REDWOOD CITY, CA — Visitors can explore the Peninsula's past through prehistoric creatures, historic carriages and classic automobiles when the San Mateo County History Museum opens three new experiences Saturday as part of a $25.5 million campus expansion.
The San Mateo County Historical Association will celebrate the transformation with a free grand-opening event, "History in Motion," on Saturday at the museum campus. Festivities begin at 10 a.m., with a ceremonial ribbon cutting and the opening of the new venues at 11 a.m.
The largest addition is the 15,000-square-foot Taube Family Carriage House and Automobile Gallery, which will put a collection of Brewster carriages on public display for the first time in more than 40 years. The carriages include vehicles connected to Filoli's Roth family and the Holbrook-Palmer Estate.
The gallery's first automobile exhibition, "From Horsepower to Horsepower: 100 Years of Ford on the Peninsula," features vehicles ranging from a 1926 Model T to a 1972 De Tomaso Pantera once owned by Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. Farley modified the Pantera to nearly double its original horsepower, according to the association. The gallery also includes a rare 2004 Ford GT.
The new HERO Natural History Gallery explores the Peninsula's prehistoric landscapes and Ice Age wildlife. Among its displays is a reconstruction of Neoparadoxia, a 15-million-year-old marine mammal discovered during construction at Stanford's Linear Accelerator Center.
The animal has been described as resembling a cross between a hippo and a manatee.
Visitors can also compare actual teeth from mammoths and mastodons that once roamed the Peninsula, offering a look at differences in the animals' diets.
The third experience, Lora Mundi, features the restored 1863 Lathrop-Connor-Mansfield House, a rare example of Steamboat Gothic architecture that has been moved three times.
An exhibit inside explores early pharmacy remedies for adults and infants, including substances that would now be considered contraband.
Saturday's celebration will include live music, welcoming remarks and donor comments on Courthouse Square at 10 a.m. After the 11 a.m. ribbon cutting, visitors can explore the galleries and take part in family activities through 2 p.m.
The Fort Point Brass Band will perform, and museum experts and community speakers will lead short programs.
The San Mateo County History Museum is located at 2200 Broadway in downtown Redwood City.
More information is available at historysmc.org.
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