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...

MHM has some excellent programs, both over zoom and in person. I attended Jo Haraf's discussion of…read moreher book Murder, Marriage, and Betrayal, set mostly in Marin--Novato, San Rafael, Olompali--and learned so much about the founders of Marin County and it's early history. Marcy's walking tours sound fantastic, and since they are outside, they should be within covid protocols. Now that part of the collection is back in it's beautiful home in downtown San Rafael, it's more accessible. Reach out.

Are u open today ..anybody on planet earth ..human life is fragile ...carry it ...be carefulread more

It's an interesting place and free for walk ins. You will see that the curators have dedicated…read moretheir works into this place. This place is not very big, but you will find historical artifacts, passages, books, and reflections. It's a good place to foster conversations.

Only in Marin will you find a WW II Museum at the dump. Yes, the WW II Military Vehicle Museum…read more(Joe Gabarino) is located just past the main area of the dump on the right near some equally old storage sheds. There is an old rocket on a platform as you approach the two bunkers,which are full of old vehicles and tanks. There is usually a guy working on one of the tanks, but you can go into the bunkers and climb on the vehicles and roam around. When you are tired of playing General Patton, you can go to the front of the dump, where there is a little collection of animals and watch (and listen to ) the peacocks screech at each other. Fun for kids.

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.

This place is a hidden gem in Palo Alto, in an industrial area surrounded by factories. It is a…read moremuseum of the work of Tony Foster, an artist from UK who paints beautiful watercolor landscapes. It's free, and a nice place to visit for an hour or so ... highly recommended.

We tried Story Time with Anna on Sunday. It was an hour experience that our grandson enjoyed. We…read moresigned up ahead of time and street parking was easy. There was also a sign that there is additional parking behind the museum. After checking in there was a craft/art activity with stickers and tempera paint sticks. Low mess :). Adjacent was a play area with colored scarves, a pretend campfire, felt board for the children to explore, and books. Before entering the museum area Anna gave an introductory talk describing what to expect. She made it interactive which was very nice. They also did a song to get their wiggles out. She then guided the group through the museum to the carpeted area with cushions for the kiddos. Ana talked about and asked questions about the art on the walls. She read Under the Same Sky to the children and made this an interactive experience also. It was just the right length of time, thirty minutes. This was just right for our 18 month old grandson.

We visited the Marin Museum of Bicycling because my dad has always loved mountain biking, and it…read morewas such a cool experience to explore a place so connected to the sport's history. The entrance fee was $10/person. The museum is well put together, with vintage bikes, historic posters, and exhibits that highlight how mountain biking was born in Marin County. It felt meaningful to learn about the pioneers of the sport and see the culture celebrated in such a dedicated space. The staff and volunteers were incredibly knowledgeable and passionate, taking the time to explain exhibits and share stories that brought everything to life. Even though my dad couldn't join us, visiting in his honor made the experience really special. If you appreciate cycling or know someone who does, this museum is absolutely worth the trip.

Awesome stop in Fairfax! I would definitely recommend! Joe and his wife Connie really know their…read morestuff! If Joe's around definitely ask him about the bikes and all the cool history behind them!!

Our camp site was just an 8 minutes drive away. We came on a Saturday just before 2pm and intended…read moreto just check out the beach. We did not know we also stumbled onto this little fishing village and museum too. Apparently you can also rent the space out for wedding receptions too as we had seen one being set up. The beach was also nice as we spent a few hours here. It's a pebble beach so bring something soft to sit or lay on. There are also a few picnic tables. Even if we don't camp we could see ourselves visiting here as it's very peaceful and not busy at all.

We had reservations at the campground at China Camp State Park in early August, 2024, which was…read moreintended just as an overnight stop while on-route between Santa Cruz, CA and the Oregon coast. Without having done any research with respect to what to expect at the state park, we were very pleasantly surprised to stumble upon the China Camp Village. The Village commemorates an historical (1880s) Chinese American shrimp fishing village on the shore of San Pablo Bay. The small (unmanned) museum is in one of the original restored buildings, and has exhibits that depict the work and lives of the fishermen from that era. We also walked along the pier, and took photographs of the old boats on the shore and the "Grace Quan", which is moored to the pier. The Grace Quan is a reconstruction of a San Francisco Bay shrimp junk that was a workhorse of the dried shrimp industry from 1860-1910. We ended the evening watching sunset over the bay from one of the plentiful picnic tables. Clean restrooms are available. The state park charges $5 for day use parking.