History Museum of Los Gatos

We believe in the power of art and history to enrich life. We inspire and engage our region with innovative educational experiences in art and history.

Established in 1965, the Museums of Los Gatos includes the Art Museum of Los Gatos, the History Museum at Forbes Mill, and the Los Gatos Museum Art Gallery.

Los Gatos offered just about everything in 1965. Everything but a museum, thought Dr. Ethel Dana. Dr. Dana resolutely believed that her seven children could not grow up in a community that lacked a museum. So she did something about it, creating Los Gatos’ first museum in the town’s historic firehouse. In 1982 the museum expanded to the Forbes Mill, at 75 Church Street, where the town’s history is now chronicled. With a mission to enhance community life through the preservation and exhibition of our local history, the History Museum showcases artifacts from Los Gatos’ past. The permanent exhibit, Los Gatos Remembered, describes the two great fires that shaped the town’s business district, the produce industry, the Southern Pacific Line Railroad and more. Artists from the Greater Bay Area and beyond showcase their work in The Museums’ three galleries several times a year on a rotating basis.