Come visit one of the best things to do in the Santa Ynez Valley and one of the finest carriage collections west of the Mississippi!
CURRENT EVENTS
Through August 29th – New Exhibit
Preserving the American Spirit: Celebrating 250 Years of Freedom
November 7 – Vaquero Benefit: 42nd Annual Dinner & Auction
First Ride Tickets on Sale NOW! – GET TICKETS
Browse the Collections. Check out the latest Exhibits. Visit the Carriage House. Learn about the history of the Santa Ynez Valley.
If you’re local and interested in Western history and culture, volunteer to become a docent!”
— AT THE MUSEUM —
The Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum presents exhibitions and public programs that interpret past events and illuminate the diverse communities of California’s Central Coast. The Museum actively acquires and holds in its care collections relating to the region’s heritage and provides a venue to showcase private collections and traveling exhibitions.
The Museum serves as a center for research, education and lifelong learning by delivering quality programs that encourage knowledge, understanding, discussion and appreciation of our varied cultures. By honoring the record of life in the Santa Ynez Valley and Central Coast, we preserve these legacies for our children.
COLLECTIONS
The Museum houses a unique and broad collection of items celebrating the region’s forward movement into the West. The Parks-Janeway Carriage House displays the largest horse-drawn vehicle collection west of the Mississippi. In addition, visitors can see numerous examples of fine, regional saddlery, period apparel, and vintage horse gear illustrating the pride and craftsmanship of local and regional makers.
EDUCATION
By revisiting the past, we can truly appreciate the present and wonder what the future may bring. The Museum offers numerous lectures, garden & home tours, and events that celebrate the region’s agricultural strengths to present visitors with a true understanding of the diversity of the communities in the Santa Ynez Valley. In addition, programs and tours are offered to school-age visitors from around the valley and the county.
EXHIBITS
While the basis of the Museum’s presentation mission is displayed in the Carriage House, two additional exhibit rooms offer timely, multi-month exhibitions throughout the year curated by visiting experts and historians. From local artist displays to in-depth presentations of local ranching families to traveling exhibits of private collections; the Museum offers a wide variety of visual opportunities to experience the Valley and the area’s broad cultural offerings.
“My family and I always enjoy a sincere, local museum, however lower-budget curated it may be (or seem). This local museum easily exceeded all of our expectations.
S B. – via Yelp
Each exhibit was well-organized, as well as genuinely interesting, but the real attraction was the gallery of carriages, stagecoaches and wagons! When they claim it to be ‘the finest collection of historic horse drawn carriages and wagons,’ believe it!
My family easily spent an hour just in this one gallery, fascinated with genuine 6-horse stagecoaches, covered wagons, hand-carved carts, phaetons, carriages, and even a few early ‘horseless’ carriages. The highlight for us was being allowed to actually climb inside one of the stagecoaches and intimately experience the old-fashioned fine craftsmanship, as well as the elevation! Boy, those things were high off the ground.
Many museums do not let you get very close to their exhibits, but this museum understands how important it is for visitors to have a closer, ‘hands-on’ experience.”
The Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum and Parks-Janeway Carriage House is dedicated to ensuring our website is accessible to as many visitors as possible regardless of their ability or technology. We have an active commitment to increasing our site’s website accessibility. Despite our efforts to adhere to W3C standards for site accessibility, we regret to inform you that we currently do not offer all accessibility features. However, we are currently working with website accessibility experts to rectify these issues and expect to have them complete as soon as possible. We welcome suggestions and ideas to make our site more accessible for all users. Or, if you are having difficulty accessing our site, please do not hesitate to reach out.
— Thank you to our supporters —
