Historical Museum
Dedicated to the preservation of historical artifacts from the Navy, Army and NASA at Moffett Field since the base was created in 1933. Its goal is to capture the heritage of Moffett Field and to pass this information on to future generations.
Morgan Hill Historical Society and Museum
Preserves and displays the history of the Morgan Hill area.
Located in Palo Alto, MOAH preserves and presents the technology and inventions of the 19th and 20th centuries. Located in 1907 historic home (Designed by Ernest Coxhead) of Dr. Thomas Williams and associated historic garden. Three special exhibits annually. Permanent exhibits include print shop, general store, antique tools. Lectures, workshops. Open 11-4, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Operates two sites: Forbes Mill Museum of Regional History and Los Gatos Museum of Art & Natural History
The History Museum of Los Gatos is located in the heart of downtown Los Gatos
in historic Forbes Mill within walking distance of local restaurants and
shopping.
The museum is open Wednesday - Sunday, noon - 4pm. Free admission.
Handicap-accessible. Parking.
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
The museum presents visitors with an interesting array of exhibits about the history of mercury mining and the lifestyles of mining communities at New Almaden.
Palo Alto History Museum/Palo Alto Historical Association
A nonprofit association dedicated to collecting, organizing, and preserving materials pertaining to the history and heritage of Palo Alto, and to spread information about Palo Alto's history by means of programs, displays, and its official publication, The Tall Tree.
Pine Ridge Association/Henry W. Coe State Park
The Pine Ridge Association is an official state park cooperating association that was formed in 1975 to assist park staff in designing interpretive and educational programs and presenting the programs to the public. The park is open year-round for hikers, mountain bikers, backpackers, equestrians, car campers, picnickers, photographers, and people who simply like to visit parks.
Constructed in 1867 by a German immigrant Henry Rengstorff, saved from demolition and moved to Mountain View in 1980. A classic Victorian Italianate home, it is available for rent throughout the year and the grounds are an ideal setting for memorable events such as weddings, special parties or off-site corporate meetings. Open for public tours Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday from 11-5.
The museum houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in the western United States -- including objects from pre-dynastic times through Egypt's early Islamic era.
Saratoga Historical Foundation & Museum
Preserves and presents objects and information from Saratoga's history.
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles
The mission of the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is to promote the art, craft and history of quilts and textiles. The Museum’s exhibits and programs promote the appreciation of quilts and textiles as art and provide an understanding of their role in the lives of their makers, in cultural traditions, and as historical documents
Santa Clara Arts and Historical Consortium
House Museum displays historic and photographic collections relating to the City of Santa Clara. The house was donated to the city specifically to be used as a center to bring together the arts, historical and cultural groups of Santa Clara into a Consortium for the mutual benfit of the community. The house is a meeting place for its members and is the home of the Santa Clara Historical Museum.
Santa Clara County Historical and Genealogical Society/Santa Clara City Central Library
South Bay Historical Railroad Society
Organized to preserve the Santa Clara railroad heritage while running a working museum for benefit the community. Efforts include the renovation and preservation of the Santa Clara Railroad Depot, the Santa Clara Interlocking Tower and the two maintenance-of-way buildings. Building museum-grade HO and N scale model railroad displays to provide the public a better understanding of the different aspects of railroading. Located in old Santa Clara rail terminal.
Preserves and exhibits artifacts and information about the history of Sunnyvale and its residents, including the Murphy family, agriculture, fruit canning.
The Triton Museum of Art exists both to embrace and expand the lives of the people of Santa Clara County and the Greater Bay Area through a program of art, education and community involvement.
Non-profit organization dedicated to aviation history through education, preservation, restoration and flight. Aircraft and aviation artifacts in two display buildings, active aircraft restoration shop and propellor shop. Museum located in San Martin behind South County Airport.
Updated September 22, 2003