The Pioneer Village: A New Piece of History

We are excited about the creation and development of the Pioneer Village at the San Joaquin County Historical Museum. The expansion of the campus, which is already a treasure for San Joaquin County and beyond, will be the catalyst to broaden the ability to bring new experiences to our visitors.

The Pioneer Village will dramatically improve the historic atmosphere, efficiency and safety of our living history programs, such as Valley Days, Pioneer School and Farm to Fork. The beautiful museum will soon have the facilities required to expand our programming to weekend demonstrations, summer history programs and art camps.
The Pioneer Village will pull together the beloved Valley Days and Pioneer School stations, such as the Blacksmith Shop, the Harness Shop and the Laundry Station. This will create a core “village” space, which will improve the historic atmosphere of the programs and help transport students back in time.

New, creatively designed buildings for the Blacksmith Shop, Cookshack, Harness Shop, Print Shop and Valley Days Farm will allow for larger student groups, better educational demonstrations and increased incorporation of historic artifacts. This will improve the historical authenticity of our programming, while increasing the number of students museum staff can work with on field trips to the museum.

The new Pioneer Village will be able to host all visitors, as the new stations will be ADA and California Education Code compliant. They will be designed with hidden modern amenities and with rustic 19th-century charm of the Central Valley.

There is much excitement about the new assembly and classroom space, utilizing the renovated and remodeled Hammer Building, desperately in need of the assembly and classroom spaces. This space will be presented in the form of the new Big Valley Saloon and the Historic Bank Classroom space. The saloon will come with modern amenities, a kitchen and bathrooms, and will be capable of seating 100 students or visitors. Meticulously designed and crafted to look like an 1860s saloon or tavern, the space will allow for programming during inclement weather, and will be air-conditioned, opening up the opportunity for summer programming. The classroom space will also provide the museum with required space for modern summer programming.

The Pioneer Village is thoughtfully designed to increase synergy with the Sunshine Trail, the Charles Weber Cottage and the Calaveras School House, and it will improve the historical interpretation of our Living History programs. It will also bring the stations closer together, which will reduce station-to-station transfer time, allowing the museum to work with more schools.

Stay tuned as the Pioneer Village is developed to bring education to our students in the most authentic way, taking students back in time.