The South Bay Heritage Museum is a Chapter and part of The Friends of the Chula Vista Library and has operated the museum since 2015 in order to locate, collect, display, preserve and record materials of local historic importance for Chula Vista and the South Bay Area.
The South Bay Historical Society operated the Museum since 2015. The museum was moved to the Chula Vista Library in 2015, when the museum building in Memorial Park on 3rd Ave. was demolished. The museum began in 1993 in the old Chamber of Commerce building at 360 Third Avenue. Frank Roseman created the museum at the request of the city/library in 1993 with assistance from John Rojas and other volunteers.
When the museum building was demolished in 2015, the Museum and historical documents were moved into the C.V Civic library and CVHS (Chula Vista Heritage Society) entered into a MOU with the Friends of the Library to operate the museum. Chula Vista Heritage Society works in conjunction with the South Bay Historical Society to promote and preserve the history of our community.
Every year a new topic is exhibited at the museum. This year, we will be remembering the Holocaust. This exhibit, RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust, has received international recognition and continues to have an impact during these uncertain times. In conjunction with the exhibit, we have posted YouTube interviews of Holocaust survivors, hosted events with guest speakers and films, and provided access to the schools with tours and outreach. There is community interest in having this be the seed that develops into a permanent Holocaust remembrance and “Never Again” museum.
In 2021 the Chula Vista Fire Department celebrated their centennial with an exhibit at the South County library on Orange and 4th. “Old Goose” , our first fire engine, is the highlight of a lovely exhibit celebrating the fine firefighter and displaying firefighting equipment “then and now”. In conjunction with the exhibit, the Fire Department has a YouTube documentary of the first 100 years.
We’re excited about our new exhibit planned to open October, 2022, “Filipinos in San Diego County. The Filipino community in the South Bay will share their vibrant culture and history.
The past years included many exhibits in the original building and events, online YouTube interviews and exhibits and events at the library. A list of some of the events at the old musuem can be found on Steven Shoenherr’s site: events . Exhibits held at the Heritage Museum include The Great Flood of 1916, indigenous people of the South Bay, plants and animals around the bay, and Fronterizos: A history of the Spanish-Speaking People of South Bay, San Diego.
We welcome ideas for future projects.