Ellen L.
Yelp
this is a little known gem in the heart of san carlos! i happened to stumble upon it as i was strolling around san carlos, just enjoying the abundance of sunshine on a warm saturday afternoon in january. as soon as i walked in, i was treated to an abundance of displays and artifacts pertaining to the history of san carlos.
here are the top 5 reasons you should visit this museum:
1. there are several very old, historical maps of san carlos. i enjoyed studying these maps and trying to figure out where on the map i was standing, where was downtown, where was the bay, where were the hills, etc.
2. they offer some historical videos to show guests with old school-style benches to sit on while you view the videos.
3. there are some very cool artifacts, including a ball gown worn by a female guest at a ball in the 1930s, electronic equipment from the 1950s, the fire department's incident log from the early 20th century (when handwriting was all in cursive and very elegant looking!) and of course, an old fire truck front, smack, and center of the museum.
4. the ladies who sat at the front desk are super sweet and knowledgeable, and told me a story of how there were no homes in the "hills" of san carlos 50 years ago...the hills were just grassy hills, no homes, no livestock. they also told me about some of the interesting visitors to this museum in recent years.
5. it's FREE! no donations box, no suggested admission, nothing...absolutely free to the public to walk around and enjoy!
note: they are only open on saturdays from 1-4pm.