Welcome to the Kelley House Museum
This historic home and research center is located in Mendocino, California on the scenic north coast. Built in 1861 by William Kelley, the house overlooks the ocean and is surrounded by gardens filled with flowers and lawn. The museum, along with docent-led walking tours of the historic preservation district, invites visitors to step back in time and imagine life in a bustling, 19th century logging town.
Kelley House Museum is open: Thursday–Monday, 11am–3pm.
Historic Walking Tours
Our walking tours have been described as “the perfect way to get a sense of the cast of characters who helped shape the eclectic town of Mendocino.” On our Historic District tour, visit New England-style pioneer homes and learn about Mendocino’s rich cultural heritage. On our Haunted Mendocino tour you’ll stop at the hideouts of Mendocino’s well-known specters, and learn a little of the town’s history along the way. Our Murder, She Wrote tour takes you to over a dozen filming locations from the hit TV show starring Angela Lansbury. Tours last up to 2 hours, depart weekly, and cost $25 per person.
Exhibit Spotlight
Don’t Panic * Eat Organic
50 Years of the Corners Collective
April 4th – June 2nd, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 19th, 4pm – 5:30pm
Celebrate fifty years of “Corners of the Mouth,” Mendocino’s legendary worker-owned natural food store. What started as a food buying club in 1975 serving the counterculture and back to the landers, evolved into a beloved hub of the local community. Learn about the origins of the Baptist church that houses the store, admire the artistry of original hand-drawn posters and recipes, and view photos of the collective’s members from the past five decades.
Coming Soon!
ON TAP AT THE KELLEY HOUSE
The History of Brewing on the Mendocino Coast
June 5th – September 29th, 2025
It’s going to be a hoppy summer thanks to the Kelley House Museum’s new exhibit on Mendocino’s beer brewing heritage. On Tap traces the deep roots and rich stories behind one of Northern California’s most spirited industries—from the small breweries that served the local lumber workers to the craft beer renaissance that put Mendocino on the national brewing map.
Fundraiser!
MURDER, SHE WROTE FESTIVAL
Friday, May 2nd – Sunday, May 4th, 2025
We had a fantastic festival, thank you to all of our visitors and sponsors. If you couldn’t make it this year but want to find out when tickets go on sale, Sign up for our newsletter. Fall in love with Mendocino’s Cabot Cove, home of beloved sleuth Jessica Fletcher.
Featured Item ~ From KHM Store
Experience Kelley House
Book Store. Our wide assortment of local history books delve into topics as diverse as movies filmed in Mendocino, shipbuilding, early architecture, and Native American history.
Research. Search our collections or let our expert staff help. Our climate-controlled storage and research facility is home to over 150 years of Mendocino coastal history.
Newsletter. Stay current and connected with the living history of Kelley House Museum as we uncover new stories, host events, and feature special collections.
Donate. Please join us in our efforts to preserve and share Mendocino’s history. Become a member or make a donation today.
Making History Blog
The Schooner Electra
The schooner Electra was built in the mid-1870s at Little River, California, by shipbuilder Thomas Heinrich Petersen. A two-masted, single-deck lumber schooner, she measured 89 feet in length and displaced just over 92 tons. With her home port in San Francisco, she was part of a vital fleet of coastal vessels that carried lumber from [...]
The Kelley House Museum is a 501c(3) non-profit educational corporation, tax ID number 94-2277534.