Events
October Chat
October 19 2pm at Evergreen Cemetary. Join us for a walk through the oldest (A&B) sections of the Evergreen cemetery. Val Hanelt will lead the walk, sharing information on the graves, providing an interesting look at early settlement times.
Holiday Fun
November 23, 2025 1pm at the museum. We love seeing all the families that come to share in this fun event, and look forward to seeing past and new families this year. Welcome the Holiday Season with Candle Making festivities. Bring your family and create a festive candle for your holidays. Cookies and Cider will add to the fun on this winter afternoon.
Previous 2025 Events
August 17, 2025 1pm at the museum. Annual Membership & Friends Gathering - A joint jam presented by the AV Historical Society and the AV VillagesThis year’s event celebrates two milestones: The 50th Anniversary of The Coyote Cowboys & The 45th Anniversary of the Historical Society’s First Event - July 4, 1980, with the Coyote Cowboys on stage! (View on our UTube Channel-Anderson Valley Museum)
June 8 1-3pm at the museum. Anderson Valley Pomo - Past, Present and Future. The Historical Society of Mendocino County is coming to Anderson Valley to learn more about our history. We are honored to host Liz Knight, an ancestral descendent of the Anderson Valley Pomo, David Severn, researcher and Jeff Burroughs, historian. They will be sharing insights and stories of the Anderson Valley Pomo. Museum tours to follow. (View on our UTube Channel-Anderson Valley Museum)
May 4th 1-3pm at the Anderson Valley Elementary School - Day of the Child. Bring your kids and grandkids to this afternoon of fun for our kids. The Anderson Valley Historical Society will be participating in this community event with 3 stations featuring activities the kids of yesteryear enjoyed and endured! Station 1 Games: Marbles, jacks, hopscotch. Station 2 Work: Drilling by hand, Making Butter. Station 3 Dressup: Take photos of the kids dressed up in clothes from the waaaay past!
March 16 - at the Anderson Valley Senior Center. Antique Evaluation Event with Brian Witherell. Just like “Antiques Roadshow” Brian Witherell will be onsite to provide evaluations, auction estimates and guidance for participants with family heirlooms, treasures and collections. He will be joined by Witherell General Manager and Graduate Gemologist, Adam Anapolsky. Brian’s Anderson Valley roots run deep. His grandparents were prominent members of the AV Historical Museum. His parents, Brad Witherell and Linda Tuttle graduated from AV High.
Board Meetings
The Anderson Valley Historical Society Board meets on Thursday mornings at 9:30, every two months. AVHS members and interested guests are welcome to attend. For specific dates, please contact Sheri Hansen, at (707) 272-7248 or by email. You’ll find us in the Rose Room of the Barn Building on the Museum grounds, 12340 Highway 128, Boonville.
Featured Books
Pioneers of Anderson Valley Wine: A History of Anderson Valley’s grape and wine industry.
Edited by Allan W. Green, this book contains many unique unpublished historical photographs of the early places and faces who helped put Anderson Valley on the map as one of the great grape growing and winemaking regions of the world. It also features interviews with George Zeni, Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn, John Scharffenberger, Norman Kobler, Brad Wiley, Jed Steele, Lulu Handley, Zac Robinson and Allan Green, and stores by Neill Bell, Brad Wiley, Jed Steele, Lucie Marshall, Theo Carrell, Carolyn Bowen and Allan Green. To order, call (707) 272-7248 or email the Anderson Valley Historical Society
Then and Now: An Anderson Valley Journey
Anderson Valley has certainly changed significantly over its long history. Yet Then and Now: An Anderson Valley Journey, by Wes Smoot and Stephen Sparks, shows us that in some ways the Valley has altered very little. This fascinating book presents old and new photographs of selected buildings and homes, accompanied by brief “biographies” of each building and locale, thereby providing a journey through history. The reader is encouraged to literally take an excursion along the length of beautiful Anderson Valley and observe the sixty locations that are featured alongside or near to Highway 128, the 2-lane road that winds through Anderson Valley. Through the descriptions and photos, you’ll see how some places have changed and some stayed surprisingly constant. A delight to read as you drive through the Valley or relax in your armchair at home, Then and Now offers a vibrant trip through this unique region and its history for local folks and visitors alike. To order, call (707) 272-7248 or email the Anderson Valley Historical Society.
Anderson Valley—Images of America
Authored by the Historical Society and using pictures from the museum and many private collections, this book uses pictures to share the history of Anderson Valley and the fun of Boontling. To order, call (707) 272-7248 or email the Anderson Valley Historical Society.
For a full list of available books and gifts related to Anderson Valley history please go to Books.