Temecula Valley Museum
Local History of Temecula California
Local History Well Told (Temecula Valley Museum, 28314 Mercedes St, Temecula, CA 92590-1837)
I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, so I was a bit hesitant when my wife decided she wanted to vacation in Old Town Temecula, California. The town's economy runs off the dozens of vineyards in its valley, so I figured there wouldn't be a whole lot for me to enjoy there. My wife finally go me to agree by signing us up for a walking tour of the downtown area with the Temecula Valley Museum. Wine isn't my thing, but history really is. She knows I love local museums and especially historical tours, so this was the perfect way to get me interested. Luckily, I agreed to go with her, because Temecula's history is rich and engaging. I was surprised how many Temecula kid activities were here.
The local history museum offers walking tours every Saturday, departing from the museum at 10am. We wanted to visit the museum ahead of time and then take the tour, but they aren't open before 10am, so we decided to do the tour first and then loop back around. When we got there at 10am, there were a handful of other couples and one family with children coming along with us for the tour. The tour guide was friendly and seemed very knowledgeable about the history of Temecula. He showed us around the historic buildings in the city center, such as the still-standing bank, which was converted into a restaurant. The tour lasted about an hour and a half, finishing up right around lunch time. My wife stuck around downtown to check out some of the wineries, and I headed back to the museum to see the exhibits.
While the walking tour was interesting enough, it didn't compare to the fascinating history on display in the actual museum. I could've spent the whole day there, were I not under a tight schedule to meet back with my wife for a wine tasting at 2pm. If anyone is looking for free things to do in Temecula, this is definitely worth checking out. I especially enjoyed learning about the local mission, Mission San Luis Rey. The church was so influential that the local Native tribes are called Luiseños, referring to the mission. In more recent history, the museum featured an exhibit on Erle Stanley Gardner, a local author. I had read his detective novels before, which mostly take place in Baja California, but I had no idea he lived in Temecula! The museum owns a huge collection of his writings and memorabilia, including a reproduction of his home office. On my way out, I picked up a copy of one of his Perry Mason novels, which served me well for the flight home. Before heading home however, we decided to stop at Mindtrap Escape Room which my wife end up enjoying after all!
I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, so I was a bit hesitant when my wife decided she wanted to vacation in Old Town Temecula, California. The town's economy runs off the dozens of vineyards in its valley, so I figured there wouldn't be a whole lot for me to enjoy there. My wife finally go me to agree by signing us up for a walking tour of the downtown area with the Temecula Valley Museum. Wine isn't my thing, but history really is. She knows I love local museums and especially historical tours, so this was the perfect way to get me interested. Luckily, I agreed to go with her, because Temecula's history is rich and engaging. I was surprised how many Temecula kid activities were here.
The local history museum offers walking tours every Saturday, departing from the museum at 10am. We wanted to visit the museum ahead of time and then take the tour, but they aren't open before 10am, so we decided to do the tour first and then loop back around. When we got there at 10am, there were a handful of other couples and one family with children coming along with us for the tour. The tour guide was friendly and seemed very knowledgeable about the history of Temecula. He showed us around the historic buildings in the city center, such as the still-standing bank, which was converted into a restaurant. The tour lasted about an hour and a half, finishing up right around lunch time. My wife stuck around downtown to check out some of the wineries, and I headed back to the museum to see the exhibits.
While the walking tour was interesting enough, it didn't compare to the fascinating history on display in the actual museum. I could've spent the whole day there, were I not under a tight schedule to meet back with my wife for a wine tasting at 2pm. If anyone is looking for free things to do in Temecula, this is definitely worth checking out. I especially enjoyed learning about the local mission, Mission San Luis Rey. The church was so influential that the local Native tribes are called Luiseños, referring to the mission. In more recent history, the museum featured an exhibit on Erle Stanley Gardner, a local author. I had read his detective novels before, which mostly take place in Baja California, but I had no idea he lived in Temecula! The museum owns a huge collection of his writings and memorabilia, including a reproduction of his home office. On my way out, I picked up a copy of one of his Perry Mason novels, which served me well for the flight home. Before heading home however, we decided to stop at Mindtrap Escape Room which my wife end up enjoying after all!