Campbell Historical Museum and Ainsley House Foundation

Campbell Historical Museum and Ainsley House Foundation We're two history museums in Campbell, CA! Both museums are owned and operated by the city of Campbell.

The Ainsley House, a historic house museum, was the third home of local cannery owner John Colpitts Ainsley and his wife Alcinda. The Campbell Historical Museum offers artifacts that help visitors interpret and recall the vanishing world of Santa Clara County's past.

In the 1960s and 1970s, garden clubs were a popular pastime! The Campbell Press notes meetings for at least 4 different ...
05/28/2026

In the 1960s and 1970s, garden clubs were a popular pastime! The Campbell Press notes meetings for at least 4 different gardening groups! The Campbell Garden Club was one of these groups and they focused on the beautification of Campbell through public plantings. Pictured here is Mrs. Edmund Birr (right), Campbell Garden Club president in 1972, & Mrs. Mary Emerick (left), Standard Oil rep at the 41st Annual California Garden Club Inc. conference held from May 8-11, 1972 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Unfortunately, the Campbell Press newspaper did not recap the events of the conference, so the relationship between the two women is unknown.

Object ID: 2001.35.0029





Night at the Museum, An Adult Hands-on Experience!July 24 | 6pm-9pm | $24/ person21 and up!Tired of the same old Friday ...
05/26/2026

Night at the Museum, An Adult Hands-on Experience!
July 24 | 6pm-9pm | $24/ person
21 and up!
Tired of the same old Friday night?
Experience this adults-only social night featuring wine, mocktails, and a rare look at artifacts usually kept behind the scenes. Mix and mingle with fellow history enthusiasts as you test your knowledge with Valley trivia, get creative, and visit our Museum Mystic Tarot Card Reader.
https://www.campbellmuseums.com

is a portrait of young woman signed "Best wishes, Mildred." That was all we had, but Ancestry.com helped us identify h...
05/26/2026

is a portrait of young woman signed "Best wishes, Mildred." That was all we had, but Ancestry.com helped us identify her as Mildred Cannon, who graduated Campbell High in 1930. Next to her yearbook photo reads, "her eyes bright, her manner cordial."

Beyond that, tracking her gets murky as most records associated to her on Ancestry.com are for a Mildred Cannon nee Morrison who lived with her parents, the Morrisons, in Pasadena in 1930 (when our gal was at Campbell High and with the last name Cannon). By the 1940 census this woman is married to a man named Cannon and living in Los Angeles. It is unclear if these are the same woman since the last names and residences do not line up. A deeper dive would be needed to see if we could better identify her.

Object ID: 2001.02.0009a-b




The CA Room at the Martin Luther King Library is at risk of losing its funding. The CA Room is a valuable community reso...
05/21/2026

The CA Room at the Martin Luther King Library is at risk of losing its funding. The CA Room is a valuable community resource that the Campbell Museums use when researching and developing exhibits. Limiting access to this resource would be a great loss to the community - and all to save just $400,000? You have until June 9th to voice your support for keeping the CA Room open and accessible to the public. You do not need to be a San Jose resident to share you thoughts! Information on who to contact and an example of what to say are provided in this link from PAC San Jose: https://trst.in/PrDMSb

This lovely folding fan dates to the turn of the 20th century and is made of carved bone with embedded rhinestones and l...
05/21/2026

This lovely folding fan dates to the turn of the 20th century and is made of carved bone with embedded rhinestones and lace that is patterned with sequins and silver paint.

Object ID:2001.10.0006




We invite young storytellers to share their creativity in “A Tale From My City!” Whether it’s a real memory, a piece of ...
05/20/2026

We invite young storytellers to share their creativity in “A Tale From My City!” Whether it’s a real memory, a piece of local history, or a totally imaginative adventure, we want to see stories inspired by the places, people, and spirit of your city. Submissions are open from June 1-July 25, 2026.

Who Can Enter:
Ages 4–7
Ages 8-17
(Entries will be judged within these two age groups.)
​
Your story can be:
Fiction (superheroes, magical adventures, talking animals, etc.)
Nonfiction (real memories, local history, favorite places, family stories)
Think about:
A place you love in your city
A story from the past
An adventure that could happen right here
A character who lives in your city

Full details and submission form can be found at campbellmuseums.com in the "whats on" tab

Pictured is a wood shingle house with man sitting on the steps. Written on the front of the photo is, "Sunnyside Avenu...
05/19/2026

Pictured is a wood shingle house with man sitting on the steps. Written on the front of the photo is, "Sunnyside Avenue, Campbell, Ca. 1912." We do not know who the man is, or where the house was beyond "Sunnyside Ave." That said, the picture provides a peek into life in 1912.

Object ID: 2001.03.0004




Notable Campbellite, Craig Morton (1943-2026), died this week. Morton graduated from Campbell High School in 1961, and d...
05/15/2026

Notable Campbellite, Craig Morton (1943-2026), died this week. Morton graduated from Campbell High School in 1961, and during his senior year he was Student Body President. As student body president you can hear him speak on the pictured record, "Sounds of Campbell High." As a child, in 1954, he was the King of the Old Settlers Day Parade in Campbell (second image), and in 1965 he was invited to be the Grand Marshal of the same parade (third image). He had a successful football career at UC Berkeley, where he won numerous awards including the Pop Warner Trophy and the W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy. Morton was a NFL Quarterback for 18 seasons and played for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Denver Broncos. Among his many honors, Morton became a Denver Broncos Ring of Fame inductee and was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

2000.58.0001a-c "Sounds of Campbell High." Record
2015.19.0012 "Old Settler's Day Parade / 1965"; " Craig Morton, Campbell H.S. alumni played football with Dallas Cowboys"
Campbell Press article from 02-25-1954







B.O Curry Building from around 1915. Today this building houses Blue Line Pizza. Benjamin O. Curry was born in Norway in...
05/14/2026

B.O Curry Building from around 1915. Today this building houses Blue Line Pizza. Benjamin O. Curry was born in Norway in 1852, and immigrated to the United States in 1872. He came to Campbell in 1891 and purchased land on East Parr Avenue (now Dell Avenue) and planted an orchard and started his real estate business. He is credited with creating the catch phrase “The Orchard City” for Campbell.
By 1912, he had been so successful with his real estate business that he built this two-story building at the corner of Harrison and Campbell Avenue. It originally housed his real estate business, as well as the post office. The building later housed Clark’s Drug store. In 1920, it was the first (temporary) home of the new Growers’ National Bank Building - which later moved to the marble columned building that became the Gaslighter Theater and today is the home to 7 Stars Bar and Grill (400 E Campbell Ave).

Object ID: 2001.03.0001





Pictured is the Methodist Episcopal Church (aka First United Methodist Church) that was located at corner of Campbell A...
05/12/2026

Pictured is the Methodist Episcopal Church (aka First United Methodist Church) that was located at corner of Campbell Ave and First Street (current day Starbucks). This church was founded in 1889 and was one of the first two churches in Campbell, CA. The church was demolished in 1958, as seen in second image, and is now located on Wi******er Blvd.

Note: the second image has damage from ink transfer.

Object ID: 2001.02.0019 and 1979.20.0008




Address

51 N. Central Avenue
Campbell, CA
95008

Opening Hours

Friday 12pm - 4pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+14088662119

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Campbell Historical Museum and Ainsley House Foundation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Campbell Historical Museum and Ainsley House Foundation:

Shortcuts

Share

Category