Novato's Oldest Stories Are 8,000 Years Old, And You Can Hear Them For Free Next Week

NOVATO, CA — Long before Novato today, people were living, farming, and building lives on the land that is now Olompali State Historic Park — and on Saturday, one of the region's foremost experts on that history is coming to town to tell their stories.

Diane Einstein, chair of the Friends of Olompali, will give a free public talk covering the many eras of the park at the Novato Historical Guild's quarterly membership meeting at the Hamilton Field History Museum, at 555 Hangar Ave., from 10 a.m. to noon. The event is open to nonmembers at no charge.

Friends of Olompali was founded in 1982 to help preserve and interpret the natural, cultural, and historic values of the park.

"What makes Olompali so unique is its 8,000-year continuous human history and its changing land use over time," said Barry Smail, a Novato Historical Guild representative. "Pick any point in history, and there are stories to tell at Olompali."

The Novato Historical Guild operates two local museums. The Novato History Museum is located at 815 DeLong Avenue, and the Hamilton Field History Museum is at 555 Hangar Avenue.

Both are open Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.