Museum of Local History

I love this little museum. It is jam packed with the history of southern Alameda County. Lots of interesting items. You might find your home on one of the huge aerial photos. Or where your home would be later. The volunteers are all really nice. If you want to help out there are opportunities. Our Chinese History Project has found a welcoming home here and knowledge of the history. The museum has been getting items digitized on California Revealed so you can find the there under Washington Township Museum of Local History.

$2 admission, allow an hour max to look through each vignette. Bring a magnifying glass. Do some research ahead of time to understand the area if you aren't a local. Volunteer staffed but they desperately need professional help. There is plenty to see but the lighting, glass glare, font and size of the printed information I found disappointing. I had great trouble reading the descriptions of pieces on the walls behind and in cases. Many certificates, photos, old adverts were tucked behind antiques where they were too hard to view. Perhaps just a fresh eye could help them rearrange displays into a more accessible and legible viewing angle. The overhead fluorescent lighting made the display cases glare. I didn't get a sense of clear organization or order to the display. They have an area in the entryway that has plenty of local area history books, booklets, etc for purchase. Those looked promising to area buffs.

The Museum of Local History has a lot of interesting artifacts and history on Fremont, which has definitely gone through plenty of changes over the last so many years, It's $2.00 for admission, and the museum is open every Wednesday and Friday as well as the 2nd weekend of each month from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. It is run by volunteer docents. Certainly worth a visit.

This museum is a hidden gem. Must have passed by thousands of times but only knew about it today because my girl was looking for nearby attractions on the gps. We ended up spending a good amount of time going through the artifacts and displays. It's small, but there is a lot to take in. Most of the exhibits are hands on and kid friendly, but we were the only ones there today.Stuart, the man on duty when we arrived, was a great host and a wealth of information. I stumped him by asking about an exhibit that refers to the Washington Huskers, so he pulled out some yearbooks from the 1920's and could find no "Huskers" references. But when I arrived home I saw an email from Stuart with a link to an article that explained the Huskers became the Huskies at some point when the area turned more suburban than rural.We ended up spending $75 on books. They have some good ones I had never seen.Highly recommended for anyone even vaguely interested in Fremont history.

I know it's hidden off the street & looks like a fire station or just a house but it is a museum I promise! I went to Ohlone a hundred times before noticing the little sign (& I'm very observant!) so I'm not surprised I'm the 1st person to review this. Anyway I definitely suggest going! It's small, but it packs alot in there! They have stuff ranging from fossils to Indian artifacts, and household items from the 1880s to the 1980s. Lots of interesting facts not just about Fremont- but also about nearby cities. Like did you know Teddy Ruxpin was invented in the 510? Cool stuff like that is crammed in here! The fee is cheap [I think it was a $2 donation]. There was a gift shop area [mostly books]. I remember the hours were wonky [cuz it's volunteers only]. But go by & see if it's open. If you have enough time to go to the Mission SJ down the street- this is also worth a visit :)

What a jewel to find a museum that talks about the town I grew up in & to see the pictures of how it looked in the 1940's, '60's & more recent to see what Fremont looked like & try to pick out certain landmarks!! Great way to show your kids & grandkids how things used to be around here!! The newspaper scrapbook was great to look through (see pictures below)!!

Great little museum to visit, especially if you grew up in the Tri-City area. They have some great pictures of the area before it was developed and lots of interesting displays. Nice memories, and I learned a lot about some of the industries that existed back in the day.