Mariposa Museum launches August membership drive with gift basket raffle

The Mariposa Museum & History Center is inviting residents and visitors to become members during August, offering a chance to win a $100 gift basket to anyone who signs up for a new membership during the month.

The winner of the raffle will be announced Sept. 1. Participants do not need to be present to win.

Museum officials said annual memberships help support the center’s work to preserve local history and make it accessible for future generations. Membership options are available at several levels, including senior, family and lifetime categories.

Founded as a nonprofit organization in 1957, the Mariposa Museum began with family treasures donated by local residents who wanted to preserve the stories of early Mariposa for posterity. Its roots trace to community efforts that began in the mid-1950s, when local leaders and citizens organized the Mariposa County Historical Society to collect, protect and share the county’s past.

Today, the museum interprets Mariposa County history from Native American and Spanish periods through the California Gold Rush and the early 1900s. Its collections include original documents, artifacts, artwork, gold displays, Native American baskets and other materials connected to the people and communities of the region.

The museum is also home to a research library and a state-of-the-art archival vault added in 2001 to help preserve vulnerable objects and historic records, including some of Mariposa County’s oldest legal documents.

Visitors can see indoor exhibits such as a Miwok display, a miner’s cabin, an assay office, a Mother Lode saloon, a one-room school and furnishings associated with explorer John C. Frémont and Jessie Frémont. Outdoor displays include mining equipment, historic buildings and an operational five-stamp gold ore mill.

The museum has been recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as “The Best Little Museum of its Size West of the Mississippi,” a distinction supporters say reflects the depth of local artifacts and the longtime volunteer effort behind the center.

For membership information, call (209) 966-2924, visit MariposaMuseum.com or email info@mariposamuseum.com.

The Mariposa Museum & History Center is located at 5119 Jessie Street, Mariposa, CA 95338.