In April 1870, a few newspapers in the greater Bay Area carried an advertisement for the Museum of Living Wonders. For two days only, visitors could see “the tallest girl in the world, the prettiest girl in the world, the tallest man in the world,” and “the smallest man in the world,” according to the ad. Adults were charged 50 cents; children 25 cents. The Museum of Living Wonders may have wowed visitors at the time. They had no way to imagine the world-class museums and established cultural institutions that would be built in the future Tri-Valley. Today, the five cities of the region offer a wealth of opportunities to enjoy local museum collections and historic sites as well as engaging and educational experiences.

Famous Museums and Hidden Gems

Danville’s notable museums include Blackhawk, the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, and the former home of Eugene O’Neill. Blackhawk may be the best-known museum in the Tri-Valley thanks to its collection of historically significant automobiles. They range from the earliest gas-powered auto to a 1935 Duesenberg to a contemporary 2017 Lamborghini Centenario. On Sunday, October 20, the 2024 All British Motor Show will take place at Blackhawk from 8 am to 2 pm. Hosted by the Mini Owners of America - San Francisco, this celebration of British motoring heritage will feature “iconic Minis and other distinguished British marques,” according to Blackhawk officials. In addition to the Don William's Automobile Gallery, the museum also offers visitors five other exhibit areas: The Spirit of the Old West, Art of Africa, Pat's Compacts, Into China, and World of Nature. The museum’s ongoing Changemaker Speaker Series puts exceptional speakers on stage “to share their pioneering insights and experiences.”

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley in Danville celebrates the city’s rich history and heritage through a permanent exhibit. It includes local artifacts, an historical narrative frieze, and pictures of historic buildings related to the San Ramon Valley. The museum also sponsors revolving exhibits and several guided walking tours. They include the Alamo Cemetery, Historic Alamo, and Downtown Danville. Its virtual programs allow visitors to register to hear speakers on a variety of topics and to listen to the presentations after they have taken place. Local author Donna Kamp McMillion, a fourth-generation valley resident, discusses how she created a top selling book about life in the valley in the 1950s in one presentation. Others include Untold Stories of San Francisco's Turbulent Past and the Geology of Mount Diablo.

The National Parks Service protects the Danville home of Eugene O’Neill, the only American playwright to receive a Nobel Prize for Literature, as a historic site. “The home itself, named the Tao House, contains several of the playwright’s personal possessions and provides visitors an intimate perspective of the world-renowned artist’s life who chose the Tri-Valley as his home several decades ago,” officials note. Every year during the Eugene O’Neill Festival, his plays are brought back to life in the form of live performances housed in a small barn on the premises. The museum collection of Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site represents the playwright’s life and work from 1937 to 1944, the years he lived at Tao House. The collection includes personal belongings owned by the O'Neill family including clothing, accessories, and books, as well as original photographs and personal correspondence. Moreover, “the park grounds feature beautiful landscapes with winding trails, lush gardens, and picturesque views of the San Ramon Valley.”

At Dublin Camp Parks Military History Center and Dublin Heritage Park & Museums, visitors can explore the period more than 200 years ago when “Dublin served as the crossroads of two important stage coach routes, one from the Bay Area to Stockton and the other from Martinez to San Jose,” according to Dublin city officials. Dublin Camp Parks Military History Center features permanent museum-quality exhibits and rotating temporary exhibits, as well as history activities several times a year. The center is a partnership between the City of Dublin and Parks Reserve Forces Training Area.

Dublin Heritage Park & Museums is a 10-acre park that features historic buildings, lawns, picnic areas, and a pioneer cemetery. One notable building is the Kolb House Historic Home Museum, a 1911 craftsman bungalow owned by George Kolb, who came to Dublin from Germany in 1880 and soon after bought Dublin's General Store. The home features original period-style rooms with the family's own Mission and Arts and Crafts furniture, family photographs, and many personal items. Another museum there is the 1856 Murray Schoolhouse, which “traces the journey of Dublin's founders from Ireland to America in 1834, across the plains in a wagon train, and arriving in Mexican California in 1846,” according to museum officials. The Schoolhouse features interactive exhibits including a playhouse for preschool-age children.

More Treasures to Explore

The Discovery Center at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) provides in-person and virtual visitors with a window into the lab’s science and technology. LLNL officials say the exhibits “are designed to excite the next generation of researchers about new innovations and the work that we do.” In-person visitors can “step inside a replica of the National Ignition Facility target chamber to find out how we use the world’s most energetic laser to understand extreme conditions.” Remote visitors can also learn about the lab’s state-of-the-art research programs with its Virtual Discovery Center. “The Virtual Discovery Center showcases exciting scientific discoveries from around the Laboratory with links to videos, educational resources, and fun facts typically shared while visiting the center,” according to officials. “Visitors can meet the wildlife that reside on-site, learn about the Laboratory’s research in space or download a comic book that takes readers inside the National Ignition Facility, the world’s most energetic laser.”

The Quest Science Center, which is working toward building a permanent home, offers visitors a 5,000-square-foot outdoor science exploration and community space at Quest Plaza, located in Livermore at Stockmen’s Park. Science@Stockmen’s Park is “a free monthly outdoor event for children ages three and up, teens, and adults. From May through October, Quest offers fun science activities, stage shows, music, and more. Each event features a different theme and 10-25 hands-on activities,” Quest officials note. The next event, Halloween Hijinks, will be held on October 26 from 10 am to 1 pm and give participants a chance to “explore the science behind Halloween tricks and treats.”

Pleasanton’s Museum on Main describes its mission as "Enriching Community Life Through Education and Preservation" by way of a variety of programs. The building itself has been used as the Town Hall, the local Police Department, and the first free library in the city. Since 1963, the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society (ALVHS) has used the building to protect, preserve, and interpret the history of the two valleys. Its most recent exhibit, Gadgets Galore! Transforming the American Household opened on October 10 and runs through January 11, 2025. “Through curling irons and telephones, phonographs and washing machines, Gadgets Galore shows how technological innovation, industrial transportation, and mass communications have shaped our everyday experience,” say museum officials. Museum on Main hosts resources and exhibits on Pleasanton history, a speaker series, and other events.

Finally, the Alviso Adobe Community Park, located in Pleasanton, is a seven-acre historical site built around an 1854 adobe house built by Francisco Alviso. This rare surviving example of an early American adobe was continuously in use until 1969, but it is not the only thing of interest at the park. “This fully restored interpretative park reveals the history of the Amador Valley, offering a rare glimpse of times past–from its Native American beginnings to the days of Spanish Ranchos managing herds of cattle on the original 12,000 acre Rancho Santa Rita, through a period in the early to mid-20th century when it was a popular dairy and finally its present as a community park,” according to Pleasanton officials. Activities include visiting the park’s resident fiberglass educational milking cow, Fiona, and trying to milk it, practicing lassoing skills on the park’s wooden cows, and learning about local animal paw prints from a kinetic sand installation.

Many of the museums and historic sites listed above offer online resources to delight those who cannot visit in person. The Tri-Valley offers a rich history and a promising future. It is easy to learn about both through the region’s wonderful museums. The list above is but a sample of the many educational resources in the region well worth exploring.

For more information about Blackhawk Museum, please visit https://blackhawkmuseum.org. For more information about The Museum of the San Ramon Valley, please visit www.museumsrv.org.

For more information about the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, please visit www.nps.gov/euon/index.htm.

For more information about Dublin Camp Parks Military History Center, please visit www.dublin.ca.gov/1916/Dublin-Camp-Parks-Military-History-Cente.

For more information about Dublin Heritage Park & Museums, please visit www.dublin.ca.gov/269/Dublin-Heritage-Park-Museums.

For more information about the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Virtual Discovery Center, please visit www.virtual-discovery-center.llnl.gov.

For more information about Quest Science Center, please visit www.quest-science.org.

For more information about Museum on Main, please visit www.museumonmain.org.

For more information about Alviso Adobe Community Park, please visit www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/your-community/recreation/alviso-adobe.

Photo by Nicolas Lindsay on Unsplash