Mocha and Cloud and two baby lambs will be part of the petting zoo!
- Kids are dwarfed by giant clamshell bucket used to dredge levies on the Delta
- Kids enjoy the history of our city, county; here a class takes in lunch at the museum
Friday and Saturdays through May 31, bring the kids and family to experience barnyard critters in the petting zoo, at the San Joaquin Historical Museum in Micke Grove Park! At the petting zoo, you will find two mama sheep with twins, Pixey the pig with two piglets, twin Nigerian dwarf kids, a mini Hereford calf and a baby llama (arriving in April). Your kids/grandkids will love this!
The Museum is nestled in the 258 acre Micke Grove Park just south of Lodi, California. With eight large exhibit buildings packed with Native American, pioneer, Gold Rush and agricultural history, and four historic buildings including the Charles Weber Cottage dating to 1847 and the Calaveras School, 1866, it’s one of the state’s best historical museums.
Inside the museum’s ongoing exhibits are many examples of early pioneer and Gold Rush transportation. Included in the collection is an original prairie schooner, one of only several left in existence, dating to 1859, many farm wagons, buggies and all manner of early farm equipment. The museum is rich in old farm implements: plows, harvesters, tractors, Holt and Best crawlers, Caterpillar tractors, John Deere tractors and many more.
Wander through the museum’s exhibit buildings and get a sense of life in the 1860s through the early 1900s, or picture life on the prairie crossing the US to California. Life on the farm is clearly depicted from more than one hundred years ago; the exhibits clearly paint a picture of life that was then a bit harsher than what we enjoy today!
A large contingent of historically-correct docents are available to give you tour tips and interpretive information. On any given day, docents will help bring history to life for kids from 5 to 95!
Directions: the museum is located inside Micke Grove Park, at 11793 N. Micke Grove Rd., Lodi. From Interstate 5, go east on Eight Mile Road, then left on Micke Grove Road. Admission: Just $5 for adults, seniors (65+) and teens are $4 and kids (6-12), only $2. The park also has a vehicle admission fee. Winter museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 AM to 4 PM.
For more information, go to www.sanjoaquinhistory.org, or call (209) 953.3460. For additional “close to home vacation” ideas, go to http://blogs.esanjoaquin.com/valleytravel. Take the family and make a fun day at Micke Grove Park and the museum!