Yucaipa, CA – The historic Yucaipa Adobe, which has been closed for restoration, will open for guided tours starting in October on the third Sunday afternoon of each month from 1 to 4 p.m. This year, tours will be offered on Oct. 15, Nov. 19, and Dec.17. Reservations are not required.
The Yucaipa Adobe site was part of the San Bernardino Rancho, established by Antonio Maria Lugo in 1842. Lugo’s cousin, Diego Sepulveda, brought a herd of cattle from other ranchos and settled in the Yucaipa Valley. Although oral tradition attributed the Yucaipa Adobe to Sepulveda, restoration in 1989 and 1990 revealed clues that suggest that Sepulveda’s adobe was located a few hundred yards away and that the existing building was constructed in 1858–1859 by James Waters, a hunter, trapper, and mountaineer who later became a noted county citizen who was elected a San Bernardino County supervisor and erected the San Bernardino Opera House.
Waters’ ranch was purchased by John Dunlap in 1869 and the Dunlap family maintained ties to the ranch until the 1950s. In 1954, the Yucaipa Women’s Club raised funds to save the adobe home from demolition, and it later became part of the San Bernardino County Museum system. The site, recognized as California State Historical Landmark #528, is furnished as it would have appeared in the 19th century.
“We are pleased to be able to open this site to the public,” said Jennifer Dickerson, the museum’s curator of history. “This is being made possible with the help of members of the Yucaipa Valley Historical Society, who will be leading the tours. Their connections with the history of the Yucaipa Valley along with special training they’ve undertaken about this historic site makes our partnership with the society of special value to visitors.”
Each tour will last about 20 minutes, with flexible start times between 1 and 3:30 to accommodate visitor arrivals. Visitors are welcome to explore the historic site and its grounds on their own following their tour. On Dec. 17 the site will be decorated with luminarias to recognize the holiday season.
The San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional cultural and natural history and the Museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.
The Yucaipa Adobe is located at 32183 Kentucky Street in Yucaipa. General admission is $5 (adult), $4 (military or senior), and $2.50 (student or child. Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. The tours are included with admission. For more information, visit www.sbcounty.gov/museum. The Yucaipa Adobe is accessible for persons with disabilities.
