Hayward Area Historical Society

This is place is a gem in Hayward. The facilities include beautiful event space and meeting spaces– clean, technology-​friendly, and complete with friendly and helpful staff. There is catering/​on-​site food available. The museum displays are beautifully done and promote & restore East Bay pride. The children’s area is amazingly done & is sure to win over the little ones in your life. Enjoy the rotating displays and leave with a Hayward souvenir from the mini gift shop. If you haven’t visited yet– don’t wait!
Tip: Parking can be a little challenging during peak hours. Be sure to plan ahead and save yourself a few minutes to find a good spot.

Phenomenal local history museum! I’m a third generation San Lorenzo native (raising another!). My mother loved seeing the memorabilia from Hayward and neighboring areas and reliving memories if the groves and canneries.
The museum itself is not large (so easily walked for any age) but is packed with information!
Our favorite part is the new hands-​on children’s area! There is a play fishing area, magnetic «paper dolls» from yesteryear, a working toy «cannery, a «grocery» with real antique cash register and a Hayward Hotel area where children can sort the keys and leave «messages» for other patrons. My 5 and 8 year kid boys spent 2 hours in this room alone. Everything was quiet and clean and in a separate area from the quiet part if the museum.
Everything was clean, bright and just wonderful! What a local treasure and a great way to teach history to our children!

Small museum with a ton of history packed in. One room has various stations talking about the neighboring cities and Hayward itself. Lots of retro and vintage things to admire — a great way to have a blast to the past.
In the second room, there’s a huge play area for the kids. Dress up, a store with a register, a canning station, a fishing hole — It’s worth the price of admission for your child to come here and play. It’s spotless and completely undiscovered, meaning nothing’s broken and your child will be able to play with all they toys. There’s a bench for mom and dad to sit on, or you can take a look around the other part (at the time we visited, it was a kids’ art show).

It was so awesome to stroll down memory lane. Seeing the Sunset High lettermans sweater, and the artifacts from the hunts tomato plant reminds me of my childhood when the whole town smelled like tomato sauce. The pictures and artifacts are easy to read and follow. The collections are much smaller than I expected. The building is so large and yet the exhibit is such a small portion.
However all the great stories I remember my dad telling me about Hayward and my own memories seen in the pictures and exhibits. Now I’m inspired to donate my own items to this wonderful museum so the history of this place stays alive.

Great to learn about Hayward history. Definitely a great addition to the Hayward community. They partner with other organizations and are always visible in the Hayward community.

I really enjoyed visiting the Hayward Area Historical museum. We visited to see the exhibit on the boom period of the post-​WWII Hayward/​San Lorenzo area. It was fantastic to see the aerial shots of San Lorenzo Village in the middle of orchards or tomato fields. The background on the big developers during the 50s and 60s was fascinating. Did you know that the production home method used by builders like KB Homes was pioneered right here in the CA Bay Area?
This museum is really geared mostly to kids… I’d say about 60%/40%. If I had kids, I’d probably give the Hayward Museum 4 stars (well, 3.5 rounded up). However, sans kids, I’d say the Hayward Museum is a solid 3 star activity.

Hayward… Well the name doesn’t conjure much but it does have some history. if you’re a native of Hayward it will be somewhat interesting. When I visited they had these fabric tarps with a history of the 1868 Hayward Fault Earthquake. It’s kinda scary that were due for another 6.7+ earthquake. [whimpers]
The second part of the museum is made up of Hayward’s timeline and corresponding artifacts. This is kinda sparse on details.
The current exhibit is about midget racing cars. There’s not much to see. Like two racing cars and some memorabilia.
Along with the collections there is also a research center full of books and information. Don’t forget the museum’s fundraiser, the book store.
I can’t really complain much about this museum. It’s free and the lady at the front desk is super friendly. It should take you about half an hour even if you read everything on the walls. It’s only the size of a liquor store. If you’re nearby it wouldn’t hurt to learn a little about East Bay’s «middle child».

Housed in what used to be Hayward’s main post office, this *FREE* museum offers a rare glimpse into what used to be a quaint farming town that was at the end of the trolley line coming from Oakland. They have an extensive black & white photo collection that you can ask to view as well as a permanent display on the namesake of the town. If you visit, be sure to grab a hot dog at Casper’s next door.