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Villa Montezuma Museum

Villa Montezuma Museum Community Site for The Villa Montezuma Museum Become a FRIEND OF THE VILLA MONTEZUMA (FOVM)
Contact the FOVM for any updates 619.255.9367

VILLA MONTEZUMA Historic House Museum

Built in 1887 for Pianist/Spiritualist Jesse Shepard
...
Architect: Comstock & TrotscheQueen Anne Style

The Villa is currently closed undergoing some renovations.

Operating as usual

Photos from Haunted Orange County's post
04/08/2022

Photos from Haunted Orange County's post

Photos from Vivian Moreno's post
10/22/2021

Photos from Vivian Moreno's post

09/21/2021

spooky season is fast approaching and Halloween time ghost tours are booking now… join us for a haunt if you dare 👻 #hauntedsandiego#ghosttour#oldtownsandiego#halloween

Vivian Moreno
03/07/2020

Vivian Moreno

Villa Montezuma Museum tours are available for Saturday, March 7, 2020! Come join me and many others and tour this historic Queen Anne Victorian House Museum and Cultural Center. To register for a FREE tour and guarantee a tour time, visit www.SDRecConnect.com.

03/17/2018
www.villamontezumamuseum.org

Villa Montezuma tours tomorrow!3/17/18 starting @ 9am as always register at San Diego parks and Rec site.
No time? Stop by there is a chance you will be able to join a tour. Check www.VillaMontezumaMuseum.org for more details on the Friends of the Villa site.

10/03/2017

REMINDER - NEXT VILLA MONTEZUMA OPENING IS SAT 10/21/17!

08/03/2016
SD RecConnect Your Online Connection To Recreation and Leisure Experiences

The FOVM give tours of the interior of the Villa Montezuma Museum on the half hour from 9:00 a.m to noon.

OCTOBER 21ST 2017 starting at 9am @ corner of 20th & K Streets
Register for the no-cost tour of the VILLA MONTEZUMA at the City's website at www.SDRecConnect.com

Once on the site search for "Villa"

NOTE: The FOVM (Friends of the Villa Montezuma) give the tours on behalf of the City of San Diego. No inside photography is allowed. Walk-ins welcome if there is space.

More information on the FOVM site www.VillaMontezumaMuseum.org.

06/20/2016
SD RecConnect Your Online Connection To Recreation and Leisure Experiences

The FOVM give tours of the interior of the Villa Montezuma Museum on the half hour from 9:00 a.m to noon.

JUNE 25th starting at 9am @ corner of 20th & K Streets
Register for the no-cost tour of the VILLA MONTEZUMA at the City's website at www.SDRecConnect.com

Once on the site search for "Villa"

NOTE: The FOVM (Friends of the Villa Montezuma) give the tours on behalf of the City of San Diego. No inside photography is allowed. Walk-ins welcome if there is space.

More information on the FOVM site www.VillaMontezumaMuseum.org.

San Diego to get $231M for neighborhood projects
09/25/2015
San Diego to get $231M for neighborhood projects

San Diego to get $231M for neighborhood projects

San Diego stands to receive nearly $231 million in neighborhood improvement funds as a result of a bill signed Tuesday by Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill, SB107, will reverse an earlier state ruling that the money -- loan repayments for redevelopment startup efforts going back decades -- could not be pai…

Photo By: Pita Verdin
09/25/2015



Photo By: Pita Verdin

09/17/2015

Saturday, Sept. 26, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Where: Villa Montezuma Museum, 1925 K Street, Sherman Heights

Cost: Free | Buy tickets

http://www.villamontezumamuseum.org/Villa_Site/Welcome-Home_Pg_files/VM_Museum_City_Flyer_Sept_26_2015_Tours.pdf

Age limit: All ages

The Villa Montezuma Museum, the 1887 Queen Anne Victorian mansion in the Sherman Heights Historic District, will be open by the City of San Diego for free tours by the nonprofit Friends of the Villa Montezuma, Inc.

After being closed for restoration for nine years, the museum has been restored and will be open once each quarter free of charge for the next five years thanks to the federal grant that paid for the restoration.

Learn about the fascinating spiritualist and pianist Jesse Shepard, who became better known later in life as the writer Francis Grierson. See San Diego's largest historic district (almost 400 historic buildings). Info: 619-255-9367.

Looking forward to the next opportunity for us all to see our Villa Montezuma Museum... you never know who might show up...
08/27/2015

Looking forward to the next opportunity for us all to see our Villa Montezuma Museum... you never know who might show up!
Photo by: Pita Verdin

06/28/2015
The Villa Montezuma

To see the introductory video about the Villa Montezuma Museum, made by the FOVM and City TV for the "soft" reopening on 6/27/15, please go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E-xL2kzvyQ.

The Villa Montezuma is an 1887 mansion in the Sherman Heights Historic District near downtown San Diego. Since 1972, the City of San Diego's Park & Recreatio...

06/28/2015
www.villamontezumamuseum.org

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jun/27/Villa-Montezuma-museum-reopening/-module


The Friends of the Villa Montezuma give a giant Thank You to the City of San Diego staff at District 8, Park & Rec, and City Engineering for all the years of hard work that went into this Phase 2 restoration. Thanks to our elected officials (David Alvarez, Greg Cox, Lorena Gonzalez, Ben Hueso, and Juan Vargas) for the strong support for this museum and the FOVM's work. Next up: Phase 3 of the restoration process: repainting the museum exterior. Learn more about how you can get involved at www.VillaMontezumaMuseum.org or take a walking tour of Jesse Shepard's neighborhood (the Sherman Heights Historic District) on July 25.

www.VillaMontezumaMuseum.org

What a gorgeous day for our reopening event!
06/27/2015

What a gorgeous day for our reopening event!

All ready for today's exciting reopening and first quarterly tour.
06/27/2015

All ready for today's exciting reopening and first quarterly tour.

06/25/2015
www.villamontezumamuseum.org

Thanks to everyone who registered on the City’s website for a tour of the magnificent Villa Montezuma Museum on Saturday, June 27. While the tours are filled, the City has started a waiting list for each tour. The Friends of the Villa Montezuma (FOVM) will work with the City to try to get everyone into the museum on Saturday who signs up on the waiting list.

If you are driving to the museum, please plan on carpooling and getting to the museum at least 30 to15 minutes before your tour time in order to check in at the City booth in the back yard. People with registrations will get a wrist band from the City. If you don’t check in, your spot could be filled with someone on the waiting list.

See more information at www.VillaMontezumaMuseum.org, or send us an email at [email protected]. Please support the efforts of the FOVM to operate and open the Villa Montezuma Museum all the time!

FOVM at the Old House Fair in South ParkOld House Lovers: come to the Old House Fair on June 20 and stop by the Friends ...
06/20/2015

FOVM at the Old House Fair in South Park

Old House Lovers: come to the Old House Fair on June 20 and stop by the Friends of the Villa booth from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Hear more about the June 27 reopening event. Have you registered yet for a tour of the Villa Montezuma Museum? Space is going fast. Download the flyer at www.VillaMontezumaMuseum.org to see details on how to register on the City's website.

06/20/2015
www.villamontezumamuseum.org

FOVM at the Old House Fair in South Park

Old House Lovers: come to the Old House Fair on June 20 and stop by the Friends of the Villa booth from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Hear more about the June 27 reopening event. Have you registered yet for a tour of the Villa Montezuma Museum? Space is going fast. Download the flyer and see details on how to register on the City's website. www.VillaMontezumaMuseum.org

Please join us on Saturday, June 27, starting at 8:30 a.m. District 8 Councilmember David Alvarez will open the program ...
06/18/2015

Please join us on Saturday, June 27, starting at 8:30 a.m. District 8 Councilmember David Alvarez will open the program by thanking all the parties involved with making the restoration happen the past 10 years. City TV has filmed a 10-minute interior tour video to showcase the highlights of the museum. Starting at 9:00 the FOVM will give free tours of the mansion on the hour, through 12 pm. Share this REVISED flyer!

Please join us on Saturday, June 27, starting at 8:30 a.m. District 8 Councilmember David Alvarez will open the program...
06/16/2015

Please join us on Saturday, June 27, starting at 8:30 a.m. District 8 Councilmember David Alvarez will open the program by thanking all the parties involved with making the restoration happen the past 10 years. City TV has filmed a 10-minute interior tour video to showcase the highlights of the museum. Starting at 9:00 the FOVM will give free tours of the mansion on the hour, through 12 pm

06/16/2015
www.villamontezumamuseum.org

VILLA MONTEZUMA MUSEUM REOPENING JUNE 27!

Dear Friends, this is what the Friends of the Villa have been working toward for 10 years! Now that Phase 2 restoration of the foundation, roof, and chimneys is complete the City of San Diego will open the museum quarterly, free of charge, to fulfill the CDBG grant requirements. The City has asked the FOVM to conduct these quarterly tours to help the City remain compliant.

Please join us on Saturday, June 27, starting at 8:30 a.m. District 8 Councilmember David Alvarez will open the program by thanking all the parties involved with making the restoration happen the past 10 years. City TV has filmed a 10-minute interior tour video to showcase the highlights of the museum. Starting at 9:00 the FOVM will give free tours of the mansion on the hour, through 1:00 p.m.

For this special event, the City is asking that guests register on the City's Park & Rec website so they know to expect you. See the attached PDF with City flyer and FOVM flyer, giving instructions. If you have any trouble registering, email the FOVM at [email protected] and we'll take your registration that way.

Future dates for the quarterly free tours have not yet been scheduled. The FOVM is urging the City to allow us to reopen the museum all the time, for regular tours and events, and not just quarterly. Help the FOVM make this happen by attending on June 27!

Thank you to all who have supported and encourage the Friends of the Villa Montezuma the past 10 years. Let us know if you have any questions. See the website for more info: www.VillaMontezumaMuseum.org, or send us an email. PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH ALL FRIENDS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THIS BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC MANSION.

http://m.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/apr/15/unforgettable-evening-villa-montezuma-coda/?templates=mobileFor more inform...
04/18/2015
An evening at Villa Montezuma; Coda

http://m.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/apr/15/unforgettable-evening-villa-montezuma-coda/?templates=mobile
For more information about the Villa Montezuma please visit
Villamontezumamuseum.org

It’s after midnight, February 15, 1888. The last of the guests are finally leaving Jesse Shepard’s musicale at the Villa Montezuma. One- and two-horse carriages clop in the darkness. Behind them, the music room’s a multicolored sunburst: light from dozens of candles blazes like a furnace through sta…

Profile Pictures
03/08/2015

Profile Pictures

Villa Montezuma Museum
03/08/2015

Villa Montezuma Museum

03/06/2015

As Phase 2 Restoration at the Villa Montezuma Museum wraps up and the Friends of the Villa get ready for Phase 3, please join us as at the Congress of History of San Diego and Imperial Counties 50th History Conference, "Balboa Park: 1915 & Beyond" on March 6 and 7, 2015, from 9:00 - 4:00 each day. The conference will be in the Recital Hall in Balboa Park, next to the Automotive Museum. Hear 16 dynamic historians talk about all aspects of our park, as we celebrate 100 years since the Panama-California Exposition. Cost is only $35/adult, $25/senior, or $15/student and walk-ins are welcome. Stop by the FOVM's table to hear the latest plans!

January 2015: Villa Montezuma Museum Phase 2 - ADA path to be installed soon!The foundation is restored, the new roof is...
01/22/2015
2010-2013 Restoration

January 2015: Villa Montezuma Museum Phase 2 - ADA path to be installed soon!
The foundation is restored, the new roof is on, and the west chimney has been rebuilt to make it structurally safe. Next at the Villa Montezuma Museum is the pouring of a concrete ADA pathway that will lead to the Bistro door in the back yard. We can’t wait for Phase 2 work to be complete. Phase 3 is our work to fund the exterior repainting of the museum. Join the Friends of the Villa Montezuma, Inc. (FOVM) and contribute to the cause. We’re a 501-3-c nonprofit corporation, and your donations are tax deductible. Help us reopen this museum before Phase 3 is done!
For More information on the restoration of The Villa Montezuma:
http://villamontezumamuseum.org/Villa_Site/Restoration.html

Platt/Whitelaw Architects is the firm hired by the City to design the restoration plan. This experienced firm has a team of experts who have investigating all the needs of the museum, in order that all major repairs can take place. The City’s goal is to provide a complete, quality restoration that w…

12/06/2014

Have you taken the walking tour of the Sherman Heights Historic District (Jesse Shepard's neighborhood)? If not, Saturday, December 6, at 10:00 a.m. is the last chance in 2014 to take this 2.5 hour historical and architectural walk with us (we'll resume again in the spring). Donations benefit the nonprofit Friends of the Villa Montezuma, Inc. (FOVM). We suggest a $10 donation per adult, but donate what you'd like. Become a member of the FOVM (membership starts at only $25 per year). Learn all about the FOVM's work and the ongoing restoration of the Villa Montezuma Museum. (The museum is closed and will not be on tour.) RSVP to [email protected] so we know to expect you. Meet outside the museum at 1925 K Street (corner of 20th) in Sherman Heights. Plenty of free street parking. Sherman Heights is San Diego's largest historic district by number of contributing historically designated buildings. See the history with the Friends of the Villa Montezuma! [email protected] or text 619-233-8833.

Address

1925 K Street
San Diego, CA
92102

Telephone

(619) 239-2211

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I want to invite you all to visit and like us at the Friends of the Villa Montezuma page. This page will give you the latest information on upcoming events, tours, and restoration projects. Thank you everyone for your support of the Sherman Heights community and the magnificent Villa Montezuma.
https://www.facebook.com/119103814839894/posts/4779903975426498/
POEFEST closes tonight after 9 consecutive sold-out performances. I am so grateful for being a part of this remarkable collaboration by The Friends of Villa Montezuma and Write Out Loud that lifted an idea of interactive site-specific theatre into realization. Bravasimmi to Author, Rachael Van Wormer, and Director, Veronica Murphy and, of course, Villa Montezuma’s Louise Torio!
PoeFest presented by Write Out Loud San Diego is back in person on October 29, 30 and 31 at Villa Montezuma Museum, a historic Queen Anne Victorian home in Sherman Heights. Audiences will experience various spooky, literary-themed performances including a “Dr. Frankenstein’s Laboratory” performance from Paul Maley and John Garcia, which will take place in a basement kitchen of the museum. Get tickets and find out more at writeoutloudsd.com/poefest/ 🦇🎃
Many thanks to CBS 8 San Diego and The CW San Diego for sharing POEFEST with the community this morning! Artistic Director, Veronica Murphy shared the excitement of this weekends performances at the beautiful backdrop of the historic Villa Montezuma Museum - and actress Rhianna Basore shared some of what guests can enjoy this weekend from the fabulous Madame Philomena.
Cast includes: Travis Rhett Wilson, Pamela Brittain, Rachael VanWormer, Walter Ritter, Eddie Yaroch, Monique Gaffney, Rhianna Basore, John Garcia & Paul Maley

https://www.cbs8.com/video/news/local/up-with-8/write-out-loud-is-gearing-up-for-the-4th-annual-san-diego-poefest/509-88e37b84-031b-47d2-b20e-3c07c9c1d429
Take a tour of the magnificent (and spooky) Villa Montezuma Museum in the Sherman Heights Historic District. The museum has now reopened 3 days each week with all proceeds going to restoration efforts! See flyer on how to RSVP.

The Villa Montezuma is a Victorian Queen Anne mansion build in 1887 by the famous pianist, Spiritualist, and writer Jesse Shepard (also known by his pen name, “Francis Grierson”). Located in the Sherman Heights Historic District at the corner of 20th and K Streets, the Villa is known for its magnificent Victorian architecture with its romantic colors, unique turrets, rooftop gargoyles, and fish-scale shingles. This iconic home has been part of the San Diego community for over a century, and it has a rich and interesting history.

Mr. Shepard was born in England but raised in Illinois. The High Brothers, prominent San Diego businessmen and Spiritualists, convinced the famous world-traveling musician Mr. Shepard to relocate to San Diego by sponsoring not just a home but a “Palace of the Arts” that he would design with the best architects of the day. Mr. Shepard was an interesting character: a virtuoso musician and later a prolific writer, he believed that the spirits of classical composers could communicate to him when he sat at the piano which he would channel for his close friends.

For two years Mr. Shepard performed concerts and sang with the major churches in San Diego. After the Victorian boom went bust in 1889, he decided to professionally pursue writing as a career. Mr. Shepard sold Villa Montezuma in 1889 and moved to Paris to publish his first book. After the sale, the beautiful Villa went through the hands of a number of different owners including a Mr. Edward Campbell, who was convinced that Mr. Shepard had buried treasure in the house (Campbell failed to find any treasure).

In 1969, members of the San Diego Historical Society purchased the Villa Montezuma with the intent of turning it into a museum. The purchase price: $25,000! The Historical Society recruited Councilmember Leon Williams, who agreed that our district needed this extraordinary site as a museum. The City bought the Villa Montezuma and the San Diego Historical Society undertook a complete restoration. In 1970, the Villa became a City of San Diego Historical Site, in 1971 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1972 the Villa Montezuma Museum opened to the public.

For 34 years the Friends of the Villa Montezuma provided tours and educational programs in art, music, and literature at the museum. One challenge came in 1986 when a fire burned through the second floor, prompting emergency renovations to prepare the Villa for its 100th anniversary in 1987. In 2006, during the “Great Recession,” the Historical Society closed the museum. The Friends of the Villa Montezuma (FOVM) became their own nonprofit organization and successfully worked with the City for grant opportunities to make essential repairs.

In 2015, the City-owned Villa Montezuma Museum was
again available to the public, with tours given by the FOVM
four times a year. However, renovations for this treasured
palace are still necessary. The Villa Montezuma is dear to my heart and I will continue to advocate for additional funding for the needed repairs. Thank you to the Friends of the Villa Montezuma, and Chair Louise Torio for all your work on restoring this jewel in Sherman Heights.
Thanks to BroadwayWorld for spreading the word about our 4th Annual POEFEST running October 29-31 at the Villa Montezuma Museum in Sherman Heights! A PoeFest Host will lead each group of 13 guests through three separate interactive experiences as they explore the mansion, culminating in an encounter with the master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe! Featuring: Travis Rhett Wilson, Rhianna Basore, Paul Maley, John Garcia, Pamela Brittain, Walter Ritter & Rachael VanWormer

https://www.broadwayworld.com/san-diego/article/Write-Out-Loud-Announces-4th-Annual-POEFEST-20210930
Last Saturday, the Villa Montezuma Museum offered free interior tours to the general public. I had the pleasure of kicking off this event together with Ms. Louise Torio, Chair of the Friends of the Villa Montezuma (FOVM).

The next free interior tour will occur on Saturday, June 6, 2020. I highly encourage you to learn about the great mysteries that have surrounded this house since its inception in 1887 by music virtuoso Jesse Shepard. To sign up, please visit https://villamontezumamuseum.org/_public_html/Events.html.
Thank you to Ms. Torio and the FOVM for the incredible work you do to preserve and promote this historic site in Sherman Heights!
Villa Montezuma Museum tours are available for Saturday, March 7, 2020! Come join me and many others and tour this historic Queen Anne Victorian House Museum and Cultural Center. To register for a FREE tour and guarantee a tour time, visit www.SDRecConnect.com.
Thank you to Mayor Kevin Faulconer for touring the historic Villa Montezuma Museum. We hope to move forward on needed renovations for this treasured jewel of the Sherman Heights community.
Free interior tours are available for 2020. Please visit www.villamontezumamuseum.org for more information.
Wow, we can't believe that Fall Back Festival, our annual Children's Historical Street Faire was just a week ago! We are so grateful to our Volunteers and Sponsors who helped make Fall Back possible. We also want to thank our fellow non-profits and historical organizations for joining us and providing guests with a fun historical activity! Thank you San Diego Chinese Historical Museum , Living Coast Discovery Center , Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum , Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego , Villa Montezuma Museum , Women's Museum of California , and San Diego History Center for joining us!
The next Villa Montezuma Museum tours offered are on Saturday, October 19 between 9AM-12PM. To book your tour time, go to: www.SDRecConnect.com

For more information information on this historic museum, please visit: www.villamontezumamuseum.org
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