By Miriam Raftery
March 21, 2025 (San Diego) - San Diego has a long and diverse heritage. Our inland region reflects the historical influence of Native Americans, Mexicans, Spanish, pioneers, cowboys, gold miners, railroads, the military, as well as refugees and immigrants from countries around the world. Below you’ll find a historical overview of our region, followed by a directory of museums and other historical sites in San Diego’s eastern areas.
Historical Overview
Native Americans have inhabited our region for over 12,000 years from the desert to the sea; 19 tribes still reside in our inland region. Spanish explorers first arrived here in 1542, calling the area San Miguel and later renaming it San Diego in 1602. The first mission in California was established here in 1769 by Father Junipero Serra.
Mexico ousted the Spanish in the Mexican War of Independence in 1821 and issued large land grants to establish rancheros across much of what is now San Diego’s East County. The U.S. acquired California in 1848 after the Mexican-American War. California became a state in 1850, after the discovery of gold.
In the latter half of the 19th century, San Diego’s East County attracted westward-bound pioneers and settlers, as well as gold seekers bound for Julian, a mountain town now designated a national history landmark. Stagecoach and a railway line were soon established. Our region’s wild west heritage includes the Campo Gunfight in 1875, which killed more people than the infamous O.K. Corral shootout.
Camp Lockett in Campo served as a military base and the last station of the famed Buffalo Soldiers, the all-black Civil cavalry brigade originally established during the Civil War.
During prohibition, bootleg liquor was smuggled across the border and hidden in caves in remote East County locations. Most vineyards were ploughed under, giving rise to a housing development boom in areas such as El Cajon. During World War II, Italian prisoners of war were kept at Camp Lockett. San Diego soon became a thriving military town with the rise of several military bases, and many retired military members returned to establish permanent residency here.
Starting in the 1970s, with the end of the Vietnam War, East County became a magnet for refugees from around the world, starting with Asian immigrants at the end of the Vietnam War in the 1970s. Later waves of refugees included Iraqis, Afghans, Syrians, Sudanese, Somalis, and many more, each bringing cultural and culinary traditions to enrich our region.
Our region also suffered tragedies including the flood of 1916 that washed out a dam, causing major destruction, Hurricane Kathleen which derailed a train in East County in 1975, the 2003 Cedar Fire, which at the time was the worst wildfire in California history, as well as the 2007 firestorms, which triggered the largest evacuation in U.S. history.
Museum and historical sites
Below is our guide to museums and heritage sites across East County and San Diego’s inland region, where you can learn more about our region’s colorful history. Click each link to learn more and to check on days and hours of operation, which may vary seasonally.
Alpine Historical Society’s John DeWitt Museum (Alpine)
The museum grounds include the historic Nichols House owned by an early woman doctor, the Beaty House which includes exhibits on beekeeping and agriculture, the Carriage House including a 1906 buggy, and outdoor exhibits including antique farm machinery and a vintage fire truck, plus a native plants and butterfly garden.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitors Center (Anza-Borrego)
The largest state park in California features a visitor center with displays including the history of Native American tribes and the area’s natural history. Visitors can also view a film and get information about hiking trails and other park features.
Bancroft Ranch House Museum (Spring Valley)
Built in 1863, .the Bancroft Ranch House is the oldest adobe house in East County and is both a state and national historic landmark. Judge Augustus S. Ensworth built the home which includes timbers from a salvaged ship on land that includes the springs for which Spring Valley was named. The property changed hands several times and was eventually bought by the Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce, which after restorations opened the museum in 1963.
Barona Cultural Center and Museum (Barona reservation, Lakeside)
As San Diego County’s first museum on an Indian reservation dedicated to the preserving and presenting local Kumeyaay-Diegueño Native culture, the Barona Museum offers a unique educational journey for visitors of all ages. The Museum’s collection represents thousands of years of history including some objects dating as far back as 10,000 years, demonstrating the artistry and skill of the western hemisphere’s first inhabitants.
Camp Lockett Museum (Campo)
Camp Lockett was home to the 10th, 11th, and 28th Cavalries through World War II. The famed Buffalo Soldiers guarded the southern border of the United States and prisoners of war from Italy. The Camp Lockett Museum exhibits authentic uniforms and equipment utilized by the soldiers garrisoned in Campo, including the Buffalo Soldiers, which began as an all-black Civil War Cavalry brigade.
Campo Old Stone Museum (Campo)
Originally built in 1885, the Campo Stone Store Museum takes you back to an adventurous, pioneering time when this area 50 miles east of San Diego was a hotspot of commerce, travel and ranching. An official California Historic Landmark, the stone building was fortified after an attack by border bandits in 1875 prompted the Campo gunfight. People from both sides of the border relied on the store, now a museum, which also served as a bank, post office and community social center. The two-story museum includes displays featuring pioneer, Native American and military history including the Buffalo Soldiers and artifacts from an Italian prisoner of war camp from World War II.
Desert View Tower and Boulder Park (Jacumba)
The Desert View Tower was built in 1923 as a roadside stop along the new interstate. Ten years later, Boulder Park was added, featuring fanciful stone carvings of animals and reptiles tucked inside caves. Stepping into the Desert View Tower and the gift shop at its base is like stepping back in time, a place filled with quirky relics, historical photos, hand-crafted items, books on our region’s history, and more. Telescopes offer views of the desert floor below the windswept ridge where the tower is located.
Eagle Mining Co. (Julian) A hard-rock gold mine in the 1870s, the Eagle Mine today offers guided tours in a mine train down into the old mine, displays of gold-mining equipment, and opportunities for visitors to try their hand at panning for gold. There’s also a gift shop on site. The mine is located in in the historic gold rush town of Julian.
El Cajon Historical Society’s Knox House Museum (El Cajon)
Originally a hotel and residence built in 1876, Knox House served as a stopover for miners and teamsters heading to Julian during the gold rush here. The parlor area was once the community’s first post office. Historical items from 1895 through 1912 are on display in the Knox House Museum. Learn more about Knox House and El Cajon history at the El Cajon Historical Society's website.
Escondido History Center Museum Complex (Escondido)
The Escondido History Center has preserved historic buildings along its Heritage Walk including the Victorian Era Hoffman house, a blacksmith shop, the Santa Fe railway depot, and a barn with vintage vehicles and farm equipment.
Guy B. Woodward Museum (Ramona)
This museum is actually a cluster of historic buildings including an 1886 adobe home, a jail, a one-room schoolhouse, a wine cellar gallery, a millinery shop with historic clothing, a honey house with displays on the region’s beekeeping history, a blacksmith shop, bunkhouse and tack room. You can also see historic wagons, buggies, farm equipment, a fire truck, and mining gear.
Heritage of the Americas Museum (Cuyamaca College, El Cajon)
This museum, located on the Cuyamaca College campus, is a cultural and educational center featuring prehistoric and historic art and culture of the Americas and natural history of the world. The natural history wing includes meteorites, gems, minerals and fossils from around the world. The archaeology wing displays pre-Columbian artifacts from throughout the Americans. The anthropology wing has post-European settlement artifacts from the last two centuries. The art wing features a collection of Western art as well as an exceptional collection of dynastic Chinese jade pieces.
Ilan-Lael/James Hubbell House and Gallery (Santa Ysabel) The Ilan-Lael house was the home of world-famous architect and artist James Hubbell and his wife, Anne. Built by hand, each stunning building incorporates intricate details including mosaic murals, soaring arches, stained glass windows and a balance of natural materials from seashells to gemstones. The site is also an art education and nature center. Public docent-led tours are offered on select dates; private tours are also available.
Inaja Memorial (Cleveland National Forest)
Along State Route 78 just east of Santa Ysabel stands the Inaja Memorial, a plaque which memorializes the 11 firefighters who lost their lives battling the 60,000-acreInaja Fire in 1956. At an elevation of 3,440 feet in Cleveland National Forest, the site also has picnic grounds, connecting trails and interactive site-seeing activities. For more information on the Inaja and connecting trails, please see our Inaja Trail Recreation page. For a more detailed look at this trail, read r Spotlight: Inaja Trail
La Mesa Depot Museum (La Mesa)
The La Mesa Depot Museum is La Mesas oldest building in its original form and is the sole surviving San Diego and Cuyamaca Railway Station in existence. Today the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum owns and maintains the building on grounds owned by the City of La Mesa. Admission is free. Visitors can inspect the steam locomotive and string of freight cars on the nearby track and pass through the ticket/waiting area to view the telegrapher’s station and a small exhibit area in the baggage room. For La Mesa Depot Hours, visit the Museum Hours page.
Poway Heritage Museum (Poway)
This museum is one of two buildings run by the Poway Historical Society. Located in Old Poway Park, the museum displays artifacts, memorabilia, exhibits, and historical records cataloging Poway’s rich history throughout the years. You can also visit the nearby 1883 Nelson House, built by a Norwegian immigrant.
Julian Historical Society (Julian)
The Julian Historical Society has acquired several historic sites now open as museums, including the Washington Mine, the Santa Ysabel School at Witch Creek (moved to Julian near the Pioneer Museum), and the Julian Stage Line Museum, a replica of the original, displaying an antique stage coach and a vintage bus.
Julian Pioneer Museum (Julian)
This is a must-see for anyone visiting Julian. The museum documents the history of Julian’s inhabitants, including early Native Americans and those drawn here for the Gold Rush. Learn the stories of the town’s founders, civil war veterans Drury Bailey and Mike Julian, the discovery of gold, and much more.
Julian Stage Line Museum (Julian)
A replica of the original building, the museum houses vehicles that carried passengers and mail between Foster City near Lakeside and Julian including an antique stagecoach and vintage Cadillac bus.
La Mesa History Center/McKinney House Museum and Archives (La Mesa)
The McKinney House Museum was built by Rev. Henry A. McKinney his family in 1908. The McKinney’s were active in the cultural, educational, commercial and fraternal life of early La Mesa. The house is furnished in the 1908 – 1920 period. The McKinney House Museum is run by the La Mesa Historical Society and is open most Saturdays to the public. The La Mesa Historical Society also offers an annual historic homes tour each fall.
Lakeside Historical Society and Lakeside Museum (Lakeside)
The Lakeside Historical Society leads walking tours along historic sites in downtown Lakeside and also operates the Lakeside Museum, an archives, and gift shop. Learn about Lakeside’s colorful history, from its first inhabitants, the Kumeyaay Indians, through Spanish land grants, stage coach lines, the coming of the railroad, a flood that wiped out railway tracks, the flume that brough water from the mountain areas, and the rodeo that still draws audiences today.
Lemon Grove Historical Society and museums (Lemon Grove)
The Lemon Grove Historical offers glimpses into the past at two historic sites. The H. Lee House Cultural Center, a Tudor-style home built in 1928, is also the setting for English High Tea Tours held by the Historical Society. The Parsonage Museum, a redwood structure, was built in 1897 and originally served as the community’s first church The museum depicts the history of Lemon Grove. The Society received a 2001 Governor’s Historic Preservation Award for this restoration project.
Mission San Diego de Alcala (San Diego)
California’s first mission was founded in 1769 by Junípero Serra, a Franciscan priest later named a saint. The Mission was relocated to its present site in 1774 to be closer to Kumeyaay Native American villages, a reliable source of water, and to farmlands. In 1821, Mexico gained independence from Spain and control of the Mission. After the U.S. - Mexican War, the U.S. Cavalry occupied the mission. In 1862, the Mission lands were restored to the Church by President Abraham Lincoln. The Mission church was named a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI for the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. Today, it serves as an active parish for the Catholic community and as a cultural center for people of all faiths. Guests can tour the mission and stop by the visitors’ center.
.Mission San Antonio de Pala Asistencia (Pala)
The San Antonio de Pala Asistencia, or the ‘Pala Mission,’ was founded in 1816 as an asistencia (‘sub-mission’) to Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, some twenty miles inland upstream on the San Luis Rey River. Today it is located in the Pala Indian Reservation located in northern San Diego County, with official name is now Mission San Antonio de Pala. It is the only historic mission facility still serving a Mission Indian tribe. A museum and gift shop are open twice a month. The Mission also includes the chapel, bell tower, an old cemetery and more.
Mission Santa Ysabel (Santa Ysabel) – The Santa Ysabel Indian Mission held its bicentennial celebration in 2018. The original adobe St. John the Baptist chapel still stands, but recently the Catholic church has discontinued holding mass at the historic site due to declining participation.
Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center (San Diego) Mission Trails Regional Park encompasses more than 8,000 acres, making it one of the largest urban parks in the United States. The visitor center includes a museum featuring exhibits on the park’s natural history (geology, animals and plants) as well as the Native Americans who once lived here. There’s also a gift shop, plus you can enjoy beautiful views of Mission Gorge and get info on hikes to take, such as to the old Mission dam.
Motor Transport Museum (Campo)
The museum is home to over 200 motor transport vehicles, as well as an eclectic variety of industrial equipment from olive presses to quarry mining items. The Motor Transport Museum has also helped restore old vehicles including stage coaches and more. The museum is housed in the historic Campo Feldspar Mill.
Mountain Empire Historical Society (Campo)
The Mountain Empire Historical Society operates the Gaskill Brothers Stone Store Museum owned by the county of San Diego. In addition, the Society conducts tours of old cemeteries in East County, operates a book store, and hosts an annual Roundup event featuring everything from rodeo events to stage coach rides.
Old Poway Park and Railroad (Poway)
Visitors to Old Poway Park can ride the historic Poway Railroad, View the current train schedule. On the Fourth of July, you might encounter a reenactment of a train robbery. Visitors can also tour the Heritage Museum to learn about Poway's unique history and explore the Nelson House to witness what life was like in early 20th century California. The museums are open limited hours on Saturdays. Find local and organic produce and artisan foods at our Saturday morning Farmers Market and discover unique handmade treasures made by local artists at the seasonal Boardwalk Craft Market.
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum (Campo)
The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of historic railroads in the Pacific Southwest. At the Campo facility, you can ride aboard a vintage train through the backcountry with locomotives and cars from the early 20th century. The Campo facility also offers seasonal themed-train rides at Halloween, Easter, and Christmastime. In addition, a museum displays an extensive collection of vintage trains and railroad memorabilia.
Palomar Observatory Museum (Palomar Mountain)
At the Palomar Observatory’s Visitor Center's entrance, a banner of the nearby star- Orion Nebula invites visitors to explore the Universe as seen through the Palomar telescopes. Learn about the history of the universe; the Orion Nebula is a star-forming region—not unlike that from which the Sun and the Solar System is thought to have originated. Inside at the museum, visitors learn about the history of the Observatory, legendary scientific discoveries made with Palomar's telescopes and instruments, and the latest developments in the world of astronomy. The center also contains a gift shop and the ticket counter for docent guided tours.
Rancho Bernardo History Museum (Rancho Bernardo)
The Rancho Bernardo History Museum is operated by the Rancho Bernardo Historical Society on the grounds of the historic Bernardo Winery. Exhibits include a timeline of local events, the firestorms of 2007, indigenous culture, the Battle of San Pasqual and the Mexican American War, a timeline of local historic events and more. Docents and a research library are also available.
Rancho Cuyamaca State Park Visitor Center and Museum (Cuyamaca)
The Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Interpretive Association center is located between Paso Picacho and Green Valley Campgrounds on Hwy 79. Follow signs that say Park Museum or walk there on the Cold Stream Trail. The Visitor Center houses the Park's Museum, which contains displays and exhibits about the Park's history and wildlife. The Visitor Center is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m.
Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians Tribal Museum (Valley Center)
This museum closed during the pandemic, but some artifacts, information and a video can be found at the link above.
San Diego Air and Space Museum at Gillespie Field Annex (El Cajon)
The El Cajon site serves as an additional exhibit space for the San Diego Air and Space Museum's growing collection, as well as a restoration facility. Located at the northeastern corner of Gillespie Field, the museum is open to visitors, who can view various aircraft, including many examples of military jets, private sport aircraft and small racing planes. New additions at Gillespie are the S-3 Viking, the P2 Neptune, and Baron Hilton’s Staggerwing. There is also a gift shop to purchase aerospace memorabilia.
San Diego Archaeological Center (Escondido)
San Diego Archaeological Center is a nonprofit museum where visitors can learn the story of how people have lived in San Diego County for the past 12,000 years. Founded in 1993, the Center was the first private nonprofit dedicated to the care, management, and use of archaeological collections. Visit the museum, which is located in the picturesque San Pasqual Valley in Escondido, a mile east of the San Diego Safari Park. The museum also includes activities for children.
San Diego State University Biodiversity Museum (SDSU)
The San Diego State University Biodiversity Museum serves as a repository for biological specimens and an educational center for research, teaching, and community outreach. The Museum's main attraction is the biological collections, comprising over 100,000 physical specimens of birds, fish, mammals, plants, algae, reptiles, amphibians, and terrestrial arthropods. These specimens are used as teaching tools and research vouchers
Old Edgemore Barn/Museum (Santee)
The Santee Historical Society explores Santee’s past by collecting, preserving and sharing Santee’s history. Its museum and headquarters are in a 1913 barn that is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places.
Barn is the only remaining structure from the Historic Edgemoor property. It has stood for nearly 100 years, and is a testament to early Santee, CA. On April 17, 1985 a formal Nomination was sent to the National Park Service, to register the Edgemoor Farm Barn as a historic site. On May 16, 1986 the Barn was added to the National Registry of Historic Places.
In the following years the Barn’s address was changed from 9064 Edgemoor Drive to its current address and of 9200 N. Magnolia Ave. Through the assistance of charitable donations, public assistance, and political persons, the Edgemoor Barn is currently an active museum and houses the office of the Santee Historical Society
Valley Center History Museum/Valley Center Historical Society (Valley Center)
Permanent exhibits include a tribute to a woman who was a co-discover during the gold rush, a taxidermy-mounted grizzly bear (our state symbol), Western oil paintings, a settler’s cabin, a recreation of a Native American village, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s desk and personal papers of former United Nations Ambassador Co. Irving Salomon, a giant quilt with local scenes, a pictorial presentation on foals of Seabiscuit, Seattle Slew and Secretariat — famous races who lived in Valley Center, plus Hollywood Comes to Town, featuring movies and TV shows filmed in Valley Center from “Mad, Mad World” to “Invaders from Mars.”
East County Magazine thanks the Conrad Prebys Foundation for its generous grant to fund our series of guides to East County's many attractions and activities, benefitting residents, visitors, and our local econonmy.