Tomales Regional History Center

Step In. Look Back.
Your Historic Journey Starts Here!

Housed in the iconic 1921 Tomales High School Auditorium, the Tomales Regional History Center preserves and inspires interest in the region’s history through its archives, collections, exhibitions, and interpretation; and develops an awareness of the role we all play on the greater continuum of that history. We chronicle the stories and heritage of the region spanning from Point Reyes Peninsula north to Bodega Bay, including the western reaches of Marin and Sonoma Counties.

FREE ADMISSION | OPEN WEEKENDS 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM or by appointment for research and tours.

New at TRHC!

TRHC Lecture Series: Levi Strauss — The Man Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World

Discover the man behind the world's most famous blue jeans. Author and historian Lynn Downey explores the life, legacy, and West Marin connections of Levi Strauss in an illustrated lecture at the Tomales Regional History Center on Sunday September 20th, 2026. Click for more info!

Join us at TRHC’s Stage Gallery for "Making Waves: Ripples of Our Lives"—an exploration of creativity from the next generation.

Missed the Dick Ogg sustainable fisheries talk? Watch it on our YouTube channel.

New Sonoma Creamery, Tomales (1924)

Hand-colored postcard of Marshall railroad depot (c. 1905)

Marconi flag stop, Marshall (1915)

Running Fence, art installation by Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Valley Ford (1976)

Smith Bros. No. 1, Bodega Bay’s Smith Bros. Fishery (early 20th century)

“Real Photo Postcard” of people at Dillon’s Beach (early 20th century)

Three young women on Maine Street (Highway One), Tomales (1917)

On View

Temporary Exhibit

Featured

Shoreline Neighbors

Permanent Exhibits

Featured

The Coast Miwok

Before the European explorers and pioneers, the shoreline region was home to the Coast Miwok people.

The Pioneers

Most came seeking opportunity or adventure, and they left their marks in countless ways.

The Story of Tomales

Tomales began with a port — the community’s center for almost twenty years.

Agriculture

The region’s agriculture industry is traced to the earliest pioneers who raised dairy cattle, produced butter and cheese, and grew potatoes and grain here.

The Railroad

Railroad fever was sweeping the country when the North Pacific Coast line was incorporated in 1871.

Tomales High School

Tomales High School opened on August 5th, 1912, with two rooms and twenty-three students.

Take yourself on a self-guided walking tour of the village of Tomales on your next visit!

Step Up

Tomales Regional History Center is run entirely by volunteers and we rely on the support of our community. Won’t you step up?

Visit

Free Admission | Open to the Public | Join us for exhibits, activities, and a journey through our regional past.
Welcome in!

Hours

Year Round: Saturday & Sunday 1:00 PM — 4:00 PM
Closed All Major Holidays
Or by appointment: Contact us

Location

Tomales Regional History Center (map)
26701 Highway One
Tomales, CA 94971

Mailing Address:
PO Box 262
Tomales, CA 94971

For our mission statement, please see the About page.

Contact

“[H]istory can untie our minds, our bodies, our disposition to move — to engage life rather than contemplating it as an outsider. It can do this by widening our view to include the silent voices of the past, so that we look beyond the silence of the present.”

— Howard Zinn, The Politics of History, 1970

Tomales Regional History Center

Step In. Look Back.
Your Historic Journey Starts Here!

New at TRHC!