Homestead Museum

About the Museum:

The Homestead Museum is "about" many things! Most importantly, it's a place to explore the history of the Los Angeles region from 1830 to 1930 in hopes of better understanding the past and people's ability to shape history.

The six-acre site features the Workman House, an 1870s country home constructed around an 1840s adobe built by William and Nicolasa Workman; La Casa Nueva, a 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival mansion noted for its architectural crafts, built by the Workmans' grandson Walter Temple and his wife, Laura; and El Campo Santo, one of the region's oldest private cemeteries, containing the remains of Pío Pico, the last governor of Mexican California, and many other prominent pioneer families.

Cracking open a textbook and reading about major political, economic, and societal changes is one way to learn about history, but having the opportunity to see how real people navigated these changes puts a personal twist on the subject matter and makes it more intriguing. The Homestead talks about the experiences of the Workman and Temple families between 1830 and 1930 to encourage visitors to think about how their own lives are part of "history." Everyone has a story to tell, and everyone has the ability to shape history.