This fall is a great time to celebrate California’s Redwoods as it marks the 50th Anniversary of the creation of the Redwood National and State Parks and the Centennial of the Save the Redwoods League. The Clarke Historical Museum in Old Town Eureka has a special exhibit, The Redwoods Provide(d): The Story of Redwoods National and State Parks and the League will host a week-long Centennial Celebration October 7-14, 2018. The Clarke Historical Museum focuses on Humboldt County’s history, including permanent exhibits of its Native American cultures, the gilded Victoria era, and the Opera Alley Exhibit featuring the work of local artists and art students.
The special Redwoods Provide(d) exhibit highlights the decades-long controversy about the future of the Redwoods during the 1960s and 1970s. By that time, the Redwoods had become a tourist attraction as well as the locale for scientific research. However, 70% of local industry and the residents’ livelihoods was tied to its lumber. The conflicting goals of the growing environmental preservation movement and tourism with those of the logging industry made the future of the Redwoods a major focus of debate. The Museum’s exhibit reflects both sides of this controversy: The fight for preserving the Redwood trees versus the fight for preserving the traditional logging industry on which so many communities depended. This exhibit is part of a series of art and cultural events taking place throughout 2018 in celebration of the Park’s establishment.
The Clarke Historical Museum is a great place to visit any time this fall. The Museum participates in Eureka’s Arts Alive on the first Saturday of every month from 6 – 9 pm, and Friday Night Markets from 5 – 8 pm from May – October. Saturday, September 22, 2018 is extra-special – it’s Smithsonian Museum Day at the Clarke. Once a year, Smithsonian magazine hosts an annual day, when museums and cultural institutions across the United States offer free general admission with a Museum Day ticket that can be obtained online.
There’s no better way to celebrate the heritage of the Redwoods than a vacation getaway to California’s Redwood Coast, named #1 on Lonely Planet’s Best Places To Visit In The U.S. In 2018. The Redwood Riverwalk Hotel in Fortuna is a perfect location to explore all the redwoods offer, from hiking and biking through the State and National Parks to exploring the many scenic beaches, Elk River and Fern Canyon, to enjoying the tastes of festivals from Hops in Humboldt to Eureka’s Crab Crawl. Come visit us soon!
Clarke Historical Museum
Location: 240 E Street, Eureka, CA
Days and Hours: Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 am ‐ 6:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm (Closed Mondays)
Phone: 707-443-1947
Admission: $5.00 per person / $10.00 per family
Photo courtesy of Humboldt Lodging Alliance
