VPA

Historic House Museums



Following is a list of historic homes, listed by area, for those of you who plan your vacations around visiting such sites. Listed for each site is a short description, and how to get further information. For those sites that we have visited, we have provided a quality rating. If you would like to add to our listing, please send us the information via e-mail, or US Mail. If you are sending by US Mail, please enclose a brochure or photo if possible.

= Link to photo = Don't bother wasting your time or money
= Free or less than $5 = If you're in the area and you've got the time
= Between $5 and $10 = Try to fit it into your trip
= Over $10 = Make a special trip to see it if you must

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Santa Clara Valley

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Santa Clara Valley

Ainsley House
The Ainsley House is the 1926 home of canning industry pioneer J.C. Ainsley, now a museum showcasing life in Santa Clara Valley during the 1920s and 30s. Visitors learn the history of Campbell in the Morgan Gallery which features exhibits and the Campbell Museum Foundation Store. The house formerly sat at the corner of Hamilton and Bascom Avenues.

Fallon House
A fully restored and furnished 15 room Italianate Victorian, built around 1855 by Thomas Fallon, an officer in the U.S. Army during the War with Mexico and later mayor of San Jose. The structure stood empty for a number of years after the Fallon family vacated in 1878. Reopening as a hotel in 1900, the structure housed one of the most popular restaurants in the Valley, frequented by celebrities such as John Steinbeck, Fatty Arbuckle and Charlie Chaplin. Admission includes guided tours of the Peralta Adobe.

Harris-Lass Historic Museum
The Harris-Lass Historic Museum is located on the last farm site in the City of Santa Clara. The two story Italianate house has been fully furnished and renovated. The site also includes a barn, tank house, summer kitchen and chicken coop.
Open Sat & Sun 12-4pm 1889 Market Street, Santa Clara (408) 249-7905

Rengstorff House
Moved from its original site, this 1867 Italianate was built for Henry Rengstorff. The house is now situated in Shoreline, just north of the ampitheatre. The upstairs is not open to the public as it is used for offices, but the downstairs features several rooms that have been renovated and feature Bradbury & Bradbury wallpapers, as well as some nice examples of Eastlake and Renaissance Revival furniture.
Free. Open Sun , Tue, and Wed 11am-5pm 3070 N. Shoreline Blvd. Mountain View (650) 903-6392

San Jose Historical Museum
On 25 acres in South Kelley Park, the museum has 21 original & fully restored Victorian buildings, including a printshop, candy store, bank, hotel, doctor's office, firehouse, livery & home. There are also exhibits on early Indian, Spanish & Mexican influences on the Santa Clara Valley.

Villa Montalvo
1912 Mediterranean-style mansion was the summer home of U.S. Senator and San Francisco mayor James Phelan. The grounds feature a formal garden and trails to the surrounding hills.
Open Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat-Sun 9-5 Montalvo Rd off of SR 9 Saratoga (408) 741-3421

Winchester Mystery House
If you can look past all the hype about how crazy Sarah Winchester was, and instead concentrate on what she did with the incredible wealth she inherited, what you'll see is an amazing Victorian filled with some of the finest woodwork, lincrusta, and art glass of the period. Then again some of it you won't see because Sarah built right over it. VPA members wish they could have just a few minutes unescorted in the storeroom. Here you'll find a great collection of doors, windows, and rolls and rolls of lincrustra that never made it into Sarah's plans. If you want to see the house at its best, visit during the Christmas holidays, when many of the rooms get decorated by local non-profit groups. To brag just a little, the VPA has won the decorating contest the last six years in a row. We also have some cool historical picts of the mansion.