Marin History Museum

Upcoming Events

Special Holiday Event, Sat. Dec. 27, 2025

Join us at the Boyd Gate House anytime from 11 AM to 3 PM for holiday sips and treats on the last day of the exhibit "Marin the Muse," paintings from our collection. Our Boyd House Tour starts at 1:00 PM.

$10 at the door

Speaker Series: Olompali, Wed. Jan. 21, 2026

First Presbyterian Church, Fifth & E Streets, San Rafael, 7:00 pm

Few places in California are so historically important and yet simultaneously overlooked as Olompali. It has been a hippie commune, country retreat, Victorian estate, Mexican Rancho, Mission Rancho, and home to the Coast Miwok since time immemorial. So why then is it not more well known? Join Ryan Forbes, California State Park Interpreter as we learn why places like Olompali are so important and how we can ensure history doesn't forget about them.

Reserve your tickets today!

Opening of new exhibit "Rancho Roots", Sat. Jan. 24, 2026

Boyd Gate House, 1125 B Street, San Rafael

11 AM to 3 PM

The Marin History Museum’s upcoming exhibit Rancho Roots: The Californio Legacy of Marin explores the history and influence of Californio ranchos in Marin County. Californios—Spanish and Mexican settlers who established ranchos in the early 19th century—are highlighted through artifacts, stories, and interactive displays, showing how their legacy continues in local farms and place names today.

Coffee With a Curator, Wed. Feb. 4, 2026

Come to The Boyd Gate House on the first Wednesday of every month for an informal opportunity to ask a question, share an idea, or make a suggestion!

The Marin History Museum is your museum, and we look forward to seeing you between 12:00 and 1:00 pm at 1125 B Street for a cup of coffee and a curator's ear.

No appointment necessary.

Discussion with Herb Rowland, Thu. Feb. 12, 2026

Join the Marin History Museum and the Marin Coalition for an engaging conversation with Herb Rowland, a fifth generation Marinite and direct descendant of Juan Salvio Pacheco, a member of the 1776 De Anza expedition that founded San Francisco.

Herb and his wife Debbie still live in the house built by his great grandfather Gumesindo Pacheco in 1881 on land granted to his great- great grand father, Ignacio Pacheco, in 1840. Lost gold, a challenge to a duel, and a fortune swallowed up. Family stories and tall tales from Marin’s past.

Marin Rod & Gun Club

2675 Francisco Blvd E, San Rafael
1:30 PM
$12
Go to marincoalition.org to make reservations.

Speaker Series: Joaquin Murrieta, Wed. Feb. 18, 2026

First Presbyterian Church, Fifth & E Streets, San Rafael, 7:00 pm

Join us for an evening with Author John Boessenecker who will bring to life his new book Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta. Marin County played a prominent role in the saga of Joaquin Murrieta. His chief lieutenant was Bernardino Garcia, better known as "Three Fingered Jack." In 1845 Garcia married Hilaria Sanchez Reed, the widow of John Reed, the respected ranchero and lumber dealer who founded Mill Valley.

Reserve your tickets today!

Speaker Series: Women of Early Calif., Wed. Mar. 18, 2028

First Presbyterian Church, Fifth & E Streets, San Rafael, 1:30 pm [Note afternoon time]

When in the early 1870s historian Hubert Howe Bancroft sent interviewers out to gather oral histories from the pre-statehood gentry of California, he didn't count on one thing: the women. When the men weren't available, the interviewers collected the stories of the women of the household- sometimes almost as an afterthought. These interviews were eventually archived at the University of California, though many were all but forgotten. Join Professors Rose Marie Beebe and Robert M. Senkewicz as they present women's firsthand accounts from the days when California was part of Spain and Mexico.

Reserve your tickets today!