Pleasanton’s Museum on Main

603 Main Street Pleasanton, CA 94566

Enriching Community Life Through Education and Preservation

Through preserving, clarifying and disseminating historical information unique to the Tri Valley area and promoting involvement in the arts and humanities through our public programs, we are committed to connecting the past with the future.

We bring our mission through the following programs and projects:

• Permanent and temporary exhibitions at the Museum on Main Street
• Guest lecturers,presentations and panel discussions about local, state, regional and national topics
• Tours for school groups, scouts, and other youth and adult organizations
• Newsletters, pamphlets and other publications
• Encouragement of long-time residents, newcomers and visitors to delve into local and regional history
• Special events and public programs, such as Ghost Walks and Wild West Evening
• Acquisition, archiving and care of  historic artifacts, documents, oral histories and photographs that enhance the role of the Museum on Main Street as an architectural and cultural resource. 

History of the Museum on Main 

Concerned about the rapid development in the Amador-Livermore Valley in 1963, local residents organized to preserve the region’s regional history. Founded on April 18, 1963, the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society (ALVHS) began its decades-long effort to protect, preserve and interpret the valley’s history. Approximately 35 miles east of San Francisco, the Amador-Livermore Valley includes the towns of Pleasanton, Dublin, and Livermore. In 1970, the ALVHS proudly built its first building in the former Administration Building at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. The ALVHS quickly took over the old building and set up the first museum in the area dedicated to local history. Eventually, the ALVHS had a building where their many objects could be stored and exhibited. The ALVHS was given the vacant building at 603 Main Street by the City of Pleasanton in 1984. Built by funds donated by the Pleasanton’s Women’s Improvement Club in 1914, this building once housed the old Town Hall, the Police Department, and Pleasanton’s first free library. For an organization dedicated to preserving the history of the region, it was the perfect setting.

Museum on Main is a proud member of the American Museum Alliance, the American State and Local History Association, the Museum Store Association, the Western Museums Association, and the Museums Association of California.