The best museum I've visited in the north bay. Amazing and beautiful exhibits you can tell whoever made this museum put their heart and soul into it and the staff are very nice and friendly. Definitely recommend. read more

Sharpsteen Museum - The pot used by the Donner party. Allegedly what they used to cook the bodies. - Museums Near Me - Calistoga, California

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Stopped by with my wife on Friday since it's the only museum in Calistoga and we really enjoyed it. The place is quiet, neat, and full of local history including Calistoga, Ben Sharpsteen, and even the Donner Party. The exhibits are creative and easy to follow, not boring at all. Karen was the highlight. She was so sweet, full of energy, and made the visit fun and memorable. Usually you expect staff at small museums to be a little dry but she was the complete opposite. It's also free to visit, which makes it an easy stop if you are in town. Definitely worth checking out. read more

Driving around Calistoga on a cold, rainy January day we stumbled upon this museum. Amazingly, it was open on a Monday. We looked at each other, looked at the pouring rain, and decided it was a great day for a museum! We were greeted warmly by Roy, a retired high school educator in charge of the museum, and he gave us a personal introduction to the museum's history and high points. The founder of the museum, Ben Sharpsteen, one of Walt Disney's original animators, loved Calistoga and its history; hence the museum's focus. A beautiful model depicts the original Calistoga, designed by Sharpsteen and several of his animator colleagues. Displays highlight Calistoga's founder, Sam Brannan, the writer Robert Louis Stevenson and his time in the area, and long time resident Earl Thollander of "Backroads of California" fame. One of Brannan's original 1862 cottages is attached to the museum where furnishings of the time can be seen. A wide range of history books and some attractive items are available in the gift shop. An enjoyable visit, and well worth the time if you're in the area. read more

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Somewhat of a hidden gem. Amazing piece of Calistoga and California history. The kids loved it. So much care and love went into this lovely museum. read more

My partner and I visited this museum for the first time in March 2023. We've been to Calistoga countless times and love it there. We have an extra hour or so to kill so decided to peruse the Sharpsteen Museum for a bit. Immediately upon arriving we were greeted by a kind young woman who informed us that it was free admission and advised us on which path to take around the displays. When I tell you I have never had more fun in a museum. It was a blast. The first display discussing Ben Sharpsteen and his animations with Walt Disney Studios. The museums displays are thoughtful, well organized, and clever. I am a huge fan of tiny dioramas and they hit it out the park in every room. I could stare at each one for hours. That alone would have been amazing but then I turned around was face to face with Donner Party artifacts! I had no idea that survivors of the Donner Party had even settled in Calistoga and it was fantastic to learn about the city's pioneers and settlers. Seeing and reading about their experience and how they lived their lives post-plains journey was really interesting. But the icing on the cake was really the Mando Lisa (Mandalorian Mona Lisa). They had an entire exhibit dedicated to Star Wars and featuring a display of fan art by local kids! Their Star Wars display discussed the local Rancho Obi Wan and featured tons of cool Star Wars memorabilia. It was so cute and clever and really sealed the whole experience for us. I never thought I could experience Disney animation, tiny dioramas, the Donner Party, and Star Wars in the same place but this museum made my dreams come true! I couldn't shut up about it the rest of the trip and was just baffled at how much fun and varied the museum is. I have told probably 20 people about this experience and encouraged them to visit whenever they get a chance. You will not be disappointed! read more

Sharpsteen Museum - Bookshelf from the Donner Party - Museums Near Me - Calistoga, California

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If you have any interest in the history of Calistoga and Saint Helena, this museum must be visited. The detailed maps, dioramas, artifacts, collectibles and stories were amazing. There's really more information than you can absorb in just one visit. read more

Cute and informative! We were the only ones in there when we stopped by on a Tuesday afternoon. We had taken a day trip from Sac and saw it on the map so stopped in. One docent was there and was very helpful. The Disney items are interesting and the resort exhibits are neat too. I had no idea that resort was there and I loved being able to walk through the cabin. Worth a stop! read more

This museum is much bigger than meets the eye when you first come in the door. There is great information on the history of the area but it is presented in such a way that all ages can enjoy. The oscar won by disney as well as some of the animation cell were also quite interesting. They ask for donations but the entrance in no change. This is well worth a visit if you are in town. read more

We went to Sharpsteen Museum after hiking at Linda Falls w/ Napa Land Trust. It's in the town of Calistoga on Washington St, next to a Community Area bathrooms available. There's a suggested donation of $3 in a box next to the sign-in sheet, lady didn't collect it from us. From Wikipedia: "Ben Sharpsteen (November 4, 1895 - December 20, 1980) was an American film director and producer for Disney. He directed 31 films between 1920 and 1980. Sharpsteen created a museum documenting the history of California's first millionaire Sam Brannan, the history of the Upper Napa Valley as well as more on Sharpsteen's life and work at the Sharpsteen Museum located in Calistoga, California." Pictures are allowed, No Flash! Lots to take pics of. Ben's Oscar in a glass case, dioramas of Calistoga & Napa Valley, Sam Brannan's Cottage - some mannequins in the various rooms. Small gift shop area. I recommend this small museum, plan at least 1hr to see & read everything. Website: http://www.sharpsteen-museum.org/index.html read more

A fun little place to learn about the history of Calistoga and about Ben's life and time while he worked with Walt Disney. The museums admission is donation based (recommended $3) and it's really worth it because you get a mini tour from the staff and then they set you free to roam as you please. They have info about the original natives that lived there, Sam Brannan the founder of Calistoga, and the donner party. One thing that I found to be amazing was that Ben's Disney Legends award lives there with some of his animations. I also quite enjoyed the bedrooms and kitchen of what life was like back in the mid to late 1800's. This is a nice place to visit if you are spending some time in the area. To complete it would take about an hour and a half or so, it's not a very big place but worth a visit. read more

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The Sharpsteen Museum is a fun melange. Ben Sharpsteen, a Disney animator, lived in Calistoga. There are original animation cels, along with his real Oscar... a piece of Hollywood in the placid Napa Valley. Disney animators were behind the amazingly detailed diorama of Sam Brannan's original Calistoga resort. Currently, they're repairing the miniature train. The movable diorama of the geology of the Calistoga area, unfortunately, isn't working. There are creepy mannequins to represent the Calistoga stage coach and in the Sam Brannan resort cottage that dates back to 1862. There's a fascinating exhibit about Calistoga's Mormon founder, Sam Brannan. Brannan was California's first millionaire, published its first paper, wanted to make California the capital of the LDS Church (but Brigham Young disagreed), performed California's first English language wedding. One wonders what Brannan would've made of the Mormon battle over Prop.8. One of the few surviving Brannan cottages is attached to the museum, depicting its interior the way it would be in 1862. When Brannan's resort dream imploded, his cottages were sold off;one is now a dentistry office(?) and another is a B&B, serving the purpose Sam Brannan would've appreciated. Another interesting exhibit is about Robert Louis Stevenson's honeymoon at an abandoned mine with his American bride. When Calistoga at the time offered hot springs, luxurious cottages, inns, Stevenson was a hipster. Going to an abandoned mine would make him like an "urban explorer." The Sharpsteen Museum has friendly docents and a nice little gift shop. read more

Great place to learn about the history of Calistoga. There is no charge but donations of $3 or more are appreciated. As soon as you walk in there is a place to sign in the guest book. Then a member of the staff gives you a tour, explaining the founding, naming, history and general layout of the town. There is a whole section of the founder and builder of the museum. They also had models of a carriage and displays of the town. They also had a display of how the cottages would have looked like back in the day. They have various books and toys for sale out front. There are also restrooms located just outside of the museum. Definitely come visit this place to get a better background of Calistoga and the surrounding area. read more

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We took a chance and were we surprised! We never expected to find such a nice museum in such a small town like Calistoga. There are a lot of neat things to see. One of the highlights for us was seeing the original Disney animation cells done by Ben Sharpsteen, and of course his Oscar. The small gift shop has just enough goodies to entice you. I bought two exceptional books on Chinese history I have yet to find anywhere else. There is a neat fully furnished cottage attached to the museum that is very interesting to see. You should make it a point to see this real gem of a museum in Calistoga. It would be a shame to miss it! read more

I wandered in here while doing the wine tasting rounds in Calistoga and was delighted by the intricacy of the exhibits. I was expecting some rinky dink little place, but this was pretty impressive! Unfortunately, didn't get to see everything, but I loved the dioramas and replications of Sam Brannan's cottage (California's first Gold Rush millionaire) as well as the Robert Louis Stevenson exhibits. read more

Sharpsteen Museum - Brannan's House - Museums Near Me - Calistoga, California

Absolutely delightful museum! It is so well maintained and the tour was informative and entertaining. This was the least expected highlight of our weekend getaway. We learned so much about Calistoga's rich history and can't wait to return in the future to explore more of what we didn't have time for. read more

Incredible museum created with a great deal of love and devotion to early Calistoga history. Each exhibit is an integration of artifacts and beautifully painted backgrounds and dioramas. The founder of this museum, Ben Sharpsteen, and his ties to Disney can be seen throughout the museum. His paintings of the old Bale grist mill and wagon setting are extraordinary. The most striking part of this museum is the 30 foot diorama that greets one as they enter the main room of the museum. I read all about Calistoga history and was trying to explain to my daughter what Calistoga used to look like in the mid 1800's ... and there it was beautifully displayed in every detail in this fantastic diorama. The restored Spiers mud wagon is incredible. As a mountain biker I've ridden many of the old wagon roads from Calistoga to Clearlake. I still shake my head at the notion of horse(s) and carriage that could accommodate passengers, luggage, mail sacks and the Wells Fargo strong box, containing gold for the Great Western Mine payroll, traversing along what clearly was (and still is) the wild west. This museum is run strictly by volunteers and is open every single day from 11-4 except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Excellent job Calistoga! For a small town this is definitely a five star museum. read more

Very cute. The lady volunteering was very nice and informative. The museum was well kept and clean. It was very interesting to learn about the growth of Calistoga. read more

You would be silly not to spend a bit of time here if you are in the area... the exhibits are interesting and I had a great time talking to the person at the front... well maintained and thought out local museum. read more

This is a terrific place to while away an hour or two. Among its collection is actual Oscar award on exhibit by the founder of the museum. What made this experience so special was the docent on staff who was very friendly charming and full of interesting details and a wealth of knowledge from her 30 years of working as a city planner for Calistoga. read more