Marin History Museum

Upcoming Events

Coffee With a Curator, Wed. Feb. 4, 2026

Come to The Boyd Gate House on the first Wednesday of every month for an informal opportunity to ask a question, share an idea, or make a suggestion!

Meet the curator for our new exhibit "Rancho Roots" and find out all about that aspect of our history.

The Marin History Museum is your museum, and we look forward to seeing you between 12:30 and 1:30 pm at 1125 B Street for a cup of coffee and a curator's ear.

No appointment necessary.

Discussion with Herb Rowland, Thu. Feb. 12, 2026

Join the Marin History Museum and the Marin Coalition for an engaging conversation with Herb Rowland, a fifth generation Marinite and direct descendant of Juan Salvio Pacheco, a member of the 1776 De Anza expedition that founded San Francisco.

Herb and his wife Debbie still live in the house built by his great grandfather Gumesindo Pacheco in 1881 on land granted to his great- great grand father, Ignacio Pacheco, in 1840. Lost gold, a challenge to a duel, and a fortune swallowed up. Family stories and tall tales from Marin’s past.

Marin Rod & Gun Club

2675 Francisco Blvd E, San Rafael
1:30 PM
$12
Go to marincoalition.org to make reservations.

Speaker Series: Joaquin Murrieta, Wed. Feb. 18, 2026

First Presbyterian Church, Fifth & E Streets, San Rafael, 7:00 pm

Join us for an evening with Author John Boessenecker who will bring to life his new book Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta. Marin County played a prominent role in the saga of Joaquin Murrieta. His chief lieutenant was Bernardino Garcia, better known as "Three Fingered Jack." In 1845 Garcia married Hilaria Sanchez Reed, the widow of John Reed, the respected ranchero and lumber dealer who founded Mill Valley.

Reserve your tickets today!

Boyd House Tour, Sat. Feb. 28

Boyd Gate House, 1125 B Street, San Rafael. 1:00 pm
$10

Join a docent-led tour of the entire Boyd Gate House, and learn the history of the house and the Cook and Boyd families, and hear all of the secrets!

Reserve your tickets or pay at the door

Speaker Series: Women of Early Calif., Wed. Mar. 18, 2028

First Presbyterian Church, Fifth & E Streets, San Rafael, 1:30 pm [Note afternoon time]

When in the early 1870s historian Hubert Howe Bancroft sent interviewers out to gather oral histories from the pre-statehood gentry of California, he didn't count on one thing: the women. When the men weren't available, the interviewers collected the stories of the women of the household- sometimes almost as an afterthought. These interviews were eventually archived at the University of California, though many were all but forgotten. Join Professors Rose Marie Beebe and Robert M. Senkewicz as they present women's firsthand accounts from the days when California was part of Spain and Mexico.

Reserve your tickets today!