The archaeological site material in the museum’s collections dates from approximately 8,000 thousand years ago to the early 1800s. This material includes artifacts from the  indigenous people known as the Tongva who were living on Catalina Island - which they called Pimu - when the Spanish arrived in 1542. Also in the collections are approximately two thousand items dating from the 1880s to the…

The Chinese Historical Society of Southern California was founded in1975 to discover and recognize Chinese American pioneers and the history of Chinese Americans in Southern California. It also works to increase aware-ness of Chinese American heritage through public programs, education, and research. The society's holdings focus on Southern California Chinese American history.