To find out what we’ve been up to, please see our most recent newsletter and check out our Facebook page.
Questions? Call us at 510-623-7907 or email us at info@museumoflocalhistory.org
Walking Tour Schedule 2026
Tours are free and they take place Spring through Summer each year.
SAT May 2nd – Native Garden Tour at our museum at 190 Anza Street in Fremont, with a talk at noon: “Maintaining a native plant garden with 100% volunteers” – Led by Caroline Harris. Our museum will be open 10am – 4pm. For more information, visit: https://bringingbackthenatives.net/museum-of-local-history
SAT June 20th – Alvarado Walking Tour – the tour starts at 10 a.m. Participants should meet in the parking lot of Alvarado Elementary School, 31100 Fredi Street in Union City – Led by Tim Swenson
SAT July 11th – Old Town Newark Walking Tour – the tour starts at 11 a.m. Participants should meet at Watkins Hall on the corner of Thornton and Ash in Newark – Led by Matthew Jorgens
SAT July 18th – Niles Town Walking Tour – the tour starts at 11 a.m. Participants should meet at Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum (37417 Niles Blvd in Fremont) – Led by David Kiehn
SAT July 25th – Irvington Walking Tour – the tour starts at 10 a.m. Participants should meet at 40991 Fremont Blvd in Fremont (Irvington Plaza Park) – Led by Caroline Harris
SAT Aug 15th – Decoto Bike Tour – the tour starts at 10 a.m. Participants should meet in the parking lot of Dry Creek/Pioneer Regional Park, located at the end of May Road (near Whipple and Mission Blvd) in Union City – Led by Tim Swenson
SAT Sept 19th – Irvington Urban Hike – the tour starts at 8:30 a.m. Participants should meet at 40991 Fremont Blvd in Fremont (Irvington Plaza Park) – Led by Caroline Harris and Patricia Schaffarczyk
Have questions about historic walking tours? Call us at 510-623-7907 or email us at info@museumoflocalhistory.org.
Upcoming Events
Dr. Victor Wong will be presenting “Forgotten East Bay Tracks: Honoring Chinese Builders of the Final Leg of the Pacific Railroad” on Zoom for the Chinese Historical Society of America.
Friday May 8, 2026. 7pm PDT. Zoom link
Washington Township Museum of Local History (and Archives)
The Museum and California native garden is open weekly on Wednesdays & Fridays, and monthly on the 2nd Saturday & Sunday, as well as the 4th Sunday. All hours are 10 am – 4 pm.
Suggested donation: $2 per visitor / $5 per family.
Museum members and children 5 and under are always FREE.
We are located at 190 Anza Street in the Mission San Jose district of Fremont.
Questions? Want to book a private tour or see the museum when we are not scheduled to be open? Let’s talk! Call us at 510-623-7907 or email us at info@museumoflocalhistory.org. Thank you!
- April 2026
Open on Wednesdays from 10 am – 4 pm: April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Open on Fridays from 10 am – 4 pm: April 3, 10, 24
Open on Saturday 10 am – 4 pm: April 11
Open on Sundays 10am – 4pm: April 12, 26 - May 2026
Open on Wednesdays from 10 am – 4 pm: May 6, 13, 20, 27
Open on Fridays from 10 am – 4 pm: May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Open on Saturday 10 am – 4 pm: May 2
NO OPEN SUNDAYS IN MAY (Mother’s Day & Memorial Day)
Rancho Higuera Historical Park
Visit Rancho Higuera Historical Park and its beautifully restored adobe!
The view of Fremont and its surroundings is spectacular from this particular spot. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the park.
Open Dates & Times: 10 am – 12 noon once per month April through September, weather permitting.
Open House at the Rancho 2026 Dates
4th Grade Day at the Rancho and open to the public:
3RD SAT – 4/18 from 10am – 2pm ** note extended hours ** – all regular field trip activities will be available for attendees, including: candle dipping (wax), cattle branding (paint), design a brand (pen and paper), cattle roping (wooden cow), horseshoes (fun!), brick making (mud and straw)
Open to the public
4TH SAT – 5/23 open day 10am – noon – NO special activities will be available (museum and grounds are open and there are knowledgeable docents onsite)
3RD SAT – 6/20 open day 10am – noon – NO special activities will be available (museum and grounds are open and there are knowledgeable docents onsite)
3RD SAT – 7/18 open day 10am – noon – NO special activities will be available (museum and grounds are open and there are knowledgeable docents onsite)
3RD SAT – 8/15 open day 10am – noon – NO special activities will be available (museum and grounds are open and there are knowledgeable docents onsite)
3RD SAT – 9/19 open day 10am – noon – NO special activities will be available (museum and grounds are open and there are knowledgeable docents onsite)
Guests are invited to visit the Galindo-Higuera adobe, located on the Rancho del Agua Caliente. This rancho was awarded to Fulgencio Higuera in 1839 by then Governor Juan B. Alvarado. At the time, this land consisted of 9,563 acres or 15 square miles, and it supported 11,000 head of cattle and several hundred horses.
Our guests can still enjoy the verdant green hills and can imagine what it looked like with no fences, and with rancho cattle dotting the hillsides.
140 years later, in 1979, the adobe was falling down. Historians, architects, preservationists, and archaeologists agreed that the adobe was significant and worth saving; and thus, the restoration began. A total of 7,500 bricks had to be made to replace those that were missing.
Inside the building now are displays that describe the hide and tallow trade, a video that shows how the land was used from the Ohlone period to the restoration, as well as a display of Ohlone artifacts.
This adobe and its current 20 acres represent an important chapter in Spanish-Mexican history in California, and we at the Washington Township Museum of Local History are happy to share this gem with you.
Special activities for children (and adults): brick making, branding with paint, design-a-brand, corn husk and/or clothespin dollmaking, candle dipping, play horseshoes.
Suggested donation: $2 per visitor / $5 per family
Museum members and children 5 and under are always FREE
The park is located at 47300 Rancho Higuera Rd. in Fremont.
Please park at street level and walk up. Handicapped parking is available.
Visit this culturally significant site, with a history extending back to Fulgencio Higuera a descendent of Jose Higuera who came to California from Spain on the de Anza expedition (1775-1776). The original adobe home was constructed in 1840.
Rancho Higuera Historical Park is closed to the public from October through March. The property is open to the public once per month from April through September. Always check our calendar (above) for the most up-to-date information.
Questions? Want to book a private tour or see the grounds when we are not scheduled to be open? Let’s talk! Call us at 510-623-7907 or email us at info@museumoflocalhistory.org.
