vallejo naval & historical museum

Family member told me about this place in downtown Vallejo, CA. We used their facilities to host my 94 yr old mother's Celebration of Life, after she went to be with God and Jesus.They did a fantastic job, and it was "over the top", from what I had expected.

My wife and I were wandering around downtown Vallejo and we ended up at the historical Museum on free day! I am fascinated with early California history and this place delivered with all sorts of photos and displays.

This wonderful little museum highlights the Vallejo area and the history it plays with the US Navy which was based at Mare Island, the former home of the the largest US Naval base west of the Mississippi, and decommissioned in 1996. Mare Island has a rich history and contains many National Historic Landmark buildings. It's also the home of Touro University, the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi, and Saint Peters Chapel, a nondenominational church built in 1901 that boasts the largest collection of actual Louis Comfort Tiffany stain-glass windows on the west coast. Go visit the museum in downtown Vallejo before making your excursion to Mare Island.

Beautiful photos of the shipyard and city before it was a city. Rolling hills and a few wooden structures when Mariano Vallejo owned all the land for miles.There are even photos of our very own Carnegie library which was lost to "redevelopment".

very interesting to learn of the background and necessity of Mare Island during WWII. I will try to find out more as my father and uncle worked in the yards as guards and painters of the submarines

Enjoyed the history. My father worked there back in the 50s and I used to play in the old bomb shelters when I was 5 or 6. Brought back alot of good memories.

This is a beautiful historic building right in the middle of the arts section of Vallejo. I was there for an art exhibit and enjoyed it so much. The volunteer docents were knowledgeable and the artists who were there to explain their artistic endeavors were very personable.

Don't bother bringing young kids here. Maybe 6-7 and up would be good. We went here when my daughter was 3, and she didn't "get" it. Very interesting museum of the history of Vallejo and Mare Island, though. The periscope is cool, you can see to the Island on it and all over V-town. The Navy stuff was neat, as is the exhibit on the early days on Vallejo (one of the oldest towns in California, btw and Mare Island was the First Navy base on the West Coast). Just not much for he younger ones. We'll probably try this museum again when kiddo gets older.

The ladies at the Historical Museum were wonderful and we learned so much about this historical base. We lived here twice in our Navy career, and we miss the whole area so much.

Lots of very interesting historical features. Kept my interest for quite a while.

The Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum, is located in downtown Vallejo, within easy walking distance of the beautiful waterfront and several fine coffee houses and restaurants. There is also a community based art gallery two blocks away, and an intersting "poetry cafe" within a few doors of the museum. The whole area, on Marin Street from Florida Street to Georgia Street makes an interesting place to explore. The Museum itself is a beautiful piece of neoclassical architecture from the (nineteen) twenties; the old City Hall was renovated into a museum in the early eighties or so and is a fun place to explore just on its own. As you walk up the steps and through the heavy wooden double doors you face an elegant foyer with a starry ceiling and beyond that a double staircase leading to a gorgeous mural othe USS Saginah saining out of the mural right at you! This itself is worth a visit.Exhibits are mainly local and naval (Mare Island) history, but there are also some purely artistic exhibits. Apparently they offer free educational and art programs for families every third Saturday of the month, and other classes too. Altogether, nice little discovery!