About Us
Who is the San Bernardino County Museum?
Voted Best Museum by Redlands Daily Facts, San Bernardino County Sun, and Inland Empire Magazine!
Mission
Through the lens of the region’s dynamic cultural and natural history, the San Bernardino County Museum develops visitors’ appreciation of our diverse regional identity to spark their curiosity, to stimulate inquiry, to challenge their assumptions, and to invite them to contribute to our common future.
Core Values
Public Service: We exist to better the lives of the citizens in our region.
Diversity: We promote and celebrate the rich complexity of our region’s past, present, and future and provide a welcoming, safe, and intellectually honest space for all people.
Engagement: We provide our community the opportunity for active participation and refection in our programs and exhibits.
Integrity: We abide by professional ethics, honesty, and transparency.
Competence: We take seriously our role as stewards of our region’s legacy and are methodical in our collections practices, educational programming, and professional development.
Responsibility: Our practices promote fiscal and environmental sustainability.
Collaboration: We believe our community needs can be most successfully met through partnership with individuals and organizations committed to our mission.
Governance
San Bernardino County Museum was established as a department of the County of San Bernardino in 1960. The museum is led by a director, who is in charge of the day to day management of the museum, personnel, as well as the strategic planning and implementation of the county vision. The museum director manages 23 full- and part-time staff. The museum director reports to the County Administrative Office (CAO) CEO, who reports to a five member elected board of supervisors (BOS).
The museum’s fundraising partner is the San Bernardino County Museum Foundation, which operates through a memorandum of understanding with the county museum. A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, the Association’s mission is to support the museum through solicitation of donations, grants, and the management of fundraising activities. The Association is led by an executive director who reports to a nonprofit volunteer board of directors.
History
The San Bernardino County Museum was founded in 1952 by the San Bernardino County Museum Foundation. It opened to the public in 1957, and was donated to the San Bernardino County in 1961. The facility moved from Bloomington, California to its present location in Redlands in 1974.
The Museum is a San Bernardino County department in the Community Services Group. Additional branch sites include the Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley, the Yucaipa Adobe in Yucaipa, the Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery in Colton, the Yorba-Slaughter Families Adobe in Chino, the Oro Grande Cemetery in Oro Grande, and the María Merced Williams & John Rains House in Rancho Cucamonga.
The San Bernardino County Museum Foundation is the Museum’s support group, engaged in fundraising and membership activities. For details on becoming a member of the museum, visit our Membership page.
Strategic Plan
View San Bernardino County Museum‘s Strategic Plan to learn more about the museum’s mission, values, goals, and objectives for 2017 to 2022.