A Central Coast museum that’s been years—and more than $30 million in the making—is finally set to open. The Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center will welcome the public for the first time on May 15.
The 14,000 square foot facility features everything from historic Chumash baskets to ceremonial items. The items come from the tribe’s collection of more than 24,000 artifacts.
The museum was designed by the same architectural team that created the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The project was funded by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians as a way of highlighting and sharing their heritage.
In addition to the museum, there’s an adjacent 3.5-acre cultural park with outdoor exhibits and more than 11,000 native California plants.
The museum is just off of Highway 246 at Edison Street in Santa Ynez. It will be open Thursdays through Sundays.
