Best Natural History Museum Roseville Near Me

4worldlovers: The Sierra College Natural History Museum is a dynamic and awe-inspiring center for STEM learning initiatives. Located in the heart of Sewell Hall (the Science Building on Rocklin campus), the Museum and accompanying Planetarium has become a regional landmark for thousands of youngsters, students, teachers, and parents who come to engage, experience, and discover.

For more than 50 years, the Museum has provided inspirational scientific education to its students and the community. The Museum was initially funded by a special grant from Project Gold Mind and the Museum’s champion and department chair, R.A. Underhill, who oversaw the construction of exhibits based on the rising theme of ecology.

Join us at one or all of our events held throughout the year.

RAWR!!! Dinosaur Day Science Fest is an adventure for the whole family. For more than 20 years, the Museum has presented its spring science festival. The festival features live animal exhibitions, lectures, tours, Planetarium shows, physics and chemistry demonstrations, face painting, paleontological digs, maker stations, and engaging, verifiable scientific dialogue.

Come join Sierra College professors, Museum staff, and scientists for a fun, open-house science workshop geared toward all ages. This Museum program will immerse you in unique monthly themes such as dinosaurs, marine mammals, volcanoes, bats, fossils, carnivorous plants, microbes/stinky foods, magnetic slime, and astronomy. Docent-led tours of the Museum are offered, as well as games, crafts, and snacks. Events typically occur the first Saturday each month from 10 am to noon. View the events calendar for more details.

Please join us at 7 pm on the third Friday of the month during Spring and Fall Semesters for an exciting science lecture by STEM content experts in Sewell Hall (S-111). View the events calendar for more details.

Get more information about our upcoming events and register for tours or group reservations

Closed Saturday and Sundays (unless event days) and during the holidays, including spring and winter break

Planetarium is open only by group reservation on Field Trip Fridays

For groups/guided tours, admission is activity-based for groups of 10 or more on Fridays during spring and fall semesters.

The Museum is located in the Science Building on the west side of the Rocklin Campus in the heart of Sewell Hall. When driving to the Museum, please refer to the directions below as map apps may redirect you to the opposite side of campus near the stadium.

From Auburn/Grass Valley: Take Interstate 80 towards Sacramento. Exit Sierra College Blvd #109 and turn left. Turn right onto Rocklin Road. Turn right at the light on to El Don Drive. At the intersection of E Lot and Campus Drive, turn into F Lot for DAILY PARKING.

From Placerville: Take Interstate 50 towards Sacramento. Turn right on exit #21 Hazel Avenue. (Hazel becomes Sierra College Blvd.) Turn left onto Rocklin Road. Turn right at the light on to El Don Drive. At the intersection of E Lot and Campus Drive, turn into F Lot for DAILY PARKING.

From Sacramento: Take Interstate 80 towards Reno. Exit Sierra College Blvd #108. Turn right onto Rocklin Road. Turn left at the light on to El Don. At the intersection of E Lot and Campus Drive, turn into F Lot for DAILY PARKING.

Visit parking for more information. If you are traveling by bus, park in the Dietrich Theatre lot’s bus pullout.

The Museum’s wheelchair access is located on the grassy quad-side of Sewell Hall and an elevator for access to the Planetarium is located adjacent to the Skulls Exhibit Case. Wheelchair accessible restrooms are located on the ground floor of the Museum on either side of the facility.

We want every guest to have the absolute best experience when visiting the Sierra College Natural History Museum (SCNHM). If anyone in your group needs or desires support from Museum staff for accessibility, it is our pleasure and mission to assist you and make your tour experience extraordinary. As educators ourselves, we recognize that every student learns differently and has diverse perspectives, experiences, and abilities.

4worldlovers:
Located in the historic Fletcher-Moon House, we invite you to explore our fascinating collection of artifacts while learning about Rocklin’s rich history.

As volunteers for this non profit 501(c)(3) organization, we are stewards of many of Rocklin’s irreplaceable historical buildings and items. We also encourage participation and awareness of Rocklin citizens by organizing tours and events so that we can all enjoy Rocklin’s rich history.

The Mission of the Rocklin Historical Society is to generate community interest and support for the preservation of Rocklin’s Heritage.

Rocklin Historical Society is a non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteers. For that reason our work must be funded through donations and community volunteerism. Please consider becoming a member or volunteering. Go to the pull-down menu “Contact and Volunteer” to learn how.

Volunteer to help with events or in our various efforts to protect and promote the history of Rocklin

You can also help by making a donation via PayPal, just click on the donate button below and enter any amount.

Interested in giving a gift to RHS through Will or Trust?

Here’s the needed information to create your own declaration of intent and create a legacy through giving.

4worldlovers:
The Museum of Medical History is now open Tuesday-Friday. Reservations are recommended for large groups.


If you are interested in booking a school or group tour, please contact Ronnie Hammond at RHammond@ssvms.org.

The Museum of Medical History of the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society showcases developments in medicine with a special relationship to our region, from the mid-1800‘s through today. The Museum is organized by various themes: patent medicines and pharmacology, basic science and laboratory medicine, antibiotics and infectious diseases, medical diagnosis and therapy, surgical diagnosis and therapy, nursing, Asian medicine, radiology, quackery and local medical history. Click here to browse the Museum’s Artifacts.

A variety of larger artifacts are also displayed including a turn-of-the-century doctor’s office diorama, a 1950-era iron lung, Civil War amputation kits, and a variety of medical art.

You’ll also find an array of classical 19th century instruments including cups, various tools for bleeding, ether masks and medicines with mercury, arsenic and strychnine. The Museum of Medical History is also home to an extensive library containing early medical textbooks and journals.

The museum is free of charge and open to the public, by appointment only.

The Museum of Medical History is available for guided school tours. Schools needing transportation funding support to visit the museum can fill out the bus grant application to apply for financial assistance. For more information or to schedule a guided school tour, contact Ronnie Hammond at RHammond@ssvms.org.

Prior to the arrival of settlers and explorers into Northern California, the Sierra Sacramento Valley region was described as “...one of the most healthful territories on the continent with a climate unrivaled in purity and equability...Nor is sickness, that scourge of humanity, here to harass and hinder us in our pursuits...” However, with the early explorers came diseases against which Native Americans had no resistance, and with the gold seekers came numerous diseases and epidemics, bred by the lack of hygiene and sanitation.

At the peak of the Gold Rush it was noted that, “Within a few short months, they (the gold seekers) produced in Sacramento a collecting point of health tragedy not to be equaled any other place in the world.” Ill health began on the trip westward, both by sea and by land, with many infectious agents including cholera and scurvy caused by inadequate supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables. It was estimated that 6% of all early settlers died coming to California, and 20% lost their lives within six months of arrival. Epidemics in Sacramento were devastating, such as cholera (1850) that killed 1,000 Sacramentans in three weeks. Medical care was far from ideal. Competing with the regular medical doctors, or allopaths, were the “irregular” doctors, such as eclectics, Thomsonians and homeopaths, in addition to poorly trained or untrained individuals who hung out a shingle and practiced medicine.

Organized medicine in Sacramento grew out of the tension between “regular” and “irregular” practitioners, which came to a head in 1850 with the formation of the Medico-Chirurgical Association, the first medical organization in California. Formed by Dr. J.B.D. Stillman and 31 other pioneer physicians for the cultivation of science, honor and dignity, it lasted only six years. The Sacramento Medical Society was formed in 1855 only to disband eight years later. Finally, five years later, in 1868, the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement, today’s Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society, was formed.

Our pioneer physicians were innovators. Under their guidance, the second City Board of Health in the United States was formed, as was the first prepaid hospital insurance plan, the first railroad hospital in the world, the first successful appendectomy in California, the first weather bureau on the west coast, and the first building in California designed specifically to be a hospital.