Kelley House Museum

08/24/2026

2027 Murder, She Wrote Festival Tickets!

Join us for the 2027 Murder, She Wrote Festival, May 21–23 in Mendocino, California!

Tickets go on sale to the general public on September 15, with an exclusive presale for Kelley House members beginning September 10.

Become a member and get early access to festival tickets! Memberships are available on the Kelley House website: https://www.kelleyhousemuseum.org/support-membership/

Reel courtesy of Robert Dominy

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘕𝘉𝘊𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘭.

08/20/2026

Become a Kelley House Museum Docent! by Katy Tahja

A lot has been going on at the Kelley House Museum. New exhibits and research, more archival items to care for, and more visitors walking through our doors. With all this going on, we could use some help. The doors can’t be open if a friendly docent isn’t available to answer questions. Could this person be you?

First response to this question we usually hear is, “Oh, I couldn’t volunteer to do that. I don’t know enough about local history.” Let us reassure you, we are not looking for people who are mental encyclopedias of facts about Mendocino! What we hope to find are friendly people who can commit to at least one 4-hour shift a month to introduce Museum visitors to the town of Mendocino and its fascinating coastal history.

Our docents welcome folks, ask them where they are from. Is this their first visit to the coast? Did they have ancestors who lived here? What would they like to know? Docents share the history of the Kelley family and their house and introduce people to the current displays. They invite visitors to enjoy the garden and the view. And if there are questions about specific people or places, the docents can fetch the onsite curator or give them the curator’s card for further information.

There is a wealth of background information available to docents as they wait for visitors to come through the door. Besides the docent training manual, the Museum’s small bookstore offers many interesting books for sale that cover diverse areas of local history. There’s everything from railroads, logging, movies made here, interesting local women, and ship builders to why there are so many water towers in Mendocino. Docents who have browsed these books are ready to say to guests, “Oh yes, we have a book about the history of surfing on the coast! Let me show you!”

We give simple, straightforward training to anyone interested, and the Museum’s experienced docents will shepherd you through your first experiences welcoming folks into the museum. If you’re more comfortable being out and about, our walking tour guides could use additions to their ranks and, again, training and resources are provided.

Cultural institutions like the Kelley House Museum are vitally important to the community, and we would like to continue to serve the public. Being a docent is an easy way to lend a hand to one of our oldest community resources and enjoy learning something new.

For more information contact [email protected] The Kelley House Museum is open Thursday-Monday from April to December and Friday-Sunday January-March, always 11am-3pm. We welcome you to stop by and meet the docent on duty and learn more!

Photo: Kelley House Board Member and Docent Coordinator Jane Tillis.

𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘦. https://www.kelleyhousemuseum.org/events/month/

08/13/2026

Three Tours, Three Stories by Juliet Way

If you’re ever enjoying a stroll through Mendocino and see a woman in a bright, fashionable outfit leading a group of people through town, there’s a high likelihood you’ve spotted a walking tour led by Juliet Way. Juliet has led the Historic District tour, the Haunted Mendocino tour, and the Murder, She Wrote tour for years. For Juliet, her work is more than reading a script and hitting each stop, it is telling a story. The following is Juliet’s interpretation of her work, in her own words.

Every storyteller has a journey. Mine began thousands of miles from the California coast, in Calcutta, India, where I was born to British parents. I could never have imagined that one day I would be leading visitors through a tiny village called Mendocino, sharing stories that make people laugh, think, and occasionally wipe away a tear. People often ask whether I prefer history, ghost stories, or Murder, She Wrote. The truth is, I love them all because they share one essential ingredient, a good story.

One ghost story silences every group. It is the documented account of a shipwreck in which no one was expected to survive. Before the vessel was smashed into a cave, an unknown person strapped an infant into a wooden bowl and lowered the child into the sea. We do not know their name. We never will. But that final act of courage and compassion reminds us that history is not only about dates and places. It is about humanity at its very best. A few minutes later we're laughing over one of television's most memorable bloopers, the mysterious driverless car rolling into Cabot Cove. Behind that brief scene lies an assortment of filming tricks and happy accidents that prove even television magic doesn't always go according to plan. Then I ask people to look upward. High above the street is an extraordinary sculpture carved by a master mason. Hundreds of visitors pass beneath it every day without seeing it. Once they understand why it is there and what it represents, they never forget it.

Over the years I've learned that people rarely remember every date or every name I mention. They remember how a story made them feel. They remember laughing at a blooper, quietly reflecting on the unknown person who gave an infant a chance to live. If I can send people home with one unforgettable story, one new discovery, and a smile on their face, then I've done my job.

Photo: Juliet leading a Murder, She Wrote tour. (Photographer: Nik Zvolensky)

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺-𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺, 11𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰 3𝘱𝘮. 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘦. https://www.kelleyhousemuseum.org/events/month/

08/10/2026

"The lumber industry in Mendocino brought hundreds of ships to the coast over the decades, but storms, early navigational equipment, and the rocky north coast were treacherous. Disastrous shipwrecks prompted calls for a lighthouse on the coast to protect ships, cargo and passengers making their way to and from Mendocino and the neighboring areas." - Averee McNear, Kelley House Museum Curator

3 keepers kept the Fresnel lens rotating to warn ships off rocks.

08/06/2026

Bridal Fashion Trends by Averee McNear

“Tying the Knot: Bridal Fashion Unveiled” features seven pieces of historic clothing worn by brides married in Mendocino County. Three of these clothing items are not the “traditional” bridal white, as the color has not always been the preferred choice for brides in western cultures.

Women frequently wore their nicest dress to walk down the aisle, no matter the color, as white clothing was difficult to clean. Women often re-wore their clothing (including wedding dresses) more than the average person does today, so clothing had to be practical and easy to clean.

Queen Victoria of England is credited with popularizing white wedding dresses. She married Price Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on February 10, 1840, wearing a cream silk-satin gown. She wore her dress again in 1842 while standing for a portrait. Victoria is also widely credited with cementing the Victorian standard of wearing black during mourning, although the tradition can be traced to the Roman Empire. After Albert died in 1861, Victoria wore black for the next 40 years until she passed.

It took decades after Victoria’s wedding for white dresses to be widely adopted by non-royal women. As the color grew in popularity and access, white gowns came to symbolize purity and innocence.

In the twentieth century, photography firmly established white as the popular choice for western brides. Photos of Grace Kelly’s white lace and silk gown were seen around the world after her 1956 wedding to Price Rainier of Monaco.

In 1981, 750 million people, either in-person or on their televisions, watched Lady Diana Spencer wed Prince Charles of England. Diana wore an ivory silk taffeta gown, with a 25-foot-long train. A back-up dress was also made, in case photos were leaked of the main dress before the big day. The spare was made of ivory silk taffeta, but had pearls sewn into the bodice and did not boast the large puffy sleeves. Diana’s dress is now one of the most well-known wedding dresses in history (it has its own Wikipedia page!).

“Tying the Knot: Bridal Fashion Unveiled” is on view at the Kelley House Museum until August 31, 2026. Come view the 7 historic pieces of clothing while they’re on display!

Photo: Pheobe Marsan’s wedding dress, circa 1864. Photo credit: Robert Dominy.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺-𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺, 11𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰 3𝘱𝘮. 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘦. https://www.kelleyhousemuseum.org/events/month/

08/03/2026

“Although separated by the Pacific Ocean, Mendocino, California and Miasa, Japan have a close relationship spanning decades. Miasa, located in the Nagano Prefecture, sits about 150 miles northwest of Tokyo. In 1980, Mendocino and Miasa became Sister Cities, a long-term partnership between two communities in different countries aimed at promoting cultural and commercial ties.” —Averee McNear, Kelley House Museum Curator

The relationship started through the Mendocino Art Center and continues with annual cultural exchanges.

08/01/2026

A Kelley House History Mystery!

Can anyone identify any of the loggers in this photo? Our archivist estimates this photo was taken between 1930 and 1940.

EDIT: The truck may be a 1947 or newer Chevrolet. (Thank you Lee Clark!)

Any ideas?

07/30/2026

Celebrating Kevin Milligan

Earlier this year, the Mendocino Coast lost one of its most devoted artists and historians with the passing of Kevin Milligan. Kevin’s paintings captured not only the beauty of Mendocino’s historic buildings and landscapes, but also the spirit of the community he came to love so deeply.

In the summer of 2024, the Kelley House Museum was honored to celebrate his work with the exhibition Paint the Town: The Art of Kevin Milligan, which introduced visitors to his remarkable paintings and the stories behind them. As we remember Kevin, we are grateful for his generosity, his meticulous research, and the enduring record he created of Mendocino’s architectural and cultural heritage. The following is an excerpt from Mendocino: A Painted Pictorial by Kevin Milligan.

The California town of Mendocino is like no other. Situated on a tiny peninsula jutting into the Pacific Ocean, it is bounded by Agate Cove in the north and Big River flowing into Mendocino Bay on the south. Four-story bluffs reveal coves, natural bridges, sea caves, and secluded bridges - each taking on different aspects depending on the height of the tide and eaves. During the winter months, fierce storms batter the cliffs while twenty-foot waves crash with a thunder that resonates in the caves beneath, and can be heard miles away. The terrain gradually rises to the hills of the central and eastern sections. From higher elevations beautiful panoramas look down on wooden rooftops of quaint New England-style buildings and trademark water towers, all with the bay and ocean beyond.

In June of 1997, I made my first trip to Mendocino as a needed break from the rigors of a busy season working in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to seeking a quiet get-away, I’d hoped to find a subject to begin a painting for eventual publication as a lithograph in a series called “The California Coast.” My previous travels had taken me along the Central Coast from San Francisco to Carmel, painting subjects that became the basis for this California Coast lithograph series. I wanted to expand the series to subjects north of San Francisco and had tried to imagine what the town of Mendocino might look like. When I arrived and first took in the setting of the village, it was a complete surprise. Old wooden buildings next to open fields and the ocean were reminiscent of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket Island of Massachusetts. It became apparent that Mendocino contained numerous subjects suited to my art.

After making numerous paintings of Mendocino (more than 80 in two years), it became apparent that they could serve as a pictorial documentation of the place. Structures built in the 19th century were still standing on the threshold of the 21st, but most of them were showing signs of age. Many wooden water towers were leaning, houses had holes in their roofs and walls, and all needed major repair. My paintings of the weathered buildings could document the old look before restoration took place.

To do research on each structure, I was introduced to the Kelley House Museum archives. I am eternally grateful to Mendocino Historical Research, Inc. - especially to the [former] museum directors, first Majorie Eseppi and then Charlie West - for providing invaluable assistance and access to important documents. My work could not have been completed without MHR, Inc., which continues to serve anyone interested in the history and genealogy of the region. I wish Dorothy Bayer and Beth Stebbins were still around so I could thank them personally for beginning the organized collection and preservation of Mendocino’s history.

Image: A building, a water tower, and the ocean by Kevin Milligan.

𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘰: 𝘈 𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘺 𝘒𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵’𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺-𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺, 11𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰 3𝘱𝘮. https://www.kelleyhousemuseum.org/product/mendocino-a-painted-pictorial/

07/28/2026

Housing Needed for Kelley House Museum Staff

Like so many on the Mendocino Coast, two of our dedicated museum professionals are searching for affordable housing. We would love to keep these talented team members in our community, and we’re hoping our supporters can help make that possible.

Outreach Coordinator
• Single female
• Seeking a studio, 1-bedroom, or room in a house
• Non-smoker, no pets
• Budget: up to $1,300/month
• Needs to be in Fort Bragg or Mendocino (relies on public transit)
• Looking for a September/October move-in
• Long-term preferred, but short-term housing would also be a tremendous help while she gets settled

Curator (in her second year of employment with our Museum)
• Seeking a 2-bedroom for herself and her fiancé
• Both fully employed
• Non-smokers
• One well-behaved dog (who doesn’t bark!) and two cats
• Budget: up to $2,300/month
• Looking for a January/February 2027 move-in (their current rental is being sold)

If you have a rental, know someone who does, or can help spread the word, we’d be incredibly grateful.

Please contact us at [email protected]

07/27/2026

"For Catherine Ford, hearing the ocean waves from her home on Main Street in Mendocino was awe-inspiring." --Averee McNear, Kelley House Museum curator

Children stayed home from school but spent the day on the bluff, watching the ocean’s fury.