Museum of the San Ramon Valley

205 Railroad Ave, Danville, CA 94526

The San Ramon Valley Museum is committed to preserving and sharing our rich heritage and patrimony. The collections and exhibits represent our human experiences, institutions and cultures created by the countryside, climate and early settlers of the valley. The Museum is housed in the restored 1891 Southern Pacific Depot in Danville on Railroad Avenue at Prospect Avenue.

The past of the Valley is featured in a permanent exhibit comprising artifacts, a historical narrative frieze and pictures of historic buildings. The Museum gathers, stores, and preserves San Ramon Valley artefacts. A Museum Store offers visitors exciting gifts and souvenirs.

OFFICIAL VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER

The Train Depot at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley serves as the Town of Danville's Official Visitor Information Center as part of a partnership between the Museum and Town of Danville.  Maps, local maps, guides, the Live Locally downtown guide, the Town's Live Locally newsletter, and the Visitor Information Centre's community events calendar are available free of charge.

FREE PUBLIC PARKING AND PUBLIC RESTROOMS

The Historic Train Depot also provides free public parking at the Railroad Avenue Municipal Parking Lot and public restrooms situated behind the Train Depot in the historic Southern Pacific Railroad, Caboose.

This museum was built on the site of the old Danville Southern Pacific Train Depot. Although small in size, the collections and exhibits all reflect San Ramon Valley's rich history and heritage. Oftentimes, you will find descendants of the original settlers here sharing their stories.

Admission is for only $5 per person, with discounts available for seniors, children, and students. There is a small gift shop upon entering the museum. The young staff here is very friendly and helpful.

The exhibit had two parts - one was the showing of "The Chinese Exclusion Act" and the other was the exhibition of artifacts from that era. As you watch the  arts of the said documentary for the second time, you will actually picked up more information, such as the Anti-Coolie Act of 1862 (unfair taxation against Chinese laborers), the Page Act of 1875 (anti-Asian immigration law), and the Chinese massacre of 1871 in Los Angeles (the worst mass lynching in US history). There were several common threads to all these events: political rhetoric, claims of "job protection" by politicians, and the ignorance of the public. Those are certainly some parallels we see in today's world.

The other part of the exhibit had many artifacts and pictures from that era. Most, if not all, were borrowed from various institutions and collectors. They have shown a glimpse of how Chinese workers live in that era.