Richmond Museum of History

If someone would've told me 20 years ago that I'd ever have an interest in history I'd have scoffed, so certain was I that "History", as presented in grades 1 through 12 could ever be fascinating to anyone. But if you're lucky, life is long, you grow, you change, and things you once slept through are suddenly fascinating. Richmond Museum of History is suddenly fascinating. In a former Carnegie Library, circa 1910, the compact Richmond Museum is crammed full of fascinating finds. It helps that Richmond has an utterly compelling history: After the Gold Rush (1848-1850), the most dramatic migration to the Bay Area occurred in WWII, when high-paying shipyard jobs brought hundreds of thousands of people to the area. The most explosive growth happened in Richmond, home of the Kaiser shipyards. Within a three-year period beginning in 1940, Richmond's population quadrupled to a whopping 93,000+ residents. The Richmond Museum of History houses extensive photos and memorabilia about the town - and people - not just from this period but from the period preceding it as well. The sheer volume of interesting old photos they have is amazing and they only have room to display a fraction of their cache. The space is crowded and dusty and compelling. Combined with their changing exhibit (currently: Jews of Richmond), it took me upwards of two hours to make my way methodically through the place, then I spent a little longer before exiting. A make-shift gift shop near the entrance/exit has hand knit caps, mittens, and scarves priced so reasonably that you should make a trip here just to get yourself outfitted for the next storm. The Richmond Museum of History is a fascinating, under-the-radar, offbeat attraction that should be a must-see for anyone interested in that sort of thing and/or local history. They've been blessed with an exceptional amount of archival material and it deserves to be viewed. Tickets run $5 ($3 for seniors) but free tickets can be obtained in advance from your library's Discover & Go site. Ample street parking can be had out front.Go. It's really interesting.

My wife and I grew up in Richmond. We decided we wanted to go see the museum. It has been many years since we were there. At that time they had a special exhibit for the art children in the Shipyard schools did. Very interesting. Museum is in a beautiful building with a wonderful garden. Inside the full history of Richmond is laid out for all to see. Really an interesting story how Richmond came to be and how she grew. I would recommend this place to anyone interested in Richmonds history.

I live near by and always have passed. This year I noticed neighborhood signs for a día de los muertos event and decided to take my little ones to check it out. The even was great, lots of fun crafts and history of Día de los Muertos, and I love that it gave us a place to honor loved ones who have passed. I was touched to see a día de los Muertos section of offering altars, one of the tributes was for a guy I went to school with, Pedie.Besides this event, the museum is awesome. Clean bathroom. Friendly staff. A lot of original items in the exhibit and not all replicas.. History exhibits dating back to the first Natives who settled here up until recent, we loved it. Beautiful way to showcase our city so rich in history.I'll be looking out for future events they might hold here.

Though I haven't lived in Richmond since 1992, that's still the city where I grew up, and also still visit because my family still lives there. Therefore, part of my heart remain there and still care about its history and well-being. Therefore, I find it so much fun to finally visit this Richmond Museum of History. There is a $2 admission fee and you do have to ring a doorbell to gain entry (I can see that it's for the safety of the workers who are mainly in offices upstairs while the entrance is a street-level courtyard downstairs). They show exhibits of items and photos of items that made Richmond great in past years (such as the ship-building history, the Ford plant, etc.).For me, the most fascinating part is the historical photo exhibits showing what certain intersections and address looked like in the past. I've always been fascinated with the historical photos of what used to be downtown Richmond along MacDonald Ave, which even up to the 1950's look like a bustling place (compared to it's state today). It's no surprise to learn that there pretty much always been a Southern Pacific depot at 16th and MacDonald, the current location of both the Richmond BART and Amtrak stations. It's also fascination to see the 1920's photo of intersection of San Pablo and MacDonald Aves, back then without buidlings but have the big sign directing cars to the ferry for San Francisco (back before the Bay Bridge was built). One of the volunteers says there are more archive photos in albums that can be viewed by appointment.It was definitely a very fascinating one hour visit there this past Sunday afternoon.

Anyone that knows me knows that I love history. This is a cool Museum tucked away in a neighborhood many avoid. But this building I believe was once a Library now it's the Richmond museum they have a lot of exhibits about Richmond's history cool pictures and artifacts as well. It's worth checking out I think of it as a gem hidden in the shadows.

It's really quiet and a nice place to take a stroll on a lazy Sunday. It's not usually too crowded and I like the variety of displays they have.

I cannot say how glad I am that I took the time to stop at the Richmond Museum of History during my visit to the Bay Area. I decided to visit the Museum to view the temporary exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Building. On display were truly captivating historical pieces from the turn of the last century - a document signed by Theodore Roosevelt, banking records from the former Bank of Richmond, original newspapers. Numerous photographs of the city depicted a flourishing Richmond, with its busy streets and regal atmosphere. What's more, the exhibit offered an intimate insight into the lives of Richmond's citizens - what they wore, tools they used and works of art that they produced. The overall display was a masterful blend of historical pieces covering the political, social and personal aspects of life in Richmond.As I continued on to the permanent display, I was amazed at just how much history the Museum houses. Its collection focuses on the first half of the 20th century - a wide array of photographs, documents, industrial and household items paints a picture of a vibrant city. The centerpiece of the exhibit, and I would say my personal favorite, is the original Model A Ford - I am still not sure how it ended up on the second floor of the building. I would highly recommend this place to any resident of or visitor to the Bay Area.

We went to the museum today as a school field trip. The museum has some great pictures and items from the city's past. The kids were able to see what the area looked like in the early 1900 's and the changes brought about by World War II. The exhibits are well done and interesting. They highlight the various forms of transportation that have impacted the area as well as businesses. The museum is small but very well maintained. The woman conducting our tour was very enthusiastic and informative. She made our visit very pleasant. She encouraged the kids to ask questions and spend time looking at the exhibits. One of the highlights was a Ford Model T car and a gas pumping station. The kids loved it!

This is a lovely small museum in a building that looks like it was once a Carnegie library. The displays are arranged in a very professional-looking way that makes every object look interesting. Clearly the staff and volunteers love what they do and care deeply about preserving local history. It is too bad it is in such a dicey neighborhood. Even so, it is worth a visit during daylight hours; but do not leave anything visible in your car, and be sure to lock it.

I was surprised Richmond had such a good historical museum. The displays are very well done and include a wealth of information starting from the Native American inhabitants. There's even one of the Ford automobiles that was actually built in the assembly plant in Richmond. The museum is well worth the visit.