Located on 55 acres of rolling farm ground, 2010 marks 34 years the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum has been here in Vista. Over that period our Museum has grown to become one of the premier educational and recreational facilities in North San Diego County. With over eleven hundred volunteers, our Museum's collections focus on the 1849 through the early 1960’s era and actively demonstrates an Early California Farm; and the businesses that grew up to support farmers. Exhibits include farm equipment from horse drawn through modern row crop equipment.
Unique from traditional
static museums, our collections are maintained in operating condition.
Volunteers operate our equipment to help maintain and repair, our
property and our collections.
During our Spring and Fall Tractor Shows our grounds come alive with activity. Visitors have the rare opportunity to see crops taken from the field through to the kitchen. Traditional crafts and trades include farriers, weavers, soap and rope makers, broom makers and woodcarvers. Volunteer members supply support and man [and woman] power for all Museum programs and operations.
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Just as in the 19th century, our Farmhouse
is the center of activity. In our country kitchen volunteers show what
a farm wife did. Using cold food storage options from ice boxes to
electric refrigerators. Coal and wood burning stoves to gas and
electric. Our volunteers prepare fresh bread and cookies, and there are
tasty complimentary samples. In our gas lighted parlor volunteers show
how a farm woman spent her days. Sewing clothing for the family, quilt
making, on foot treadle sewing machines. There are samples of leisure
and recreational activities from sitting and reading by kerosene lamp,
playing board games, foot pumped organ music, to radio.
On our farm we have a Blacksmith shop and a Wheelwright shop. Steam and gas, stationary and mobile, industrial power units. Each year we grow a crop of winter wheat, demonstrating local dry land farming techniques. During our twice yearly Harvest Fairs, we demonstrate harvesting and shocking. Our Gristmill grinds crops into flour that you may purchase at a reasonable cost. During the summer months we grow a crop of irrigated Sorghum Cane, which is harvested and processed into Molasses, during our Fall Harvest Fair.
The nature of our Museum's
programs evokes nostalgic memories of rural lifestyles and family
traditions. More importantly, we believe it offers a means for young
people to learn about and build upon the reassuring foundations of the
past. It is our Museum's goal to capture an important element of our
society and preserve it for present and future generations.
The Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum is
literally a self sustaining non-profit corporation. The bulk of our
Museum's operating budget comes from activities and events promoted,
planned and manned by our volunteer members. Our museum is also
generously supported by the County of San Diego
which provides our 55 acre museum site; and numerous corporate
sponsors. Many of our Museum's educational programs, exhibits and our
endowment fund are funded via grants and individual donors. Our museum
is registered as a non-profit corporation and all gifts of collection
items, cash or tangible property are tax deductible. Contact our Museum
office for details.
Our collections number well over 20,000 items, ranging from a 300 HP Allis Chalmers Corliss stationary steam engine with a 19,000-pound flywheel, to rare manuals and photographs. In recent years new buildings have been completed to house and exhibit our collections.
We have educational programs from pre-school through college internship studies. Our museum's elementary program, School of Times Past,
continues to expand to meet demand. Internship studies in Museumology,
Collections Management and Small Business Administration are offered.
Our Museum currently sponsors a Cub Scout Troop, a Boy Scout Troop
(744), and the Buena Vista 4-H.
Numerous documentaries focused on our Museums collections have been filmed for movies, television and the video market. Our Museum is consistently featured in books and calendars sold through collector's groups and major booksellers. In addition, videos of our Threshing Bee Antique Engine and Tractor Shows are produced for our museum and sold nationwide. Watch for our equipment in the movies and made for television productions including Stargate, Muholland Falls, LA Confidential, Pearl Harbor, the HBO Series Carnivale, Tremors 4 and The Time Machine; just to name a few.
