Oakdale Museum & History Center

The Museum was built on a 5-acre parcel by Robert Sydnor, Oakdale’s first postmaster. As such, parking is in the back, off Lottie Street.

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Tour the Museum

Tim Haidlen Research Room

Our new Research Room honors Tim Haidlen’s dedication to collecting photos and family histories of early residents.

Over 250 bound volumes of the Oakdale Leader dating back to 1884
City Tax Assessment records
OHS Yearbooks from 1930 to Present
Elementary Class Photos
And knowledgeable staff for assistance

Welcome to the Parlor

In Victorian times, this is where visitors were greeted. You’ll see the items of everyday life.

For the men, it was pocket watches, pocketknives and smoking pipes.
For the women, it was handkerchiefs, hat pins, beaded purses and button hooks.
Remnants of a bygone era; personal items we no longer carry with us, but things our grandparents wouldn’t be without.
Admire the beautiful Eastlake settee and chairs that once belonged to the early ranching families of Gatzman and Tulloch.
Marvel at the beauty of the square grand piano

Explore Oakdale Businesses

This once was the room where friends and family gathered to share life’s abundance. Now, the focus is on Oakdale businesses and the people who ran them-along with a few surprises.

A.L. Gilbert Co. has been in the grain business since 1892.
Hershey Foods, Inc—Oakdale from 1965 to 2008.
ConAgra Foods, Inc. started in 1907 as Pacific Pea Packing.
P.E. Van Pelt Fire Apparatus made Fire Trucks from 1923 to 1987.

Grandma’s 1930 Kitchen

Back to the days of wood stoves, boiling water, churning butter and endless food preparation. It was “farm to table,” as it was originally done.

The General Store

Our replica of what it was like to do the shopping in downtown Oakdale, featuring relics from Oakdale Soda Works and Zaro & Cisi’s Market.

BOOK A TOUR

Have You Ever Seen?

A Golden Crane?
A baseball uniform made of wool?
A camera that came in a cereal box?
An aerial view of Oakdale in 1966?

Special Events

Get the most out of your time in Oakdale, CA with special events offering specific themes and topics of interest. Throughout the year, the Friend of Oakdale Heritage hosts unique events offering an experience back in time or place. From gathering to hear the harmonic sounds of a Barber Shop quartet, to partaking in a family day that consists of lawn games, food, and fare of yesteryear, we offer it all.

In addition to our own hosted events, we partner with other non-profit organizations county-wide. Be sure to visit our Calendar of Events to see the latest line-up being offered to visitors of the Oakdale Museum History Center.

Museum Events