Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology

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Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology The best kept secret at CSU Chico! The Valene L.

Smith Museum of Anthropology was established in 1970 in Trinity Hall at California State University, Chico, to support the Department of Anthropology’s unique and innovative museum training program. Today, the Museum of Anthropology continues to function as a multifaceted educational facility for students in the Museum Studies Program. The Museum Studies Program at CSU, Chico is one of the few museum studies programs in the United States, where students conceive, research, design, and install exhibits as part of their formal training, as well as gain hands-on courses in museum collections management and other areas of museum studies. Students have two options in pursing a degree in museum studies: the Certificate in Museum Studies or the Masters Degree in Anthropology, with an Option in Museum Studies.

Feliz Dia De Los Mu***os! Join us to experience our Day of the Dead altars and exhibits in our lobby from October 27-Nov...
10/22/2026

Feliz Dia De Los Mu***os! Join us to experience our Day of the Dead altars and exhibits in our lobby from October 27-Nov 6! Be part of the celebration and come to the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology🏛️🏵️💀



Chico State El Centro Chico State Meriam Library CSU Chico Black Student Union APIDA Resource Center Chico State Chico State CAS

10/22/2026

Who’s on your ofrenda? Remember your ancestors and loved ones with us as we build our altars around campus! Watch the behind the scenes of how we made our main altar. Come visit the Valene L. Smith museum to experience our exhibits and alters 🏵️



Chico State Chico State CAS Meriam Library El Centro Chico State APIDA Resource Center Chico State CSU Chico Black Student Union

Feliz Dia De Los Mu***os! Join us to experience our Day of the Dead alters and exhibits in our lobby from October 27-Nov...
10/22/2026

Feliz Dia De Los Mu***os! Join us to experience our Day of the Dead alters and exhibits in our lobby from October 27-Nov 6! Be part of the celebration and come to the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology 🏵️💀🏛️



Chico State El Centro Chico State Meriam Library CSU Chico Black Student Union APIDA Resource Center Chico State Chico State CAS

Come pick up a free button to wear for purple Thursday at the Valene L. Smith Museum!💜
10/15/2026

Come pick up a free button to wear for purple Thursday at the Valene L. Smith Museum!💜

BREAKING NEWS! Our guard lions have been named and it is all thanks to you! Come and meet our team members, Link and Zel...
10/14/2026

BREAKING NEWS! Our guard lions have been named and it is all thanks to you! Come and meet our team members, Link and Zelda here at the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology. They available for photo ops. and meet-and-greets Tuesday through Friday 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Anthropology Dept Chico State CAS Chico State Meriam Library

The Organization of American Historians is sounding the alarm about the closure of the National Archives regional instit...
09/25/2026

The Organization of American Historians is sounding the alarm about the closure of the National Archives regional institutions in California. Some records include 75K documents of undigitized knowledge pertaining to Hawaiʻi and American Samoa, the Black Panther Party, Native American and Indigenous communities, and Chinese and Japanese histories. They have organized a protest event/letter campaign over zoom to help us all stand in solidarity against this wholesale attempt at the erasure of cultures.

The Museum of Anthropology is hosting a watch party to speak up and join forces with the Organization of American Historians to object to the closing of the national archives in California. Stand up and join us at 3pm next Wed, Sept 30.



Meriam Library Chico State Alumni Assoc. Chico State CAS APIDA Resource Center Chico State Chico State Anthropology Dept CSU Chico Black Student Union El Centro Chico State CSU, Chico College of BSS Chico State History Department Organization of American Historians

Celebrate Dia de los Mu***os with us from Oct. 27 through Nov. 6. Learn more about the holiday’s history, contribute to ...
09/25/2026

Celebrate Dia de los Mu***os with us from Oct. 27 through Nov. 6. Learn more about the holiday’s history, contribute to ofrendas on campus, tour altars, and more! Teachers, contact us to book tours. 🧡🏵️💛💀❤️🕯️💜



Meriam Library Chico State Honors Chico CCLC CSU Chico Black Student Union APIDA Resource Center Chico State Office of Sustainability

Come and see our booth tonight at the Thursday Night Market! ✨🎆📚 We’ll be making buttons, handing out free books, and mo...
09/03/2026

Come and see our booth tonight at the Thursday Night Market! ✨🎆📚 We’ll be making buttons, handing out free books, and more- rain or shine. See you tonight! 🎤📚🍎🌦️

09/03/2026
It’s not too late to sign up for our Summer Camp! July 21st and 22nd the VLSMOA is hosting an educational camp with them...
07/09/2026

It’s not too late to sign up for our Summer Camp! July 21st and 22nd the VLSMOA is hosting an educational camp with themed booths engaging with different topics and hands-on projects including crafts, puzzles, and games. Scan the QR code to let us know you’re coming!

Parents and campers can explore different activities while enjoying our free pizza, drinks, and ice cream. Clues for our booth themes are hidden in the pizza slices above 😉; we hope to see you there! 🦕🦅🏴‍☠️🐲🏺🍁

😎☀️🤗

Chico State Explore Butte County │ Outdoors + Fun Things to Do Mom, What’s Next Chico Meriam Library CSU Chico Black Student Union Chico Community Recess Butte365 Communication & Education North State Parent Magazine

Address

California State University Chico
Chico, CA
95929

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 3pm
Wednesday 11am - 3pm
Thursday 11am - 3pm
Friday 11am - 3pm
Saturday 11am - 3pm

Telephone

+15308985397

Website

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