Giant Forest Museum

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA

About This Museum: If you have never been to Sequoia National Park this is a great place to begin your visit.  The Giant Forest Museum is centrally located in the Giant Forest grove of Sequoia National Park and is right beside the main highway that leads through the park.

Museum Location:
Giant Forest Museum
Generals Highway
Sequoia National Park, California
(MAP)

Basic Information: The museum contains a wealth of information about the park's giant Sequoia trees, some of which can be viewed from just outside the museum.  Though the museum is not very large there are enough interesting things for both adults and children to enjoy and learn from.  The museum is also a good starting point for visiting the area.

The parking lot is located on the opposite side across the road from the museum.  There are restrooms located in a separate building near the museum.  Inside the museum building is a small gift shop and also a desk where you can get basic information about the park, brochures, maps, etc.  For more detailed information you may want to stop at the visitor center which is about 4 miles north of the museum in Lodgepole Village.

Picture above: Just outside the entrance is this giant Sequoia tree called "The Sentinel".

Additional Things To See And Do: There are also some hiking trails that begin near the museum or near the parking lot across the street from the museum.

Museum Official Website: Giant Forest Museum

Chumash Indian Museum

THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA

About This Museum: The Chumash Indian Museum features displays and artifacts detailing the daily life of the Chumash Indians who once thrived in the southern California coastal regions.

Street Address:
Chumash Indian Museum
3290 Lang Ranch Parkway
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
(MAP)

Basic Information: At the museum there are displays which offer a window into the daily lives of the Chumash Indians. The inside of the museum is relatively small, basically occupying one large room. However, there is more to see and do outside the main building on the museum grounds.

Near the entrance of the museum you'll see this replica of a tomol, a type of boat used by the Chumash people.

Points-Of-Interest: Picture above is one of the Chumash Indian dwelling replicas which are located in the area behind the museum building. The doorway is a bit small but you can go inside and take a better look.

Additional Things To See And Do: There is a hiking trail which starts near the museum and goes back among the shady oaks.  There is no admission fee to visit the museum grounds and outside areas.  There is only a small fee to enter inside the museum building.  Thus you can visit the hiking trail without paying the museum's admission fee.

Museum Official Website: Chumash Indian Museum