Museum on Main

Mission

Enriching Community Life Through Education and Preservation

We are dedicated to linking the past to the future by preserving, clarifying and disseminating information about history specific to the Tri Valley region and by encouraging participation in the arts and humanities through our public programs.

We carry out that mission through the following programs and projects:
  • Permanent and temporary exhibitions at the Museum on Main Street
  • Guest lecturers,presentations and panel discussions about local, state, regional and national topics
  • Tours for school groups, scouts, and other youth and adult organizations
  • Newsletters, pamphlets and other publications
  • Encouragement of long-time residents, newcomers and visitors to delve into local and regional history
  • Special events and public programs, such as Ghost Walks and Wild West Evening
  • Acquisition, archiving and care of  historic artifacts, documents, oral histories and photographs that enhance the role of the Museum on Main Street as an architectural and cultural resource. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

History of the Museum on Main 

In 1963, concerned about the rapid development in the Amador-Livermore Valley, local residents organized to preserve the regional history of the area. The Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society (ALVHS) was founded on April 18, 1963 and began its decades-long effort to protect, preserve and interpret the history of the valley. The Amador-Livermore Valley is located approximately 35 miles east of San Francisco and includes the towns of Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore.

In 1970 the ALVHS proudly gained its first building located at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in the old Administration Building. The ALVHS quickly took possession of the old building and established the first museum in the area especially devoted to local history. Finally the ALVHS had a building in which they could preserve and display their many artifacts.

In 1984 the City of Pleasanton offered the vacant building at 603 Main Street to the ALVHS. This building, built in 1914 by funds donated by the Pleasanton's Women's Improvement Club, once housed the old Town Hall, the Police Department and the first free library in the city of Pleasanton. It was the perfect setting for an organization dedicated to preservation of the region's history.

Museum on Main is a proud member of the American Association of Museums, the American Association for State and Local History, the Western Museums Association,and the California Association of Museums.