Overview

Front view of Monrovia Historical Museum, Monrovia, California

The Monrovia Historical Museum is located in an historic 1925 Spanish style building that was once the city's Municipal Swimming Pool.  The 8,000 square foot museum, organized in 1986, consists of two exhibit wings. 

The Historic Monrovia Wing, which introduces the guest to the Monroe Family and the town they helped establish, includes the famous Pottenger Sanatorium that helped the medical world find cures for breathing disorders, and a Pacific Electric trolley system exhibit. Also included in this wing are faithful reconstructions of a turn-of-the-last-century kitchen and parlor, a 1907 classroom tribute to Monrovia's early grade schools, and an interactive police department exhibit that the kids always enjoy.

The Historic Collections Wing includes a fascinating Natural History section that showcases interesting and unusual creatures and oddities seldom seen in public displays. There is also a great display of the telephone technology of the past century, and an exhibit dedicated to Monrovia's service men and women, and much more. Docent-led tours are available.