Monrovia Historical Museum: a physical space dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of Monrovia with over 10,000 documentary artifacts on exhibit – that’s 8,000 square feet of indoor space including the East and West wings which houses permanent and temporary displays, an office, a library and an expansive courtyard*. The Monrovia Historical Museum is a place for people of all ages to experience and learn about our city's history and it is managed by an all-volunteer board and staff.

Monrovia Historical Society: an organization composed of proud Monrovia citizens dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of Monrovia. They are the custodians of John Anderson’s 1886 self-built home, filled with every imaginable artifact of family life. The Monrovia Historical Society is actively engaged in collecting historical materials, organizing events, and advocating preservation. They are instrumental in the creation of The Monrovia Legacy Project, the digitization of a massive collection of vintage photographs and documents, and transforming them into an online resource through the  Monrovia Public Library.

Monrovia Historic Preservation Group: a membership organization of private citizens, originally named Monrovia Old House Preservation Group, thus the acronym, MOHPG. The following objectives were originally listed as concerns for the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group: 1) meetings to discuss restoration and/or remodeling of old houses; 2) facilitating resources for needed services; 3) researching historical information on members’ older homes; 4) serving as the source of a library of information; and  5) holding social events for its members and invited organizations, as well as public tours.

Monrovia Historic Preservation Commission: a government-appointed body, comprised of seven Monrovia residents, responsible for overseeing historic preservation efforts for the city. The Monrovia Historic Preservation Commission is responsible for administering Monrovia's Historic Preservation and Demolition Review Ordinances. Included in their purview is the approval of exterior changes to historic landmarks, design review for building facades in Old Town along Myrtle Avenue. The Commission also reviews all applications for historic landmark designation and Mills Act Contracts and makes a recommendation to the City Council on the request. All positions are volunteer and receive no compensation.

*The City of Monrovia’s Community Services Department is responsible for the rental of the courtyard at the Monrovia Historical Museum. 

At the Monrovia Historical Museum, when we tell visitors about the history of the building that has now been the museum for over three decades, it's hard for them to visualize the swimming pool that was once in the courtyard way back when. Thanks to Tom Adams, former Mayor of Monrovia, California. His generosity made it possible to have the old 22mm film reels to be converted to digital video (care of PhotoWorks by Rick).  Today, museum visitors can see what it was like when the museum was "The Monrovia Municipal Plunge," which was in operation from 1925 to 1983, and reopened in 1992 and continues to operate as The Monrovia Historical Museum.

This nostalgic, 5-minute, 1949 video clip of "The Plunge" was filmed by Henry Wagner, a local businessman, who lived, owned and operated a business in Monrovia, California. He liked to film around town in the late 1940's and early 1950's. His son Bill's widow, Anne Wagner, donated several film reels, among other mementos, to the Monrovia Historical Museum in 2023. This is one of them. It now plays continuously in the lobby of the Museum for everyone's enjoyment!

[email protected]The Monrovia Adult School, led by Ms. Carol Burrill, came to tour the museum in late February, for her Advanced Intermediate and Advanced ESL class. Docents and board members (from left): Michael Andrews, Franci Bolen, Sharon Motheral, and Oliver Beckwith (not pictured), were there to usher and welcome them! "I really enjoyed meeting this group," said Oliver Beckwith, "immigrants from Nicaragua, Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia. Carol Burrill is doing wonderful work, and we had excellent interactions with all of them."

Private tours are a regular occurrence here at the Monrovia Historical Museum. If you would like to book a tour for your class, civic organization, or even if it's just a group of friends, no matter the occasion, call, email or fill out the tour request form. 

A note for large groups: please request a day when we are not open, that is, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. Saturdays are usually reserved for facility rentals by the city but could be arranged.