Capitola Museum to Celebrate 50th Birthday

By Frank Perry, Museum Curator

On July 9 the Capitola Historical Museum will be celebrating the past even more than usual. It was on that date, fifty years ago, that the museum first opened.

The Capitola of 1966 was somewhat different from the Capitola of today. That year Capitolans were wrestling with rapid growth, a disappearing beach, and who to select for the City Council in an April 12 election. You could shop at the new Kings Market on 41st Avenue (where Orchard Supply is now), and then enjoy an all-you-can-eat lunch at nearby Fjords restaurant (now I Hop) for just $1.00.

One of those elected to the Council that year was Philip Walker, who had discussed during the campaign his desire to preserve Capitola’s history through a museum. Less than three months after taking office, Walker and a group of volunteers opened a museum in a storeroom behind the Chamber of Commerce at 115 Capitola Avenue. It was dinky, with hand-me-down shelves and display cases, and had to be accessed from an alley. Walker dubbed it “the one room Smithsonian Institution.” That first year it drew 400 visitors.

The following year Walker located a condemned house on Thompson Avenue in Live Oak and purchased it for $25. He proposed moving it to the city-owned lot across from the fire station to give the museum a bigger and better home. When the Council rejected the idea, Walker collected signatures from 383 museum supporters. The Council reversed its decision, and the museum opened in the present building on March 24, 1968.

Among the museum’s early acquisitions was a large oil painting of Capitola done in 1889 by Cipriano Dodero and a section of water pipe made out of redwood. Both are presently on display.

The museum has far more historic photos and artifacts than can be displayed at any one time. Therefore, a new exhibition is mounted each year, always with a different theme. Longtime director Carolyn Swift started this tradition, with exhibition titles such as “Just Beachy” (Capitola in the 1950s), “Bloomin Moos” (a history of the Brown Ranch and Begonia Festival), “Honey I Shrunk the Bridge” (models by Chris Lundell). More recently there was “Take Me Out To Capitola” (about local baseball star Harry Hooper).

Each exhibition holds a magnifying glass to a certain facet of the town’s past. The present “Photos by Ravnos” exhibition is a good example, focusing on Capitola through the eyes of one photographer (Ole Ravnos) during one time period (1907-1915).

The museum serves several functions: providing educational exhibits on the town’s history, providing programs such as lectures and walking tours, preserving Capitola history through photographs and other memorabilia, and assisting homeowners, business owners, and others doing historical research. Desk volunteers also answer more mundane questions, such as “Where is a place that sells pizza?” and even “Where’s the beach?”

Today, sandwiched between the parking lots and the beach, the Capitola Museum is in one of the best tourist locations of any museum in the county. The museum broke attendance records last year with over 8,000 visitors, some from as far away as China and Germany. Many of the summer visitors, however, are families from the Bay Area or Central Valley for whom a trip to Capitola is a tradition.

Capitola’s fascinating and complex history means that there will be no shortage of exhibit ideas for at least another fifty years. Perhaps by then it will be time for display on Capitola in the early 2000s. This month’s birthday bash might well be included. After all, fiftieth birthdays only happen once. Don’t miss it!

Museum Birthday Party: Date: July 9, 2016: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Program starts at 11:00, cake cutting at 11:30) Hot dogs, cake, special exhibits, kids activities, face painting, old photos, and more. Location: Parking lot next to museum, 410 Capitola Avenue.

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The museum is always looking for volunteers. One need not be a history expert. Interested parties should call the Museum at 464-0322 or email capitolamuseum@gmail.com.