About The Sausalito Historical Society
The Sausalito Historical Society collects and preserves art, artifacts, photographs and printed materials that document Sausalito’s history; provides access to the collection for public and academic research; and develops publications and outreach programs to inspire local interest in Sausalito’s history to educate the visiting public and enrich the community.
The Sausalito Historical Society is looking for your Sausalito photos of bygone days. We would like to preserve and add to our online collection memories of the past. Please contact the Historical Society if you would like to share you photos.
See the History of Sausalito in a New Way!
Now and Then in Sausalito by Mike Moyle
The corner of Bridgeway and El Portal.
Here's another "then and now" comparison, this time from the center of Sausalito. Today, the Sausalito Hotel building (shown in the black and white photo at the bottom) stands at the corner of Bridgeway and El Portal, adjacent to the Plaza Viña del Mar. However, between 1902 and 1915, that corner was the site of the brothers Frederick and Henrick Kistenmacher's Arbordale restaurant, pictured at the top.
For those interested in more history of the Arbordale, its receives a detailed treatment (with additional photos) on pages 82-83 of Jack Tracy's "Sausalito: Moments in Time" book. The Kistenmacher's were there for a dramatic improvement to Sausalito's downtown. In 1903, just a year after they acquired the property (which was previously the site of Andrew Nicholas' Oyster Grotto), the infamous and fetid "Pond" that adjoined the restaurant was filled in by the North Shore Railroad (the successor to the North Pacific Coast Railroad), and Depot Park (today the Plaza Viña del Mar) was created. See the comments below for more details about that history.
3 Exhibit Spaces Feature Historical Displays our History
Phil Frank Exhibit
Exhibit Spaces maintained by the Society feature in depth displays about Sausalito history and include:
The Phil Frank History Research Room
The Downtown Ice House Historical Exhibit
The Historic World War II Marinship Exhibit at the Bay Model.
See below for hours for each location
SHS Board of Directors:
left to right
Brit Thurston, Tami Bell, Nick Roby, Rip Hunter, John Cox, Lauri Flynn, Stanford Hughes, Alice Merrill, Pete Bowes, Sharon Seymour, Roberta Maloy, Michael Wiener.
President – Stanford Hughes
Vice-President - Michael Weiner
Secretary – Sharon Seymour
Treasurer – Pete Bowes
Directors - Tami Bell, John Cox, Lauri Flynn, Rip Hunter, Roberta Maloy, Alice Merrill, Nick Roby, Brit Thurston
We are always looking for people who want to be involved with the History of Sausalito and its residents new and old. If you would like to join us, please contact us at the addresses below.
How to Reach the Sausalito Historical Society:
We’re happy to announce that the Sausalito Historical Society Exhibit and Research Room will re-open on Monday, August 2 to the public. Our hours will be Monday, 10-5 and Wednesday 10-1. A docent will be available to help you with your research request. City Hall is asking everyone to wear a mask in the building. For now, we will not be open on Saturday mornings as in the past because City Hall is not open on Saturday yet, so will be open on Mondays instead.
Sausalito City Hall
Sausalito Historical Society
The Phil Frank History Research Room
420 Litho Street, Sausalito, CA, 94965
-Mondays from 10 am -1 pm
-Wednesdays from 10 am -1 pm
-2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month 12-3 pm
P.O. Box 352, Sausalito, CA 94966
415 289-4117
Sausalito Ice House Visitors Center & Museum
Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
780 Bridgeway, Sausalito CA 94965
415-332-0505
The Historic World War II Marinship Exhibit at the Bay Model.
Open when the Bay Model is open
https://www.spn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Bay-Model-Visitor-Center/
Search this Web Site for Information about Sausalito's History:
Additional information about specific Sausalito Historical Society’s Digitized Collections are available in the Museum Online Catalog
The California Digital Newspaper Collection contains over 500,000 digitited issues of California newspapers and is an excellent resource for more information about the history of Southern Marin County and Sausalito.
The Sausalito Historical Society is a 501(c)3 organization Tax ID # 94-277123