Alpine County Museum

We’re sad to announce that we will not be able to open on our projected Opening Day of May 28th due to the effects of COVID-19. We had high hopes to open on time, but with the state and county orders, we will have to wait a little while longer. Additionally, all our events, including quarterly membership meetings, are postponed until further notice. We are hopeful to be able to host some of our events later this summer/fall with limited numbers and new social distancing g...uidelines. We will keep you updated as soon as we have more information. Outdoor Museums are able open to the public in the current Reopening Phase, so we welcome you to our grounds in the meantime. With the Old Webster Schoolhouse, Jail, Stamp Mill, and more, there is still plenty to see! Not to mention the beautiful view from our hilltop location, our grounds are also equipped with picnic tables, perfect for an outdoor lunch with the family. While we welcome you to enjoy our grounds, we ask you to please continue practice social distancing, respect our grounds and historical property, and to pick up after yourselves before leaving. Since we are still off season, there are no restroom facilities or trash cans available for use, so please be respectful and take any trash with you. As much as we wanted to open the museum on time and keep our events going as planned, our main concern is the health and safety of the public, our employees, and volunteers. As soon as we receive the OK from both California and Alpine County officials, we will be working hard to reopen and reschedule events safely with the new social distancing guidelines. We remain committed to preserving and sharing the history and culture of Alpine County and its people, and we can’t wait to share our updates and changes in the museum. Thank you all for your continued support, we can’t wait to see you soon! Please keep up with our social media and website for updates or contact the museum directly. Phone: 530-694-2317 Email [email protected] Website : alpinecountymuseum.org

--Behind the Scenes of the Museum-- Inspired by the Snowshoe Thompson Celebration last weekend, today it was time to begin work on our own Snowshoe Thompson exhibit. New labels, new photographs, new artifacts, and a new location! This much larger exhibit will tell the story of his life with additional pieces along with the ones in the original display. Come and see the exciting new changes beginning May 28, 2020! And keep watching for new Sneak Peaks and Behind the Scenes of the Museum!

It’s not too late to come out to the Snowshoe Thompson celebration today! Come visit the Alpine County Museum and Alpine County Chamber of Commerce booth!

Happy Leap Day! -Fun Facts- We have Leap Day every 4 years to keep the 12 month calendar in line with the Earth’s movement around the Sun. ... Julius Caesar is the one who introduced Leap Day in 45 BCE. People born on Leap Day are called Leaplings or Leapers Every year divisible by 4 is a leap year, besides centurial years (divisible by 100). Irish Legend tells that women were not allowed to propose to men, so St. Patrick declared Leap Day the one day that women were allowed to, also naming it Bachelor’s Day. In Greek culture, it is considered bad luck to marry on Leap Day. Some cultures don’t have a leap day on February 29th, instead they have two February 24ths. Hobbits are the only ones who have February 29th every year, in fact they have the rare February 30th, as all months in the Lord of the Rings universe observe twelve 30 day months every year. Sweden and Finland also had a February 30th in 1712, they added an extra Leap Day to help catch up their old Julian Calendar to the new Gregorian calendar.