The Irvine Historical Museum has reopened to the public, and, even though it is the oldest structure in Irvine, visitors will notice its brand-new look.
“Last year’s downtime gave us an opportunity,” docent Mary Susa says. “It allowed us to look at our exhibits and see how we could bring them into the future.”
What began as a refresh of outdated exhibits became a larger effort to give the museum new life.
Dedicated locals, like Peg Scott, donated hours of personal time digging through the dusty storeroom to organize materials for future research use.
Local Irvine electrician Bill Weisfeld updated the lighting. Fences were fixed, steps were repaired, and everything was given a fresh coat of paint inside and out.
In the end, the museum that preserves the community’s history was renovated and refreshed by a community effort.
The Irvine Historical Museum is now ready.
And Susa is confident it will continue to connect the city of the past with the city of the present.
“The past is always with us,” Susa says. “When you’re seeking understanding of today’s issues, it’s helpful to look at history to see how we got here. In this way, history stays alive.”
