VALLEY and VICINITY MUSEUMS

• Gordon R. Howard Museum 115 N. Lomita St., Burbank 818-841-6333
• Leonis Adobe and Plummer House 23537 Calabasas Rd., Calabasas 818-222-6511
• Chatsworth Museum 10835 Shadow Oaks Dr. 818-882-5614
• Burbank Aviation Museum 10621 Victory Blvd., N.H. 818-954-0540
• Andres Pico Adobe Museum 10940 Sepulveda Blvd. 818-365-7810
• Pacific Asia Museum 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena 626-449-2742
• Strathearn Historical Museum 137 Strathearn Place, Simi 805-526-6453
• Chumash Interpretive Center 3290 Lang Ranch Pkwy., T.O. 805-492-8076

Museum of Mexican History

Located at Forest Lawn, the Museum of Mexican History and Plaza of Mexican Heritage look at the ancient civilizations of North America. Replicas of artifacts and sculpture tell the histories of the Olmec, Zapotec, Teotihuacan, Toltec, Maya, Aztec, Huastec, and Totonac civilizations. The plaza also features plants native to the early peoples of Mexico.

Forest Lawn is off the 134 at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive. The museum is open daily from 10am-5pm and admission is free. Call 800-204-3131 for information. forestlawn.com.

Andres Pico Adobe

This historic adobe features Valley history and Victorian-era furniture. Free docent-led public and group tours are held every Monday 10a-3p. Call 818-365-7810. At 10940 Sepulveda Blvd. in Mission Hills.

Canoga-Owensmouth Historical Museum

Preserves the history of the area originally known as Owensmouth. Open 2-4 pm the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month. Located at 7248 Owensmouth Ave., 340-3696.

Leonis Adobe Museum

The historic structure has parts dating to 1844. The Plummer House, once known as the oldest house in Hollywood, was also moved to this site in 1983. 23537 Calabasas Road. Open 1-4pm Sunday, Wednesday - Friday; 10a-4p Saturday. $4/3/1. leonis-adobemuseum.org.

A Visit to the Los Angeles Valley College Historical Museum is like a visit to a dear relative's home. Housed in building #15 near the southeast corner of the campus, the museum's modest facade belies the treasure trove of information inside. As the first building erected on the campus in 1949, it seems fitting that it should now hold a wealth of memorabilia and artifacts from Valley College and the entire San Fernando Valley.

As you walk from one room to another, you begin to experience the Valley's rich history. Take a walk into a past when cows seemed more plentiful than people, when farming was a way of life, and open fields stretched to the horizon.

Like grandmother's attic, this museum is filled to the brim with wonderful old photos, books, even furniture and clothing. It also offers a fascinating introduction to the people and events that shaped the Valley as we know it today. The Historical Museum, rather than being a repository of facts, is a home for the Valley's memories.

You can step back in time from 1pm - 4pm, Monday through Friday. The museum is located at 13163 Burbank Blvd. in Valley Glen. Parking and admission are free, but donations are gladly accepted. For additional information, call 818-781-1200, ext. 373, or attend a Valley College Museum Association meeting. The museum's contents will be housed in the school's new library when renovation/construction is completed.

The Autry Museum of Western Heritage is located at 4700 Western Heritage Way across from the Los Angeles Zoo. It is open Tuesday - Sunday from 10:00am - 5:00pm; Thursday 10:00am - 8:00pm. Admission is free the second Tuesday of each month. Otherwise, adults $7.50, seniors and students $5.00, and children 2-12 pay $3.00. Call 323-667-2000 for additional information.

Questions? Go to autry-museum.org

Norton Simon Museum

The museum, at 411 W. Colorado Blvd., often hosts concerts. Open noon - 6pm Saturday through Monday, Wednesday and noon - 9pm Friday. Closed Tuesday. Admission is $8/4 for seniors. Members, students and patrons 18 and under are free. See Japanese woodblock prints collected by Frank Lloyd Wright through Jan. 9.

Gordon R. Howard Museum

Studio exhibits, furnished 1887 house, vintage automobiles and a history of Burbank at 1015 W. Olive Ave. Open 1-4pm Saturday and Sunday. 841-6333.

Nethercutt Collection and Museum

Exhibitions of classic cars, locomotives and antique musical instruments and players. Reservations required. Open 9a-4:30pm. Free admission. 15151 Bledsoe St., 364-6464. nethercuttcollection.org.

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Located at 40 Presidential Drive in Simi Valley, the library is open daily from 10:30am - 5pm.

Please be sure to visit our exhibits page as well.