Wonder little history museum located downtown Novato. The museum was the home of the first Post…read moreMaster in Novato. The museum is clean and free of most dust particles. Many small historical museums are so dusty. I was pleasantly surprised to see the clean artifact, fingerprint fee cases and nice looking collection of items. The Director is a former school Principal and keeps artifacts open for people to touch. This is great for a tactile person like myself. They have an electronic screen with video shorts and plan an effort to recognize the Hispanic/Latino culture. I hear they are planning to expand in future years. This is a good quick a stop for a historic perspective on Novato.

This is the History Center that will give you an idea what this Valley was like about a hundred…read moreyears ago. It was settled for farming and its first mode of transport was by river to the SF Bay. Check it out! It is volunteer run by very kind locals.

The Peralta family were a Spanish land grant family who at one time owned the area from the San…read moreLeandro Creek north, to El Cerrito and from the hills West to the Bay. The Casa Peralta in San Leandro was built in 1901 and has been restored to its appearance from the 1920's. Highlights include the history of Luis Maria Peralta and his sons. Spanish tiles inside the fence related the story of Don Quixote. The Casa Peralta is a Museum that is open on Saturdays and Sundays free of charge.

Today was an absolute shit show at Casa Peralta hosted by the San Leandro Improvement Association…read more(SLIA) and the Community Impact LAB (CIL)! It was horribly, FUCKING HORRIBLY, managed, unorganized and uncontrolled! I do understand that having 5 years Marine Corps service means I have a particular set of standards and ideas of customs and courtesies and organization requirements..... but today was just FUCKING NUTS! First: there very seriously should have been a MAXIMUM CAPACITY limit and it should have been enforced! Instead of there being a good 1000 people squeezed into this tiny ass fucking church! I would have rather been told " I'm sorry we're at capacity" and turned away than to have been flooded with hundreds upon hundreds of people in a tiny ass court yard! Second: there should have been someone there AT THE DAMN GATE to ENFORCE the rule that "3 years and younger" at the first egg hunt! My daughter got kneed in the head and knocked down by a greedy Fucking PARENT who was telling his (very obviously looking) 6+ old son "Run run! Go over there I see more eggs! Hurry before more people come in!" To which I shoved him into a fucking tree! (I hope you read this post and contact me to apologize to my two year old daughter you piece of shit cause you darted off like a bitch!) Then I heard another mother saying "oh sorry sweetheart I thought this was for 3 and up! (When they made it very clear through the sound system and everyone was told to be quiet that we were lining up for 3 and under) and then said "we'll don't put your eggs back we'll just come back in a few minutes for your turn!" I also had a clearly looking 8+ old kid reach his grimy Fucking hands into my child's basket when her head was turned and tried to get her TWO EGGS (which were the only eggs she was able to get) to which he got a fucking palm to the face! I don't know where his fucking irresponsible parents were, but don't worry, I'll discipline your child for you! NO ONE enforced the 8-10 eggs ONLY rule so I saw children (OLDER THAN 3 MOSTLY) with 20 eggs and 10 candies and I saw some with 2 eggs and no candies. It was the fucking hunger games! Thirdly: why the fuck were there no representatives to watch the egg hunts to enforce the "one parent with one kid rule" because I had more problems with asshole adults then I did with little shit head kids! It was heavily over crowded with ADULTS! Seriously what the fuck! Fourth: there was NO set timing on the petting zoo! Some kids had 10 minutes (causing a line reaching towards the entrance gate) some kids got hurried out after only a minute or two. Some kids didn't even get to pet the animals because NO one was parenting their children and the poor lady there was just so overwhelmed with kids jumping in and out and parents letting it happen that anyone with any sense was just leaving. Those poor bunnies were breathing so hard I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't make it through to tomorrow from being over stimulated and overwhelmed. Kids were grabbing and picking up and putting down and pushing on them and just being horribly handled that I'm sure they'll have anxiety issues after today. It was just a gaggle fuck! The face painting? A joke! The ONLY thing this place had going for it, was it was beautiful. Any other day I'm sure I'd love to be here and enjoy it. The ONLY good part about today was my mother and father in law at least made this place bearable by helping me protect my two toddlers! But today?! I will NEVER bring my kids back for any event hosted by these organizations! I understand, it was a free event and I appreciate that. HOWEVER, I would now much rather pay for $10+ per person for an event that will at least be much better controlled and managed and organized, than to show up to a free event and fight to the death just for breathing room. We will be redoing Easter tomorrow in an Apartment complex courtyard just the family just to feel like Easter wasn't a waste today!

This tiny museum presents the history of Sausalito, including displays about the first inhabitants…read more(Coast Miwok), prohibition, the Ferry, the music scene with local bands being hosted along the waterfront, and the city's transformation (no longer a major transit center) in 1937 after the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge allowed for automobiles to pass through. There's even an 1860's dragon door with chinese characters on display, along with interactive exhibits on topics such as boatbuilding and the boat houses, and the stories of influential figures of the past who shaped the city, sometimes without recognition. A volunteer/staff member welcomed us at arrival, and we were able to explore the place on our own at no cost, which doesn't take long since the Ice House is just a single room.

Tiny, one room museum near the Sausalito Ferry that's wonderfully curated. Gives a great snapshot…read moreof the rich history of Sausalito. Free admission and the docent, Lin, was friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend stopping by to check it out.

The name should be changed to a gallery or collection or something.. the best things were the…read morestructures outside. The collection is disorganized and not very informative. The taxidermy is sad and the barbies dresses up as native people were weird. The park is nice...

This is a very small but, excellent Museum. It's in a nondescript stucco two story building…read moretowards the Novato Blvd. entrance and parking. Every time I have explored it, I've been impressed. There are I've local items and also rotating visiting exhibits. Last time I was there, there were beautiful Indian clothing from several different tribes within the U.S.

Fascinating history and items on display. Don't forget San Quentin is the oldest prison in…read moreCalifornia. Check hours. Often closed but worth the wait.

It is hard to add anything to the other review of the San Quentin Museum. She pretty much…read morenailed it as far as protocol for visiting. I might remind people NO CAMERAS are allowed. If you drive you will pass through San Quentin Village (yes there is a town and a small beach) turn left towards the water and park in Visitor Parking, then walk up to the East Gate to enter. There is no Sir Frances Drake Blvd. West Gate entry for visitors. You may want to call Jeff (who runs the museum Tues. and Thursday) to make sure he is there. (415) 454-1460 X5803 The museum is a little gem of history. Despite all the jokes about it taking valuable space on the Marin waterside, San Quentin has some awesome remnants of the past and you may come away with a different perspective on the prison. I did.

I want to share an honest review of my recent experience with the Marin History Museum. While my…read moreexperience initially became frustrating surrounding the San Quentin tour, I am grateful for how the situation was ultimately addressed. When I signed up for the tour, my ticket was somehow cancelled. After further review, I learned that this was the result of a clerical error. Unfortunately, it created a difficult situation for me, especially because it took several days to determine what had happened. My only intention was to feel confident that I could participate in an opportunity I had signed up for based on the stated requirements. I was recently offered the opportunity to join the San Quentin tour after everything was reviewed, and I truly appreciate the effort that was made to make things right. A special thank-you to Jennifer and Heather for taking the time to help resolve the situation and for attempting to make a difficult experience better. I also want to sincerely apologize to Lori if my concerns caused any unnecessary commotion. That was never my intention. I simply cared deeply about being able to participate and wanted to understand why my registration had changed. Ultimately, I appreciate the Marin History Museum for hearing me out and working toward a positive resolution. I look forward to continuing to reach out, participate, and support the museum and the important work it does to preserve and share Marin County's history. Thank you to everyone who took the time to help. I truly appreciate it.

Fascinating for history students...rare finds...travel far...in Bay Area...house museum with Maple…read moreLawn building...Elk's Lodge? Downtown San Rafael has a main street with shops and restaurants...like old times...fun...anytime really...it's not hard to visit some parts of outer Bay Area counties...this area has access with the transit center buses that go out of the bridge area...nice adventure...some people are ignorant of buses...sometimes buses are a better to way to transport...house museums are in all directions NWSE...etc...this one is different...it says that the daughter was a polar photographer, geographer, and went on expeditions...related to Canada etc...really wonderful time to visit the history house...quiet community...scholarly...athletic...

Gorgeous collections of contemporary and collectible Japanese Art…read more Definitely come and take a look when you can. There is no admission fee!

My favorite gallery in SF. I covet almost everything in there -- the curator has a great eye…read more Contrary to Chris M's review, I think there's actually very little that reminds me of Noguchi. Which is what I love about Japonesque: its collection reflects the diversity of contemporary Japanese art, not just what's made its way to Design Within Reach. Particularly impressive are the sculptures and shaped / carved canvases. If I ever have $60K to spend on some woodwork, I know where to go. In the meantime, this place will have to remain my lunchtime retreat.

We decided to check this place out on a Saturday afternoon, not sure what to expect. Parking was…read moreeasy for a quick stop, as it's at a dead end street. We were tricked numerous times thinking there was someone on site, but nope just random mannequins posing among the decor, as well as at least two tin man characters, and a couple different slides (one of them cut off halfway in the air). There was lots to explore and no one stopping us from going deeper into the property, where you'll find a cute little footbridge and pond, along with plants, animal sculptures, and more artwork made of "junk". It doesn't really look like it's maintained (as of May 2024) but the junkyard look actually gives it some character, and it has a sort of messy organization to it. And of course the oversized picnic table off toward the side near the highway can pique the curiosity of those driving by. I liked it... nothing too impressive, but still a unique exhibition of quirky art, which is something I enjoy especially when it's free.

Hard to define this "attraction" -- part junk yard, part art installation, all fun. This is a…read morecreated community based on reusing .. well .. junk It is a feast for the eyes and well worth a drive past (and not on the 101 but on Lucky Road). For kids of all ages, there is a giant picnic table at the end of the road where you can take a cool photo with Mt Tam in the background. If you like funky, off the beaten track stuff, this is one for you.