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Orinda Historical Society

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Historic Orinda Crossroads showing the Orinda Theatre sign, local shops, and a bus, with rolling hills in the background
Your Portal to Orinda History

Preserving the Stories
That Made Orinda

Explore digitized archives, visit our museum, and discover the people, places, and events that shaped this community from the rancho era to today.

Browse the Archives → Plan Your Visit
Archive Item #P-00016
The Orinda Crossroads, looking northwest toward the Theatre, circa 1950s

Visit the Museum

Free admission beneath the Orinda Library. Explore exhibits, artifacts, and local history collections every Saturday.

Plan your visit →

Digital Archives

Search thousands of photographs, documents, and oral histories through our CatalogIt database, from home or at the museum.

Search the collection →

Orinda Sun Archive

All 824 issues of the Orinda Sun (1948 – 1972), digitized and fully searchable through California Revealed.

Search newspapers →
Curated Gallery
Photographs from Orinda's past, selected from our growing digital collection.
The Orinda Theatre, 1983
Featured · 1983

The Orinda Theatre

Opened in 1941, the Orinda Theatre brought Art Deco glamour to a small ranch town. Its distinctive marquee has welcomed moviegoers for over 80 years — and today it remains the most recognized landmark in the community. This photograph, taken in 1983, captures the theatre at the heart of the Crossroads shopping district.

View in archive →
Early automobile at Bien Venida ranch house
c. 1910sAutomobile at Bien Venida, the de Laveaga estate
Black's Fine Domestic & Imported Foods market, circa 1975
c. 1975Black's Market, a beloved Orinda institution
Hay balers at the de Laveaga Quien Sabe ranch
c. 1890sHay balers at the de Laveaga ranch, with Orinda hills beyond
First Orinda Union School under construction, 1925
1925Orinda Union School, the community's first, under construction
View the Complete Collection
The Orinda History Museum
Free admission. Walk-ins welcome. Located beneath the Orinda Library.

Museum Hours

Every Saturday, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Also available by appointment — call or email us

Location

26 Orinda Way, Room 106
Orinda, CA 94563
Ground floor of the Orinda Library, next to the parking garage elevator

School Tours

Bring your class for a guided tour of Orinda history. Contact us to schedule.

Contact

(925) 254-1353 · info@orindahistory.org

Window display at the Orinda History Museum featuring books by local Orinda authors
On Display Now

Orinda Authors: A Literary Celebration

Orinda may be a small city, but it has produced an impressive range of authors. Our current window display features works by local writers held in the Society's collection, including Poul Anderson, Alison Burns, Robert Karplus, Jean Lyford, and Wayne F. Miller. Visit the museum every Saturday from 11 AM to 1 PM, or explore the full exhibit online.

Support OHS
Help Preserve
Orinda's History
For 55 years, our 220+ members and volunteers have kept Orinda's history alive, digitizing collections, maintaining exhibits, and preserving the stories that define this community.
We survived near-closure in 2019 and kept our doors open through COVID. With your help, we've digitized all 824 issues of the Orinda Sun and are building a permanent digital archive so these stories outlast all of us.
“I searched the photo archive and found a picture of my grandmother's house on Miner Road from 1952. I had no idea it existed.”
— Orinda resident & OHS member

Become a Recurring Supporter

Pick a level that works for you. Recurring contributions are the most helpful kind: they let us plan ahead and keep the doors open year-round.

$5/mo $10/mo $20/mo Custom
Prefer a single gift? Make a one-time donation instead →
Research
Explore Orinda's Past
Access our digital archives from home or at the museum. Two collections, thousands of records.

Digital Photo Archive

Browse our CatalogIt database of digitized photographs, organized by decade, location, and subject. Search for neighborhoods, addresses, schools, and landmarks.

Browse Photos →

Newspaper Archive

Search the Orinda Sun (1948 – 1972) through California Revealed. 824 issues of historical news, ads, and community stories, fully searchable.

Search Newspapers →

Have a Question About Orinda History?

Submit your question and our volunteers will dig into the archives for you. Most questions get a response within 48 hours, no need to wait for Saturday.

Ask a Question →