Shadelands Ranch Museum

This is a nice historic house and ranch right off Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek. As other Unilocalers have pointed out, no personal photography allowed inside, which is a bummer. I didn’t choose to do a house tour (which is on Wednesdays and Sundays from 1 – 4 PM), but I was able to explore around the porch and the gardens, as well as the gazebo. Pretty nice place, overall, though the parking lot is rather small.
Also, the Shadelands Ranch Museum is a popular venue for weddings and special events.

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write a review! I got married here in June 2015 and I couldn’t have been happier with our choice of venue! When I first saw Shadelands I was in love and had such a vision for how the wedding would be set up. It has such a beautiful nature-​y vibe perfect for outdoor weddings. Jackie was super helpful all the way through the process. Very quick to answer emails and give advice. It’s very affordable compared to other similar places, and although it’s on a main road it still feels secluded and private. I liked that the venue gave us the freedom to bring in any outside vendors which helps you stay on budget. There was a ton of space for the reception – I think we had around 18 tables and there was still PLENTY of extra space so it didn’t feel crowded at all. We had a buffet, dessert bar, coffee bar, dance floor, lawn games etc. The trees give great shade. The dance floor is spacious. I can’t say enough good things about it. We loved shadelands!

I love going to the Victorian holiday tea the have around Christmas time. I’ve been going with my mom and grandma since 2013 and this year was my sisters first time coming. It was so fun and there was a three course brunch sort of that was delicious. They have lots of different things upstairs in the rooms. It is like a boutique sort of thing. They have raffle baskets on the porch and the tickets aren’t expensive. They also have a couple of other things out on the front porch. I got a couple of my friends’s Christmas presents here. This is a great place to go and there is a gazebo out behind the house that looks like a good place to have a wedding.

I just had my wedding there, and they were amazing. Jackie was super helpful, they were flexible and allowed us to get in a little early, bring out tables and chairs when necessary and just pretty much do whatever we needed. To anyone considering an event in the Walnut Creek area, I would recommend this place with no reservations. It is gorgeous and requires very little decorating, the staff is amazing to work with, it is cost efficient (compared to the rest of the area, especially since there is no minimum time), and the trees offer shade and natural beauty.
Check the place out, ask Rob and Jackie questions, everyone is awesome. Thank you to them.

Walnut Creek turned 100 in October 2014. I had a chance to celebrate this red letter date with 4000 others at the Centennial Birthday Festival on Saturday October 18 on the grounds of the Shadelands Ranch Museum.
It was a fabulous event which included live music, food trucks, tours of the big house, police dog demonstrations, an artist’s market, and lots of stuff to do for kids of all ages. There was also Birthday cake and a deep appreciation from this citizen for the hard work put in from the volunteers (including the Great Gayle Vassar) that made this community celebration happen.

This is a Walnut Creek gem. We attending an Antique Fair here today and took a fascinating tour with a great docent through the Shadelands Ranch Museum. It was such a treat to take a step back in time as we toured this beautiful home and learned about the history of Walnut Creek. Our docent was just fabulous and I look forward to taking visitors here when they come to visit. It is a must see for anyone who lives in the vicinity as well as out-​of-​towners. The antique fair is an annual event and we had a blast going through the tables, talking with vendors, then sitting down to some very talented guitar players singing great tunes. Thank you to all that make this a true experience for visitors. We immediately purchased a membership, money well spent so that future generations can enjoy this tour.

We got married at Shadelands on 6÷9÷12. It was perfect for our vision of an outdoor wedding for around 200 people, on a quiet, grassy lawn. The trees offered great shade, and the patio in the back was perfect for a live band. we loved how there were few restrictions as compared to other venues: no corkage fee, no caterer restriction, we could rent the place for as long (or as little) as we wanted, and even tables and chairs (150) were included, granted the chairs are just the plastic lawn type, so not too fancy but perfect for our outdoor, more casual type wedding celebration. Both Joyce and Melanie were very prompt at returning emails and quick to answer questions.

Great Site for Wedding Ceremony*****
we were there 6÷4÷2011. we had a Great time!

After doing a short hike in the area we decided to see what the Shadelands Ranch Museum was about. Since it was Sun we were able to visit it. It’s $ 3 per adult, no AAA or Senior Discount — boo.
We asked for the full tour and it was pretty long with lots of information about Hiram Penniman, his 5 kids, etc.
NO Photos allowed inside — another boo. Inside is the living room, dining room, upstairs are four rooms & a bathroom. You can take all the pics you want outside though.
Ask if you can get some oranges & lemons from their trees outside — we did and were allowed. That was nice.
Hours: Wednesday & Sunday (tours offered) — 1 to 4 p.m.
Closed late November through early February.
Office hours: Mon-​Thurs, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: $ 3, adults; $ 1, students ages 6 – 17, free; children under 6 and WCHS members.
Website:

Below is information on the Shadelands Ranch Museum taken from the City of Walnut Creek’s website:
E-​mail: wcshadelands@sbcglobal…
Hours: Wednesday and Sunday (tours offered) — 1 to 4 p.m.
Closed late November through early February.
Office hours: Mon-​Thurs, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: $ 3, adults; $ 1, students ages 6 – 17, free; children under 6 and WCHS members.
Reservations for 10 or more by appointment.
Walnut Creek Historical Society membership: $ 25, individual; $ 40, family; $ 100, sustaining; $ 500, life.

I just got back from attending Shadelands Victorian Tea.
It’s by reservation and the proceeds go toward supporting the Shadelands Ranch Museum. Additionally, there was an ongoing Holiday Craft Faire going on in the house which was fun to look through after Tea.
I’ve been to a number of these Teas at historical properties and at Shadelands the food and tea came out in an organized, timely manner and the quality of the food was good and consistent throughout.

We had our wedding ceremony here back in 2007 and it was really perfect for us. The space was perfect for our 160 guests. The patio behind the colonial house was perfect for hors d’ouerves and mingling. The location of the trees also worked perfectly by having the gazebo in the shade during our 3:30 ceremony. We had no need to use the house, I got ready at a nearby hotel and arrived ready to walk down the aisle, so the fact that you can’t use it for private events was of no consequence to us.
When first visiting the site, I was worried that noise from the street would be a problem, but it really wasn’t.
They lose a star because their office staff was less than stellar. The office employees rarely answered the phones and it always took a couple of days for them to return phone calls, if at all. When we were trying to get the site booked, they ignored our messages for almost a week. I finally spoke with the caretaker who apologized profusely and gave us his home number. I could tell by his tone that he was frustrated with the office employees. It was almost as if they didn’t want our business. In the end we got everything booked and it all worked out well. But it was irritating at the beginning.

Such an unbelievable piece of Walnut Creek history, I’m really surprised no one has reviewed it!
I visited the Shadelands Ranch for the first time today as apart of a tour for the Walnut Creek Citizens Institute. The house is in amazing condition and has been repainted in it’s original color and nearly all of the furnishings are original as well.
The house was built by Hiram Penniman, a fruit farmer, for his spinster daughter in 1903. The architecture style is late-​Colonial Revival. The interior is richly painted in blues, pinks, dark woods. Along with the history of the Penniman family and their farm, there are also displays of clothing and other period articles, as well as clothing and artifacts from other historical periods. The building serves double as a museum for the ranch as well as the Walnut Creek Historical Society. Upstairs there is a paper archival room, the Sherwood Burgess Room, which is open Wednesdays from 1 to 4PM for people interested in doing historical research. Of note in that room is an original american flag poster from Lincoln’s presidential campaign.
And best of all! It’s cheap! Below is information on the Shadelands Ranch Museum taken from the City of Walnut Creek’s website:
E-​mail:
Hours: Wednesday and Sunday (tours offered) — 1 to 4 p.m.
Closed late November through early February.
Office hours: Mon-​Thurs, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: $ 3, adults; $ 1, students ages 6 – 17, free; children under 6 and WCHS members.
Reservations for 10 or more by appointment.
Walnut Creek Historical Society membership: $ 25, individual; $ 40, family; $ 100, sustaining; $ 500, life.