Description
The Yolo County Historical Museum, often known as the Gibson Mansion, is a great historic house museum. Most of Mansion is interpreted in period rooms with a few temporary galleries devoted to rotating exhibits. The Museum's mission is to collect, preserve and exhibit/interpret the historic and artistic heritage of Yolo County, so there are exhibits featuring Native American works of art as well as pieces from the Pioneer era and through the 1940s. The Mansion is on a 2.5 acre County Park, so there is space for pinicking and outdoor events. There are also native gardens and outbuildings with exhibits, such as the fully-functional blacksmith shop as well a barn with historical wood-working tools and agricultural equipment. The Yolo County Historical Museum hosts the May Festival on the 3rd Sunday of May. Visitors are invited to spend the day touring the Gibson Mansion, shopping at artisan's booths and strolling the Museum's gardens. Check out the blacksmith's shop-complete with a working smithy. You can also visit our version of the Antiques Roadshow. Appraisers will be on hand providing evaluations of your attic treasures on a fee-per-item basis. Our extremely popular Plant Sale always features native plants, herbs. This year we're bringing in more local produce and products than ever before-including regional wines for tasting. Food and beverages will abound, so eat, drink and be merry with live music on the East Stage all day long! Admission to the May Festival is free, Museum Admission is a suggested donation of $5.
History
1857 - William Gibson bought a house on the current museum site.
1870s - The small house was expanded to the Mansion.
1963-1975 - The Mansion sat vacant and was known as a haunted house.
1975 - Yolo County purchased the home and 2.5 acres.
1976 - The Yolo County Historical Museum Association formed.
1982 - The first director was hired.
1983 - Renovations began on the Mansion.
Artifacts Collections
Collections at the YCHM focus on the historic and artistic heritage of Yolo County and include such diverse items as Chinese silk clothing from 1921 to drawings and paintings of Northern California artists from the 1940s.
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