Elsewhere
| Name | Image | Town/City | County | Region | Type | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Museum of California | North Highlands | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Aviation | Located on the grounds of the former McClellan Air Force Base, displays of military and civilian aircraft as well as space vehicle replicas | |
| Alpine County Museum | Markleeville | Alpine | High Sierra | Open air | website, complex includes the main museum building with local history exhibits, a schoolhouse, Markleeville Log Jail, carriage shed, and historic silver ore stamp mill | |
| Amador County Museum | Jackson | Amador | Gold Country | Local history | website | |
| Amador Whitney Museum | Amador City | Amador | Gold Country | Local history | website | |
| American Victorian Museum | Nevada City | Nevada | Gold Country | History | website, also known as Teddy Bear Castle Museum | |
| Angels Camp Museum | Angels Camp | Calaveras | Gold Country | Local history | Includes carriages, mining equipment, minerals, household items | |
| Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park | St. Helena | Napa | Napa Valley | Mill | The historic mill is open on weekends | |
| Bernhard Museum Complex | Auburn | Placer | Gold Country | Historic house | Includes the Victorian Bernhard residence with period rooms, wine storage building and wine processing building with wine-making exhibits, and a barn with horse-drawn vehicles and blacksmith area | |
| Bodie State Historic Park | Bodie | Mono | High Sierra | Open air | Ghost town mining camp | |
| Bohart Museum of Entomology | Davis | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Natural history | Live and mounted insect displays, also a research museum of the University of California, Davis | |
| Calaveras County Museum | San Andreas | Calaveras | Gold Country | Local history | website, operated by the Calaveras County Historical Society | |
| California Automobile Museum | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Automobile | Formerly the Towe Auto Museum, over 170 classic cars, race cars, muscle cars, hot rods, early models and automotive memorabilia | |
| California Foundry History Museum - Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Industry | website | |
| California Hall of Fame | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Hall of fame | Part of the The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts | |
| California Museum for History, Women and the Arts | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | History | Formerly known as the Golden State Museum, includes the California Hall of Fame, exhibits on important people and aspects of California | |
| California State Capitol Museum | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Capitol | ||
| California State Indian Museum | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Native American | ||
| California State Military Museum | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Military | ||
| California State Mining and Mineral Museum | Mariposa | Mariposa | Gold Country | Mining | Located at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds | |
| California State Railroad Museum | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Railroad | ||
| Carnegie Museum (Roseville, California) | Roseville | Placer | Sacramento Valley | Local history | website, operated by the Roseville Historical Society, located in a Carnegie library building | |
| Carolyn Parr Nature Museum | Napa | Napa | Napa Valley | Natural history | information, located in Westwood Hills Park | |
| Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Art | website | |
| Chew Kee Store Museum | Fiddletown | Amador | Gold Country | History | website, 1855 Chinese herb shop | |
| Chinese American Museum of Northern California | Marysville | Yuba | Sacramento Valley | Ethnic - Chinese | information, information | |
| C.N. Gorman Museum | Davis | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Art | website, contemporary Native American and indigenous art, part of the University of California, Davis, also known as Carl M. Gorman Museum | |
| Columbia State Historic Park | Columbia | Tuolumne | Gold Country | Living | California Gold Rush town with living history demonstrations | |
| Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County | Yuba City | Sutter | Sacramento Valley | Local history | ||
| Crocker Art Museum | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Art | Early California art, Old Master drawings, Asian art, international ceramics | |
| Dai Loy Museum | Locke | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | History | website, former Chinese gambling house | |
| di Rosa Preserve: Art & Nature | Napa | Napa | Napa Valley | Art | website, art galleries and outdoor sculpture on a nature preserve | |
| Discovery Museum of Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Children's | website, Science & Space Center, Challenger Learning Center | |
| Donald F. Salvatori California Pharmacy Museum | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Medical | website, pharmacy artifacts, located at the California Pharmacists Association headquarters | |
| Donner Memorial State Park | Truckee | Nevada | Gold Country | History | Includes the Emigrant Trail Museum with exhibits on local Native Americans, the Donner Party and builders of the transcontinental railroad | |
| Downieville Museum | Downieville | Sierra | Gold Country | Local history | information | |
| Eastern California Museum | Independence | Inyo | High Sierra | Local history | website, includes Native American baskets and artifacts, fossils and exhibits of local history | |
| El Dorado County Historical Museum | Placerville | El Dorado | Gold Country | Local history | website | |
| Elmshaven | St. Helena | Napa | Napa Valley | Religious | Home of Ellen G. White whose ministry was instrumental in founding the seventh-day Sabbatarian Adventist movement | |
| Empire Mine State Historic Park | Grass Valley | Nevada | Gold Country | Mining | Attractions include a mining museum, an Edwardian estate house, and a mine with living history demonstrations | |
| Explorit | Davis | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Science | website, regional hands-on science center | |
| Folsom History Museum | Folsom | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Local history | website, operated by the Folsom Historical Society, exhibits about Folsom's native people, the discovery of gold and the formation of mining camps, ethnic groups who contributed to this area, the formation of the town, railroad, prison, powerhouse, and later efforts at gold mining | |
| Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park | Folsom | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Technology | Historic 1890s hydroelectric power plant | |
| Folsom Prison Museum | Folsom | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Law enforcement | ||
| Folsom Railroad Museum | Folsom | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Railroad | website | |
| Foresthill Divide Museum | Foresthill | Placer | Gold Country | Mining | website, information, includes mining museum, a reconstructed livery stable/blacksmith shop, and the original Foresthill Jail | |
| Fountain & Tallman Museum | Placerville | El Dorado | Gold Country | Local history | Operated by the El Dorado County Historical Society | |
| Gatekeeper’s Museum | Tahoe City | Placer | High Sierra | Local history | website, operated by the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society, includes Marion Steinbach Indian Basket Museum | |
| Gold Country Museum | Auburn | Placer | Gold Country | Mining | Area gold mining and local history | |
| Golden Drift Museum | Dutch Flat | Placer | Gold Country | Local history | website, influence of mining and railroads in the area | |
| Governor's Mansion State Historic Park | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Historic house | Former mansion of the governors of California | |
| Grass Valley Museum | Grass Valley | Nevada | Gold Country | Local history | Includes furniture, art, objects d’art, clothing, musical instruments and artifacts of the Victorian era | |
| Griffith Quarry Museum | Penryn | Placer | Gold Country | Industry | Local granite industry | |
| Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum | Groveland | Tuolumne | Gold Country | Local history | website | |
| Hangtown's Gold Bug Park & Mine | Placerville | El Dorado | Gold Country | Mining | website, includes Hattie's Museum with mining exhibits, Gold Bug Mine to tour, Meagher House for natural history education, Hendy Stamp Mill | |
| Hattie Weber Museum of Davis | Davis | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Local history | website | |
| Hays Antique Truck Museum | Woodland | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Transportation | website, antique trucks, trailers, industrial powerplants, tools, equipment, and trucking memorabilia | |
| Heidrick Ag History Center | Woodland | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Agriculture | website, antique agricultural equipment | |
| Hellman-Ehrman Mansion | Tahoma | El Dorado | Gold Country | Historic house | website, located in Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park | |
| Home of Lola Montez | Grass Valley | Nevada | Gold Country | Local history | Houses the town's chamber of commerce, visitor center and local history museum | |
| Honda Food Culture Museum and Communication Education Center | Marysville | Yuba | Sacramento Valley | Food | information | |
| ICA Gallery | Bishop | Inyo | High Sierra | Art | Changing exhibits of area art | |
| Imaginarium of Nevada County | Nevada City | Nevada | Gold Country | Science | website, science education center with public days once a month | |
| Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park | Pine Grove | Amador | High Sierra | Native American | Includes Chaw'se Regional Indian Museum | |
| James Calvin Sly Museum | Pollock Pines | El Dorado | Gold Country | Local history | information | |
| Kennedy Mine | Jackson | Amador | High Sierra | Mining | Gold mine structures | |
| Kentucky Mine Museum | Sierra City | Sierra | Gold Country | Mining | information | |
| KidZone Museum | Truckee | Nevada | Gold Country | Children's | website, formerly the Sierra Nevada Children's Museum | |
| Lake Tahoe Historical Society Museum | South Lake Tahoe | El Dorado | High Sierra | Local history | information | |
| Laws Railroad Museum and Historic Site | Bishop | Inyo | High Sierra | Open air | Operated by the Bishop Museum & Historical Society, collection of 19th century buildings with historical exhibits, railroad cars and equipment | |
| Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Historic house | Victorian mansion restored to 1872 appearance | |
| Locke Chinese School | Locke | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | School | website, former Chinese gambling house | |
| Loyalton Museum | Loyalton | Sierra | Gold Country | Local history | information | |
| Maidu Museum & Historic Site | Roseville | Placer | Sacramento Valley | Multiple | Natural and cultural history, including exhibits on Native Californians and the interdependence of nature and culture | |
| Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park | Nevada City | Nevada | Gold Country | Mining | Includes mining museum and deserted mining town | |
| Mammoth Ski Museum | Mammoth Lakes | Mono | High Sierra | Sports | website, art, culture and artifacts related to skiing | |
| Manzanar National Historic Site | Independence | Inyo | High Sierra | History | Site of one of ten camps where over 110,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II | |
| Mariposa Museum & History Center | Mariposa | Mariposa | Gold Country | Local history | website, cultural history of Mariposa County, including Miwok display, gold mining equipment, miner's cabin, saloon, one-room school | |
| Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park | Coloma | El Dorado | Gold Country | Open air | Includes Gold Discovery Museum and Visitor Center, 20 historic buildings including mining, house, school, and store exhibits | |
| Mary Aaron Memorial Museum | Marysville | Yuba | Sacramento Valley | Local history | information | |
| Memorial Union Gallery | Davis | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Art | website, contemporary and historical California art, part of the University of California, Davis | |
| Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Center | Lee Vining | Mono | High Sierra | Natural history | Geology and wildlife of Mono Lake | |
| Murphys Old Timers Museum | Murphys | Calaveras | Gold Country | Local history | information | |
| Museum of Lone Pine Film History | Lone Pine | Inyo | High Sierra | Media | website, movie history of Lone Pine, Death Valley and the Eastern Sierra areas; officially known as the Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History | |
| Museum of the Forgotten Warriors | Marysville | Yuba | Sacramento Valley | Military | website, uniforms, helicopters, photographs, medals, military memorabilia | |
| Napa County Historical Society | Napa | Napa | Napa Valley | Local history | website, the research library's Jess Doud Memorial Room hosts several exhibitions each year | |
| Napa Firefighters Museum | Napa | Napa | Napa Valley | Firefighting | website | |
| Napa Valley Museum | Yountville | Napa | Napa Valley | Multiple | website, art, history, natural history of Napa Valley, including local Native American and wine-making history | |
| Nevada City Firehouse Museum | Nevada City | Nevada | Gold Country | Local history | website, operated by the Nevada County Historical Society | |
| Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum | Nevada City | Nevada | Gold Country | Railroad | Operated by the Nevada County Historical Society | |
| New Melones Visitor Center and Museum | Sonora | Calaveras | Gold Country | Local history | Historic, natural and cultural history of the area around New Melones Lake | |
| North Star Mine and Powerhouse & Pelton Wheel Museum | Grass Valley | Nevada | Gold Country | Mining | ||
| Northern Mariposa County History Center | Coulterville | Mariposa | Gold Country | Local history | website | |
| Northstar Mining Museum | Grass Valley | Nevada | Gold Country | Mining | website, hundreds of mining artifacts and machinery, operated by the Nevada County Historical Society; also called the Grass Valley Mining Museum or the Northstar Mine Powerhouse & Pelton Wheel Museum | |
| Old Sacramento State Historic Park | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Multiple | Includes Old Sacramento Interpretive Center, Wells Fargo History Museum, Sacramento History Museum, Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum, several historic buildings and more | |
| Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | School | website | |
| Old Schoolhouse Museum | Lee Vining | Mono | High Sierra | Local history | website | |
| Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center-Museum | Bishop | Inyo | High Sierra | Native American | Artifacts and antiquities from the Numa (Paiute) and Newe (Shoshone) Nations | |
| Placer County Museum | Auburn | Placer | Gold Country | Local history | website, includes courthouse and sheriff's exhibits, Native America art, gold country exhibits | |
| Rae House Museum | Galt | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Historic house | website, operated by the Galt Area Historical Society | |
| Railtown 1897 State Historic Park | Jamestown | Tuolumne | Gold Country | Railroad | Seasonal steam and diesel-powered train rides, 1920s locomotive roundhouse, machine shop and related exhibits | |
| Red Barn Museum | San Andreas | Calaveras | Gold Country | Local history | website, operated by the Calaveras County Historical Society, features agriculture, mining, logging, and ranching artifacts, tools and equipment | |
| Reiff's Antique Gas Station Automotive Museum | Woodland | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Transportation | 1950s cars, automobile memorabilia, antiques and car culture | |
| Richard L. Nelson Gallery & Fine Art Collection | Davis | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Art | website, part of the University of California, Davis | |
| Rocklin History Museum | Rocklin | Placer | Gold Country | Local history | website | |
| Roseville Telephone Museum | Roseville | Placer | Sacramento Valley | Technology | website, antique telephones and memorabilia | |
| Roseville Utility Exploration Center | Roseville | Placer | Sacramento Valley | Science | website, environmental learning center including energy efficiency,
renewable technology, water conservation and recycling |
|
| Sacramento Children's Museum | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Children's | website, planned museum opening summer 2011 | |
| Sacramento History Museum | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento History | Local history | Includes California Gold Rush, agriculture, community, gold panning. Home of the Underground Tours of Old Sacramento. | |
| Sacramento Valley Museum | Williams | Colusa | Sacramento Valley | Local history | Includes carriages, mining equipment, minerals, household items | |
| Scotty's Castle | Inyo | High Sierra | Historic house | Also known as Death Valley Ranch, 1930s period mansion, located in northern Death Valley National Park | ||
| Sharpsteen Museum | Calistoga | Napa | Napa Valley | Local history | website, history of the upper Napa Valley | |
| Shenandoah Valley Museum | Plymouth | Amador | Gold Country | Local history | information | |
| Shoshone Museum | Shoshone | Inyo | High Sierra | Local history | website | |
| Sierra College Natural History Museum | Rocklin | Placer | Gold Country | Natural history | website, part of Sierra College | |
| Sierra Nevada Logging Museum | Arnold | Calaveras | Gold Country | Industry | History of logging in the Sierra Nevada area | |
| Sierra Sacramento Valley Museum of Medical History | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Medical | website, collections in the fields of surgery, clinical diagnosis, infectious disease, pharmacy, radiology, Chinese medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and medical quackery | |
| Silverado Museum | St. Helena | Napa | Napa Valley | Biographical | website, devoted to Robert Louis Stevenson | |
| Sutter's Fort State Historic Park | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | Military | Includes Sutter's Fort and the California State Indian Museum | |
| Tahoe Maritime Museum | Homewood | Placer | High Sierra | Maritime | Includes maritime craft in service at Lake Tahoe, history of boating at Lake Tahoe, outboard motor collection, aquaplanes, water skis, fishing exhibits | |
| Tallac Historic Site | South Lake Tahoe | El Dorado | High Sierra | Open air | website, former rustic resort, includes Baldwin Museum, a former estate with exhibits on the significance of the estate families and the Washoe Tribe, the Pope Estate, the Valhalla Estate and several outbuildings | |
| Truckee Jail Museum | Truckee | Nevada | Gold Country | Jail | website, operated by the Truckee - Donner Historical Society, exhibits of local history | |
| Tuolumne City Memorial Museum | Tuolumne | Tuolumne | Gold Country | Local history | Exhibits on pioneers, household and kitchen items, clothing, gold mining, lumber company and model train layout | |
| Tuolumne County Museum & History Center | Sonora | Tuolumne | Gold Country | Local history | website, housed in an old jail, operated by the Tuolumne County Historical Society | |
| UC Davis Design Museum | Davis | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Design | website, includes architecture, costume, graphic design, textiles, new media and popular culture, part of the University of California, Davis | |
| Underground Gold Miners Museum | Alleghany | Sierra | Gold Country | Mining | website, open seasonally and by appointment | |
| United States Bicycling Hall of Fame | Davis | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Sports | Formerly located in New Jersey, bicycling history, photos, trophies, medals, books, catalogs | |
| Vikingsholm | South Lake Tahoe | El Dorado | High Sierra | Historic house | 38-room mansion with Nordic influences | |
| Wells Fargo History Museum | Sacramento | Sacramento | Sacramento Valley | History | website, two locations in Sacramento | |
| West Sacramento Historical Society Museum | West Sacramento | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Local history | website | |
| Western SkiSport Museum | Soda Springs | Nevada | Gold Country | Sports | website, history of winter ski sports in the western United States, operated by the Auburn Ski Club | |
| Yolo County Historical Museum | Woodland | Yolo | Sacramento Valley | Historic house | Also known as Gibson House, period rooms from the 1850s to the 1930s, also exhibits of local history | |
| Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad | Fish Camp | Mariposa | High Sierra | Railroad | Heritage railroad and historic log cabin | |
| Yosemite Museum | Yosemite National Park | Mariposa | Gold Country | Native American | Heritage and culture of the Ahwaneechee people who lived in the valley |
Read more about this topic: List Of Museums In California