Page 72 - North State Parent March 2021

MUSEUMS & HISTORICAL SITES NORTH STATE PARENT FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE SPRING/SUMMER 2021
Remember to check the business website or phone for current COVID-19 restrictions and opening hours/days.
BUTTE COUNTY
Bidwell Mansion; Chico. Learn the history of the mansion built in 1865 and the surround- ing area at the visitor center. Take a guided tour of the 3-story, 26-room home of two of Chico’s founders, John & Annie Bidwell. bid- wellmansionpark.com. 525 Esplanade.
(530) 895-6144.
Bolt’s Antique Tool Museum; Oroville. Fea- tures the largest-known documented collec- tion of hand tools in the US, with more than 12,000 items on display. Group discounts
& tours available. Children ages 12 & under free. 1650 Broderick St. (530) 538-2528. Chico Air Museum; Chico Municipal Airport. Great fun for all ages. Educates and inspires about aviation and the history of flight. Fea- tures outdoor & indoor displays of aviation artifacts, research library, full-sized historic aircrafts. World Class Aviation Speaker Series. Special events by arrangement; group visits, school field trips. Summer hrs (June-Sept.): Thurs.-Sun, 9am-2pm. Free. chicoairmuseum. org. 165 Ryan Ave. (530) 345-6468.
Chico Children’s Museum; Chico. The mission of the museum is to learn & connect through play, with exhibits designed for children and their supervising grown-ups to interact through imaginative play. Through play, research shows that children devel-
op essential skills like collaborative social interaction, language & communication, critical thinking & problem solving. Tue-
Sat, 10am-5pm, Sun, 12pm-5pm, closed
Mon chicochildrensmuseum.org 325 Main St. (530) 809-1492.
Chico History Museum. Housed in the his- toric Carnegie Library building in downtown Chico; features both prestigious traveling exhibits & exhibits focusing on Chico & Butte County history. Thurs.-Sun, 11am-4pm. Group rates & tours available. chicohistory- museum.org. 141 Salem St. (530) 891-4336. Chinese Temple & Museum Complex; Oro- ville. Built in 1863, the temple is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is both a museum and active temple. The complex includes 3 temples, a Tapestry Hall display- ing an extensive collection of embroidered tapestries, costumes and more; the Fong
Lee Company Building displaying artifacts from the medicinal herb sales and shop of the Chan family. Group & classroom tours available. Children ages 12 & under free. Open daily, 12-4pm. cityoforoville.org. 1500 Broderick St. (530) 538-2496.
Gateway Science Museum; CSU, Chico. Hands-on & minds-on exhibits change seasonally. Discovery Room & Investiga-
tion Stations offer exploration for all ages. Gateway Gardens showcase native plants & habitats. csuchico.edu/gateway. 625 Espla- nade. (530) 898-4121
Gold Nugget/ Depot Museum; Paradise. The Museum has a wonderful collection of Maidu Indian artifacts. On the grounds, you will see a blacksmith shop, gold sluices and a miner’s cabin, a schoolhouse and a covered bridge that spans the width of a rushing creek. Free. 502 Pearson Rd. (530) 413-9129. Lott Home; Oroville. The C.F. Lott Home in Sank Park was built in 1856 by Charles F. Lott, gold rush pioneer, California senator and judge. The house and garden encompass an entire city block. Take a guided tour of the
Victorian home, hear captivating stories of the Lott family and their importance to early California history. View original furnishings, paintings, clothes, silver and more. Group & classroom tours available. cityoforoville.org. 1067 Montgomery St. (530) 538-2497. Museum of Northern California Art (mon- ca); Chico. Housed in the former Veteran’s Memorial Hall, this new museum displays rotating exhibits to make art accessible and promote awareness of Northern California artists. Open Thurs.-Sun, 11am-5pm. $5/ adults; children free. monca.org. 900 Espla- nade. (530) 487-7272.
National Yo-Yo Museum; Chico. This small world-class museum houses Big Yo the world’s largest working wooden yo-yo, and features the biggest public display of yo-yos and yo-yo memorabilia. Includes a vintage toy display. Yo-yo demonstrations & lessons on Sat, 12-2pm. Free. nationalyoyo.org. Inside the Bird in Hand toy store, 320 Broadway. (530) 893-0545.
Oregon City School; Table Mountain. Visit the oldest one-room school in Butte County. A California Historical Landmark, Oregon
City was one of the 1st mining camps in
the county, established in 1848 by a party
of Oregonians who came to California. Also visit the nearby Oregon City covered bridge and tour the Cherokee Museum (by appt.). The school is open Sat & Sun, 1-4pm or take
a chance and toot your horn on weekdays and the caretaker will let you in! buttecount- yhistoricalsociety.org. 2100 Oregon Gulch Rd. (530) 533-9418.
Paradise Depot Museum. This wonderful grass-roots museum features a full-sized restored caboose in addition to its star attrac- tion: a 30-foot working HO gauge model of the Butte County Railroad. Kids have a blast running a button-operated model that rep- resents the 33-mi. rail line that ran between Chico & Stirling City. Free. Thurs.-Mon, 12pm- 4pm. Paradise Community Park, 5570 Black Olive Dr. (530) 413-9129.
Patrick Ranch Museum; Durham. Dedicated to enhancing the understanding & appreci- ation of the area’s rich agricultural heritage. See exhibits and tour the historic Glenwood Farmhouse, built in 1877. Fun and education- al annual events include the California Nut Festival (Apr.), the Country Faire & Threshing Bee (June) and Autumn Fest (Oct.). School & group tours available. patrickranchmuseum. org. 10381 Midway. (530) 342-4359.
Pioneer History Museum; Oroville. First opened in 1932 by the Native Sons & Daugh- ters of the Golden West and now operated by the City of Oroville, this museum was
built as an oversized replica of a 49er’s cabin. The original building has been enlarged to hold 6,000-sq.-ft. of historic treasures. city- oforoville.org. 2332 Montgomery St. (530) 538-2529.
Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology; Chico. The Museum of Anthropology trains university students in becoming museum professionals. The museum’s mission is to promote respect & appreciation for human diversity through the academic museum studies program within the Department of Anthropology. The museum is committed to the care of collections and inspiring a diverse community through exhibitions & events. Free www.csuchico.edu/anthmuseum. In the Meriam Library on the Chico State University campus, room 180. (530) 898-5397.
GLENN COUNTY
Honeybee Discovery Center; Orland. The first interactive exhibit and museum of
its kind, the Honeybee Discovery Center will teach the importance of pollinators, including bees, especially honey bees, in our environment—share the history of beekeeping, a stewardship of our environ- ment—and offer a pollinator garden. 501 Walker Street. honeybeemuseum.org
NEVADA COUNTY
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park; Nevada City. Hydraulic mining washed away mountains in pursuit of gold. Visit California’s largest hydraulic mine and learn about the gold mining era through the Environmental Living Program. Story- telling by “Akali, The Last ‘49er.” Be sure to book early – his schedule fills up quickly. Day & overnight programs. Visitor center offers exhibits and info. Search in “find parks” at parks.ca.gov. 23579 North Bloom- field Rd. (530) 265-2740.
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum; Nevada City. Dedicated to the preservation of local transportation history and artifacts from the narrow gauge rail- road era. Offers docent-led historical tours of the museum, railyard and restoration shop. See wooden rail cars and more, including an 1875 Baldwin locomotive that hauled lumber, passengers and freight, then became a movie engine at Universal Studios in Hollywood. School & group tours available. Free admission. ncngrrmu- seum.org. 5 Kidder Ct. (530) 470-0902.
OREGON
Kid Time Children’s Museum; Medford. Features exciting indoor exhibits geared to- ward children ages 10 & under. Offers camps, classes & preschool. kid-time.org. 413 W Main Street. (541) 772-9922.
Medford Railroad Park. Four railroad clubs operate this 7-acre site featuring full-size train cars, caboose, hopper car, locomotive, HO scale model track & trains and operating outdoor garden railway. Free train rides to see bridges, waterfalls, tunnels and hills. Children love the Thomas the Train loop
led by Thomas & Percy. Private train parties available. Open 2nd & 4th Sun, Apr.-Oct., 11am-3pm. southernoregonlivesteamers. com. 799 Berrydale Ave. (541) 613-1638. National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center; Baker City. This Center tells the story of Oregon Trail pioneers, explorers, miners and settlers of the frontier west Offers living history demonstrations, interpretive pro- grams, exhibits, multi-media presentations, special events, and more than four miles
of interpretive trails. Thursday – Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with free admission. on.doi. gov/3iZtLOa oregontrail.blm.gov ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum; Ashland. Offers fun & intriguing hands-on ex- hibits & displays promoting the exploration of science and the arts. A great experience for all ages, this multi-sensory environment is guaranteed to bring out the kid in everyone. Keep an eye out for special events. Offers summer camps, field trips, birthday parties and other educational programs. science- worksmuseum.org. 1500 E. Main St. (541) 482-6767.
PLACER COUNTY
Maidu Museum & Historic Site; Roseville. The museum houses interactive exhibits, displays & two art galleries showcasing contemporary California Native American art that changes throughout the year. Also hosts a variety of special events, including art receptions, campfires, cultural speakers, petroglyph tours, live music and movie screenings. Open Sat, 9m-4pm. School programs & group guided tours by reser- vation. roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum 1970 Johnson Ranch Dr. (916) 774-5934.
PLUMAS COUNTY
Western Pacific Railroad Museum; Portola. Offers lots of hands-on activities & fun! Sit in the engineer’s seat of the largest diesel locomotive ever built. Tour vintage passenger cars, climb aboard a restored caboose, tour freight cars and other loco- motives. Train rides summer weekends 12- 3.30pm. Rent a vintage diesel locomotive to operate on the museum grounds with instruction from private instructor. Open daily (May-Sept.), 10am-5pm. wplives.org. 700 Western Pacific Way. (530) 832-4131.
SACRAMENTO COUNTY
California Museum; Sacramento. A wide, dynamic range of exhibits about Califor- nia’s rich history, its diversity and its unique contributions to the world through ideas, innovation, the arts and culture. Interactive experiences. californiamuseum.org. 1020 O St. (916) 653-7524.
California State Railroad Museum; Sacramento. Features restored locomotives & train cars along with exhibits reflecting California’s rich railroading history. Check out a Pullman-style sleeping car and a dining car complete with railroad china table setting. Try out a high-speed train simulator and “experience” piloting a modern high-speed train. Offers train rides, excursions & fun special events. Located within Old Sacramen- to State Historic Park (National Landmark) with original & reconstructed buildings from the gold rush days. Open daily, 10am-5pm, excluding major holidays. californiarailroad. museum. 111 I St. (916) 323-9280. Sacramento Old Schoolhouse Museum; Sacramento. Allows students of all ages to explore California’s early days of education. Enjoy a living replica of traditional one-room schoolhouses found throughout America in the late 1800s with costumed schoolmarms & school masters available to tell about school life in the 19th century. Open most weekdays & weekends to the general public; open weekdays by appt. for school field
trips. oldsacramento.com/attraction/old-sac- ramento-schoolhouse-museum 1200 Front St. (916) 483-8818.
SHASTA COUNTY
Anderson Historical Society & Museum. Interesting and rare display items, historical relics and great research documents. Sort through old photos, see the drought tolerant garden or sit and chat with local histori-
ans. andersonhistorical.com. Tue/Thurs. & 1st Sat of every month, 11am-3pm. 2330 Ferry St. (530) 365-7045.
72 North State Parent Family Resource Guide Spring/Summer 2021 • www.northstateparent.com