Sept. 19 · 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Behind the Doors of the Historic Packard Library: A Vision for Yuba County’s Future History Museum
Marysville · Sacramento Area
For 75 years, the Packard Library served as Yuba County's principal public library and remains one of Marysville's most recognizable civic landmarks. Although no longer functioning as a library, the building remains an important architectural treasure and is now the focus of a community effort to transform it into the future Yuba County History Museum and Cultural Center.
Doors Open California offers a rare opportunity to step inside this historic building while learning about its architecture, community significance, and exciting preservation future.
Visitors will explore original public spaces and hear stories of generations of residents who discovered books, researched family history, attended community gatherings, and experienced lifelong learning within these walls. The tour will also highlight the building's architectural features, its role in downtown Marysville's development, and current plans for adaptive reuse that will preserve the structure while giving it new life as a regional museum and educational center.
Former libraries of a similar vintage have been reimagined as museum and cultural centers in a number of cities including Petaluma and San Luis Obispo.
Concept drawings, historic photographs, and proposed exhibits will illustrate how preservation can revitalize an important public building while creating a lasting cultural resource for future generations.
Guided by representatives of the Yuba County Historic Resources Commission, the Yuba County History Museum, Friends for the Preservation of Yuba County History, and the Wheatland Historical Society, this approximately one-hour experience will demonstrate how thoughtful preservation can strengthen community identity, promote heritage tourism, and celebrate the unique history of Yuba County.
Visitors will also learn about Marysville's remarkable Gold Rush heritage, Chinese American history, agricultural development, 10,000 years of indigenous inhabitants and the vision for making the Packard Library a centerpiece for preserving and sharing those stories.
Visitor details: Open-house access to the historic Packard Library and plans for its adaptive reuse as a future Yuba County history museum.