Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology

Tucked into the heart of the CSU Chico campus, the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology is entering its 55th year of serving the public with dynamic educational programs against the backdrop of inspiring exhibitions.  The tours and programs are designed with a diverse audience in mind. Our customized K-12 tours engage their hands and minds with standards’ based experiences and are provided at no cost.  In fact, The Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology received the California State Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Museum Education.  The Superintendent’s Awards for Excellence in Museum Education is a joint competition between the California Association of Museums (CAM) and the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Past winners include The Getty, The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Crocker Museum of Art, LACMA, and the Museum of Tolerance.  It is such a great honor to be in the company of these prestigious institutions.

Families also enjoy the wide variety of annual programs that ignite their senses and minds with creative enrichment on weekends and in the summer! The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 11-3