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SOHO Presents New Online Tour of House Museums
January/February 2021
 Point Loma lighthouse. Courtesy coastandranchliving.com |
You've probably seen and heard them, too: Alarming headlines and stories about how small museums throughout the U.S. are struggling to respond to a pandemic amidst an economic crisis and lengthy closures. Of course, we see many large institutions flailing, too, but it is the historic house museum that we want to draw your attention to with a new digital exhibit of 23 intriguing and important San Diego sites.
Out of solidarity with fellow house museum operators and an awareness that many have limited communications resources, which they need now more than ever, SOHO has created a digital tour of these historic places.
Our goals for this exhibit are to raise awareness of the wealth and breadth of San Diego County's nonprofit historic house museums and to rally support for them as they interpret and represent history and diverse cultures of value to us all.
Local house museums run like a string of pearls through the county, from Old Point Loma Lighthouse to the Davis-Horton House anchoring New Town in the Gaslamp Quarter, and from Rancho Buena Vista Adobe in Vista to the Stein Family Farm in National City. Modest or grand, run professionally or by volunteers, every city and town takes pride in these house museums, as they are tangible records and interpreters of those who came before us.
Yet, it's no overstatement to pronounce house museums an endangered species. Statistics show that as many as a third of museums in the U.S. will close due to COVID-19. Yet, annually, the roughly 25,000 history nonprofits contribute $50 billion to the economy, provide more than 726,000 jobs, and generate $12 billion in tax revenue. Small museums, including house museums, are a key part of this equation.
House museums help us understand San Diego better and how past peoples lived and experienced some of the same challenges we face today. Please consider getting involved with a house museum near you to help it weather and transition through these difficult times. Volunteers of all ages can help keep these resources vibrant, guiding them into fascinating new digital territory and creating other attractive catalysts for outreach and inclusion.
Meanwhile, enjoy the tour HERE!
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