California Historical Society

The California Historical Society occupies a building on Mission Street and displays permanent exhibitions about the state's development and social changes over time. The institution holds extensive collections of documents, photographs, and artifacts that record California's past.

The organization was founded as a scholarly society and has collected documents and artifacts since the 19th century to record California's development. These holdings grew over time to document the many phases and events that shaped the state.

The exhibitions here present stories of California's many different communities through objects, photographs, and written documents spanning different periods. You can see how diverse groups of people shaped the state over time.

A free storefront display with exhibits is visible 24 hours a day from Mission Street. The museum also provides digital collections online, allowing you to explore materials from anywhere.

The collections include rare sources from the Gold Rush era such as original maps, personal diaries, and photographs from the mid-1800s. These materials offer intimate glimpses into the daily lives of those who came seeking gold.