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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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Surfin' Safari; 409

Shoes worn by Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants

Dale Velzy Malibu Chip surfboard made in the early 1950s

Photograph of Bruce Brown, director of the movie, "The Endless Summer" released in 1966

Do You Know What the Hollywood Sign Originally Said?

Photograph of pro skater Judi Oyama, 1978

Mouseketeer hat worn by Lonnie Burr

Surfboard shaped by Craig Stecyk at Dave Sweet's Surfboards, Santa Monica, 1966

Hollywood October 1941

With Fish on the Dock, circa 1905

Carrie Fisher

Gambling stick and counters

Gambling stick and counters

Official site map from the 1984 Los Angeles Games

Diane Keaton

What Do You Know About the Golden Gate Bridge?

Monterey Jazz Festival Button

San Diego Padres Jersey worn by Tony Gwynn

Baseball glove, used by Rickey Henderson, Oakland A's

Anything but Humble: Hearst Castle

Jamie Lee Curtis

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

Baseball hat, worn by Rickey Henderson, Oakland A's

Barbie Doll

Why the 1989 San Francisco Quake Was So Disastrous

San Francisco Giants Hat, used by Willie Mays

Glove used by Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants

The Incredible History of Sunken Ships in San Francisco

California Raisin

This Lighthouse Made Sailing Into San Francisco Bay Safer

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