An interactive exhibition that enables guests to trip a Mavericks wave and gadgets from notable occasions held on the Cow Palace are among the many quite a few enjoyable issues to expertise totally free on Friday on the San Mateo County Historical past Museum in downtown Redwood Metropolis.
Museum officers are happy to advertise the Free First Fridays program, providing free admission the primary Friday of each month, sponsored by Monterra Credit score Union.
“For a regional museum, we do a very good job of telling a multi-faceted story,” says Mitch Postel, president of the San Mateo County Historic Affiliation, which runs the museum.
On March 7, there can be an 11 a.m. session for preschoolers to make paper plate sailboats and a 2 p.m. docent-led tour at 2 p.m. for adults.
Present points of interest embrace “Peninsula Innovators Changing the World,” which showcases native groundbreakers, basis builders and world changers throughout 9 fields, from Paul Prepare dinner, founding father of the Menlo Park chemical manufacturing firm Raychem; to Claire Mack, San Mateo’s first African American mayor; to Steve Jobs, laptop and enterprise pioneer, amongst dozens of others.
Guests to the San Mateo County Historical past Museum can trip an digital surfboard within the interactive “Mavericks” exhibit. (Courtesy San Mateo County Historical past Museum)
“Peninsula Innovators Changing the World” is a brand new exhibition on the San Mateo County Historical past Museum showcasing dozens of native figures who made vital contributions to the area and world. (Courtesy San Mateo County Historical past Museum)
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There’s additionally a participatory exhibit by which friends can trip a wave on the famed surf spot close to Half Moon Bay.
“The Mavericks interactive exhibit allows the public to experience surfing the big wave without getting wet,” says Postel. “Visitors are invited to get on an electronic surfboard and make moves the way a surfer would. An animated view of the landmarks the surfers see is part of the fun.”
“The Extraordinary Cow Palace,” on view by November 2026, consists of mementos from notable occasions on the stadium together with a 1964 Beatles live performance and the 1956 and 1964 Republican Nationwide Conventions. A hockey stick from San Jose Sharks participant Pat Falloon marks the Nineteen Nineties interval when the growth staff performed there.
A restored courtroom from 1910 (the oldest courtroom within the county); “Land of Opportunity,” with data on immigrant teams that settled within the county; and “Nature’s Bounty,” which examines how residents from the Ohlone to Individuals have used the area’s pure assets to help day by day life and the way the identical assets helped develop San Francisco; are among the many museum’s different present exhibitions.
The museum is within the former San Mateo County courthouse, a 1910 domed constructing with stained glass home windows and a mosaic tile flooring that’s listed on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations. The three-story construction is present process a $23 million growth that can be completed in the summertime of 2026, in response to Postel. The extra 15,000 sq. ft will accommodate an even bigger showcase of the museum’s auto and horse carriage assortment.
The museum is in a vigorous a part of downtown, near eating places and theaters and inside strolling distance of Caltrain’s Redwood Metropolis station.
Courthouse Sq., the plaza in entrance of the museum, has small outlets and is the location of out of doors occasions all year long. “Parcade,” a pop-up mini golf course and arcade, is open on the sq. till April 13. Extra data is at redwoodcity.org.
The San Mateo County Historical past Museum, 2200 Broadway, Redwood Metropolis, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; admission is $6 basic, $4 seniors and college students, free for ages 5 and below and on the primary Friday every month; go to historysmc.org.
