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Sometimes, less is more. Who needs another million-square-foot museum filled with more artifacts than even you have in your garage and attic? What we love about this tiny gem of a museum in Yountville is its smallness. You can get in, you can get out, you can learn a few things; the visit is short and sweet.
Opened in the 90s, the Napa Valley Museum is a nonprofit cultural organization that studies and promotes the cultural and environmental heritage of Napa Valley.
When you get tired of Highway 29 traffic and three-deep tasting-room crowds, this is a perfect place to disappear for an hour. The special, changing exhibits cover all kinds of subjects as they relate to Napa Valley — fine arts, history, geology, the natural sciences.
Of special note is the permanent, state-of-the-art exhibit on the lower level called California Wine: The Science of an Art. Originally housed in the California Museum of Science and Industry in L.A., this multi-media presentation takes the visitor through an entire year of the winemaking process. Great for getting an overview of what's going on in all those beautiful vineyards you've been driving past. Take the True/False touch-screen tests to see how much you know about wine. If you don't do too well, you just may have to get back out on Highway 29 and conduct some more research in the winery tasting rooms…
Napa Valley Museum, 55 President's Circle, Yountville. (On the grounds of the Veterans Home; take the southernmost exit into Yountville off Highway 29 and head west.) Open daily except Tuesdays. 707-944-0500. Or visit www.napavalleymuseum.org.
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