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Explore America: California

Explore America and discover people, places, art, and history that connect to California in the Smithsonian’s collections, held in trust for the American people. The collections include items that reflect the state’s distant past (a hunk of algae older than the dinosaurs) and its vibrant present. California’s natural treasures are as expansive as the “Golden State” itself: It is home to mountains, deserts, redwood forests, and about a thousand miles of Pacific coastline. View images of the Golden Gate Bridge, deemed one of the modern wonders of the world, and a gold nugget and Torah mantle from the 1849 gold rush. Explore the stories of notable Californians—from Hollywood icons to influential changemakers such as activist Cesar Chavez, chef and food pioneer Alice Waters, and tech visionary Steve Jobs.


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Gold Nugget

San Diego Mission

Evening Tide, California

Torah Mantle

Indians in Council, California

Fossil Blue-green Algae

Alley in Chinatown

Huey Newton, Black Panther Minister of Defense

Among the Sierra Nevada, California

Mounted Skeleton of California Gray Squirrel

Mangilia evadne

Coast at Monterey, California

Jacket and pants worn by MC Hammer in music video for "They Put Me in the Mix"

Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa)

Surfboard shaped by Duke Kahanamoku on the beach at Corona Del Mar, California in 1928

San Francisco Bay

Pacific Cable Car--San Francisco

Mailbox remnant from 1906 San Francisco earthquake

The Palace Hotel, from Montgomery Street, San Francisco

San Francisco Giants spring training jersey worn and signed by Willie Mays

Glove used by Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants

San Francisco, Corner of California and Montgomery Streets

San Francisco Chinatown Banner

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