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Next weekend, California’s largest statewide celebration of historic places kicks off. This inaugural ‘Doors Open California’ event lets you pay a small flat fee of $20 for entry into more than 75 unique historic spots all day June 11-12. Organized by the California Preservation Foundation, the event includes in-person tours, as well as virtual storytelling for the places you can’t get to in a week. (California’s a big state!)
If you have a fascination with a certain genre of history, check out the curated ‘highlight categories’ that spotlight venues related to architectural gems, diversity, women and early California. Visit the website to preregister, get a virtual map, and take a look at the PDF listing of all the included sites, which will have a docent wearing a ‘Doors Open California’ logo and the door will... open!
This extraordinary event lets visitors draw closer connections with history. The California Preservation Foundation is the longest-running statewide organization that works to protect California’s diverse cultural resources and historic places. (If you’re very into this concept, the organization’s annual conference takes place June 7-12, held online this year).
So what are some of the places you can visit? One ‘special access’ site where you can get a sneak peek that is not allowed to others is the Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs. This is a National Register landmark which was developed by Japanese immigrants and other early settlers 156 years ago. These mineral hot springs are currently being restored so that the site can eventually reopen to the public.
Another offering is the SoMa LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District Tour, in San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) district. On this walking tour, you’ll look at bars, restaurants, bath houses, publishing organizations, bath houses and other sites that put the city’s leather scene into international spotlight, led by leather historian Gayle Rubin. Bonus: optional happy hour afterwards at the landmark San Francisco Eagle Bar.
Preston Castle in Ione is part of this celebration, a historic reformatory whose most famous resident was Merle Haggard. Take a guided tour of the grounds and interior of this 1894 five-story Romanesque Revival brick ‘castle’ that looks every bit like a haunted asylum. Docents will be there to answer questions and talk about the rehabilitation efforts (all volunteer run) for this impressive structure.
At the Ebell of Los Angeles women’s club, see where Amelia Earhart gave her last speech before her disappearance. Besides all this, check out historic hotels like the glamorous Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, movie palaces, museums, train stations, exhibitions, and even the Lassie House in Pomona where ‘Timmy’ from the popular TV series grew up… and yes, there is a well to represent the one from which that good dog fetched tumbled Timmy.