2025 – Visalia Heritage has launched its most ambitious project in our 47-year history–a bold plan to transform Visalia’s historic Southern Pacific Depot into a cultural center history museum for Visalia celebrating the region’s diverse stories and shared heritage.
Click here to find more history on the building and plans to give
The Depot new life as a museum and cultural center telling the stories of all of us who comprise our Visalia home.
2023 – Established the Visalia Heritage Room at the Lofts at Fort Visalia. This mini museum is a visual story of the first century of Visalia’s history including a diorama of the Fort Visalia Stockade and photos of early Visalia.
2017 – Donated $6,000 to renovate Fox Theater’s Box Office and $5,000 toward the Sequoia Monument Tree at the Downtown Post Office.
2014 – Donated $15,000 for the new marquee at the Fox Theater.
2008 – Presented a check in the amount of $150,000 to the Board of Supervisors for the Children’s Library in Visalia.
2005 – Sponsored a historic marker on the Visalia Historic Walking Trail.
2001 – Published Visalia: A Pictorial History. All of the proceeds from these book sales were donated to the Children’s Library.
1997 – Donated a plaque at John Combs Park at La Vida and Crenshaw. John Combs was the first President of Visalia Heritage.
1996 – Began awarding the Annie Mitchell Scholarship Award annually to a deserving COS graduate. This program continues to this day!
1993 – Completed remodel of Annie Mitchell History Room in the Visalia branch of the Tulare County Library.
1992 – Prepared Visalia’s first official time capsule which is buried at Constitution Park.
1990s – Sponsored a bus trip to the Historic District of Hanford.
1987 – Conducted the “Ride Down Main Street” bus tour.
1986 – Published Visalia’s Heritage: Buildings, People, and History. Collaborated with the City of Visalia to develop walking tour pamphlets of the Historic District.
1983 & 1992 – Restored the Chapel at the Visalia District Cemetery and supported the Chapel Guild.
1978 – 1980 – Visalia Heritage was the driving force behind getting the Hyde House put on the National Register of Historic Places.
1978 – Helped prepare Historic Preservation Element, adopted by the City of Visalia in 1979.