The Capitola Historical Museum is pleased to announce its 2026 exhibition, “Multiple Personalities — The Stories Behind Capitola’s Historic Buildings.” The new exhibition opened March 13 and will run through Dec. 27.
Our built environment provides us with a sense of place … it becomes the root of both our individual and societal identity. It also serves as a conduit for our memories and our dreams for the future.
The museum’s 2026 exhibition, “Multiple Personalities — The Stories Behind Capitola’s Historic Buildings,” traces how Capitola evolved from a seaside campground into today’s thriving beach town by revealing stories of the people who built, worked and lived within the walls of Capitola’s iconic buildings, both those gone and those still with us. Special focus will be upon the Grand Hotel Capitola, Rispin Mansion and the Venetian Court.
Sprinkled throughout this architectural history is the vital role that immigrants played in creating the Capitola we know today. Featured are the two immigrants who had the greatest impact upon the layout and look of Capitola: Frederick Augustus Hihn and Henry Allen Rispin. Each achieved their version of the American Dream — one passing his legacy onto his descendants and the other losing everything.
Other topics covered in the museum’s displays this year include the history of the construction of the Capitola Theater, restoration of the Soquel Cemetery–Beit Olam Cemetery, the Noble family of Soquel and the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The Capitola Historical Museum is located at 410 Capitola Ave., next to Capitola City Hall. The admission-free museum is open every Friday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The exhibition, “Multiple Personalities — The Stories Behind Capitola’s Historic Buildings,” will run through Dec. 27, 2026. For further information, contact the museum at 831-464-0322 or capitolamuseum@gmail.com.