Peralta House Tours! June 9, 2010

June 9th - June 12th 2:30-5:30pm every day

See, hear, smell, touch and taste history on a guided tour of the house the Antonio Peralta family once lived in, at Peralta Hacienda Historical Park in Fruitvale. The site was the headquarters of the 45,000-acre Peralta rancho.

Experience intertwined stories of the Peralta family and East Bay Ohlone in many media. A new scent exhibit invites you to smell the rancho: soil, cinnamon, leather, and more! Try on the hats (literally) of the East Bay's early residents, or see how you look in a poncho vaqueros wore on misty mornings in the 1830s tending the longhorn herds.

On the audio program, you can listen to Luis Peralta interrogating mission workers, or hear Mrs. Peralta crying when the founder of Oakland seizes her home, in words passed down in military and family documents. Audio also includes the voices of today's community: Hear how Park neighbor Numurray Wallace came to the East Bay for the World War II "Job Rush," or how Ruben Vallejo's family picked fruit up and down the Central Valley as braceros, just a few examples of the many audio stories.

Peralta Hacienda always has something new: The current changing exhibit, "Embroidering Our Lives: Mien Women at Peralta Hacienda," tells a story of land loss and cultural change with films, photos, and the women's own words and art.

The house is accessible only by guided tours, followed by optional free exploration. Docent Storytellers connect a strand of history to their own lives, and encourage visitors to do so, too. Each tour is limited to 10 people; advance reservations are recommended. Phone (510) 532-9142. Tours are $5, Fruitvale residents free. Tours begin at the Kitchen entrance to the Peralta House, at 2465 34th Ave.

As you wait for your guided tour, explore the Native Plant Garden or outdoor walk-through exhibits about daily life on the rancho.

Weds. through Sats.
Guided Tour: 2:30-3:15
Free Exploration: 3:15-4
Guided Tour: 4-4:45
Free Exploration: 4:45-5:30

Official Website: http://www.peraltahacienda.org