By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
The Mountain History Museum is free to visit, but only open one weekend a month during the winter season. It will be open for visitors on Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The docents will be happy to answer historical questions and be able to advise you on the best books available for the history buff in your family; everything in their gift store is discounted 10 percent off for everyone and there’s a 20 percent discount for those who are museum members, as membership helps support the museum.
From noon to 3 p.m. on both days, both Santa Claus and the Grinch will be visiting the museum, and they would love to have you take photos of them with your cameras, for free. The movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas will be playing in the movie theater that day. Guests will be able to participate in a special holiday scavenger hunt and there will be small gift rewards for those kids who complete it. On top of that, there will be hot cider and cookies in the general store display.
The museum will also have its regular displays on the local area. Have you ever wondered where all the ranger stations were located on the mountain? A full wall has a complete map to see the over 50 stations that were on the mountain over the decades. This may be the last time that the Smokey Bear 80th birthday display will be up. There are many other San Bernadino National Forest artifacts and insights into the Forest Service, which has protected our forest for over 125 years since its establishment in 1891 on display.
Most towns on the mountaintop have displays on their individual histories, from Cedarpines Park to Green Valley Lake. There are displays on the building and rebuilding of Lake Arrowhead Village and lake, including the outlet tower, the story of Crestline and there are displays on the mountain animals, the Indians of the area, lumbering and a map of the Lake Arrowhead movie stars’ homes, the old-time summer camps, the original general stores with post offices that became the towns and so much more to discover – all for free. There is free off-street parking available on both sides of the museum building.
The Mountain History Museum focuses on the history of the western end of the San Bernardino Mountains and its surrounding areas; it is operated by the members of the Rim of the World Historical Society (established 1986) as a community benefit by local volunteers. Located in a former Lake Arrowhead Fire Department fire station at 27176 Peninsula Drive at Rhine Road, the museum accepts donations or loans of items of local historical interest, which is how the items in the museum have been acquired. Come see the best the mountain has to offer for free and learn about the mountain’s fascinating heritage.
See their website at www.mtnmuseum.org or call them at (909) 744-8625 and leave a message if your group (Scouts, home-schools, company) or nonprofit (club, church, seniors) would like a tour of the museum this winter. A museum volunteer will return the call and arrange a date.
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