Museum Guide

The Calaveras County Historical Society in San Andreas, CA was formed in 1952!  ​The historical society is a record of past events. Many counties in the State of California have their past events preserved in a written history of the county. This is not true of the county of Calaveras as its history has never been written.  ​Located in the center of the gold mining district of California, Calaveras is rich in history, tradition, romance, and lore. The early growth and development of the State of California mostly took place in the gold mining districts and Calaveras County contributed its full share. Many persons who later became leaders in the state at one time became gold miners in Calaveras County.  ​Many descendants of the early residents of Calaveras County are still living, and it is possible to collect from them a vast fund of early history of the county. Many of the issues of early newspapers are no longer in existence, but some of these early newspapers are available in museums and public libraries.  While visiting come see the Calaveras County Museum Complex, which is made up of three historic buildings: The Old Courthouse and Jail - 1867, The Hall of Records - 1893, and The Odd Fellows Hall - 1856. Within these interconnected buildings, the history of Calaveras County is told through objects, portraits, and photographs. Here you will find educational displays that tell the County's pre-history and Tribal culture, the stories of the early-pioneers, and the history of the Gold Rush encompassing the influence of European, Chinese, Mexican and many other cultures and their stories and objects related to mining and other industries in the County. https://www.historicalcalaveras.com/downtown-museum ​The prime purpose of the Calaveras County Historical Society is to collect and preserve for posterity the early history of Calaveras County. We invite you to come and visit us anytime where you will see history preserved form years past! Check us out online:  https://www.historicalcalaveras.com/ ​

The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, in Hammondsport, NY bears the name of a pioneer aviator and Hammondsport’s favorite son! The museum is located on State Route 54, one half mile south of the village of Hammondsport, New York. Dedicated to the memory of Glenn Hammond Curtiss, the museum contains a priceless collection relating to early aviation and regional history. The museum also features a 75-seat theater, large open area for special events and a museum store. In addition to seeing the museum displays and exhibits, visitors are welcome to visit the Restoration Shop, talk with volunteer craftsman and watch them work on historic aircraft. The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is an educational and cultural institution that collects, preserves, and interprets transportation modes and regional history, and celebrates the innovations and accomplishments of Glenn Hammond Curtiss. In the beginning for Glenn H. Curtiss, building and selling airplanes was not enough. He wanted people to understand the idea and beauty of flying his aircraft. Starting with the first sale of an airplane to the Aeronautical Society of New York in 1909, he agreed to teach two of its members, Charles Willard and Alexander Williams, how to fly.   By 1916, people from all walks of life were attending the Curtis School in one of ten locations across the country! He first trained U.S. Navy pilots, helping to create a strong Air Wing of the military. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, many of the schools and instructors would become extensions of the military. These flying schools trained some of the finest aviators the world had ever seen. Afterwards, the Curtiss Flying Schools merged into the Curtiss Flying Service, continuing well up to the beginning of World War II. Today, the Museum is dedicated to preserving and displaying planes, automobiles and bicycles either originals, restores or reproductions from the late 1800’s to the 1940’s.  https://glennhcurtissmuseum.org/exhibits-on-display/ The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is the perfect place to experience early history of all of this and more, covering WWI & WWII! Check out more information online - https://glennhcurtissmuseum.org/   Museum Opening Hours: May 1 – October 31st, 9am to 5pm daily. November 1 –April 30, 10am to 4pm daily **We are closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

At the Kit Carson House & Museum in Taos, New Mexico we explore the ancestral home of a myriad Native peoples, as New Mexico is part of the last geographical region formally incorporated into the continental United States. Ther Museum preserves the National Historic Landmark, the Kit Carson Home while developing a museum with exhibits dedicated to the critical exploration of the complicated history and consequences of the cultural encounters of the American Southwest and particularly the history and ongoing story of Native Communities for whom this region was and continues to be home. At the museum we explain how Carson fought in the Mexican-American War with General Kearny's forces at the Battle of San Pasqual. He led the First New Mexico Volunteers against Confederate forces at the Civil War Battle of Valverde, New Mexico. Carson was brevetted Brigadier General by orders from President Abraham Lincoln. He was the only General in U.S. Army history who could neither read nor write.  The Carson House & Museum will increase the current museum’s historical artifact collection to better match the museum’s updated mission. Our vision statement, guiding principles, collections management policy and ability to adequately care for, house and display artifacts will dictate the types of artifacts the museum will collect. The goal is to acquire historical artifacts for the initial displays with a collections plan in place to continue to grow the collection accordingly! The Museum is celebrating its 200-year birthday in 2025. The site has recently been awarded a Save America's Treasures Grant from the National Park Service in the amount of $750K. The grant requires a 1:1 dollar match -please go to website and click on Donate to support the effort! Currently the buildings and grounds restoration and construction will focus on the preservation and rehabilitation of the Carson Home and surrounding structures. The goal will be to restore the National Historic Landmark and construct a museum to accommodate historical exhibits, interpretative graphics, interactive multimedia features, and historical artifacts. https://www.kitcarsonhouse.org/restoration-efforts We look forward to welcoming you to the Kit Carson House Museum in Taos, NM and exploring the deep history and exploration of our Native People and the impact Kit Carson had! https://www.kitcarsonhouse.org/