The Novato History Museum sits in a small house at 815 DeLong Avenue. The house dates to 1850 and once belonged to the town's postmaster. In 1975 it was falling apart, and the City of Novato bought it for one dollar and moved it to DeLong. The next year the Novato Historical Guild and other community groups renovated it, and it opened as the museum in 1976. It has been there for 50 years. Inside, the exhibits run from the land grant era through the dairies and chicken farms of the early 1900s, then the 1950s housing boom, and up to the present.
The Marin Independent Journal reported that, according to the Guild, the DeLong site doesn't draw foot traffic from across the busy avenue, has accessibility problems and has little parking. So the museum is moving to the Civic Center, into the historic Scott House at 917 Sherman Avenue. The $3.2 million the Guild raised is buying the museum a downtown address. The piece that would tie it most closely to downtown gatherings, a stage and pathway, didn't make it into the construction contract and is still waiting on a council vote.
A building that has been closed since 2005
The Scott House was built in the 1920s and served as a municipal building. The city closed it in 2005 because of unsafe seismic conditions. So for about 21 years, a historic building at the Civic Center has stood empty.
Guild president Susan Magnone told the Independent Journal that members toured the building several years ago and thought it would make a great museum, but the Guild couldn't afford the renovation then. The move had to wait until the money came in.
Eight months of fundraising
The Guild started its campaign in April 2025 and hit its $3.2 million goal by December. That took about 160 donors and a $1 million bequest from the estate of Charmaine Burdell. The Independent Journal described the bequest as a surprise and noted that Burdell came from one of Novato's oldest families. The Guild's own site counts 190 donations, pledges and grants. That is a separate tally from the donor count.
The Guild agreed to raise all the money for the relocation, under a partnership with the City that dates to the museum's opening. The City owns the building and the collections, and the Guild's volunteers run the museum. A new operating agreement covers the museum at its new address for the next 50 years.
The City's Scott House project page estimates the total cost at $3.0 to $3.5 million. Funding comes from the City's Long-Term Maintenance fund, Parks Measure A, the Guild's donations and possible historic preservation grants.
Here is the sequence so far:
- 1975: The City buys the Postmaster's House for one dollar and moves it to DeLong Avenue.
- 1976: The Guild and community groups open it as the Novato History Museum.
- 2005: The City closes the Scott House over seismic safety.
- April to December 2025: The Guild raises $3.2 million.
- October 13, 2026: The City Council approves the construction contract.
- October 20, 2026: Groundbreaking at 917 Sherman Avenue.
- 2027-2028 fiscal year: Scheduled completion.
The bid came in high, and the stage was cut
On October 13 the City Council approved a construction contract of nearly $2.8 million with Murray Building Inc., Patch reported. The bid came in higher than expected, so several optional features were left out of the base contract. One of them was a stage.
According to Patch, Councilmember Tim O'Connor said the renovation could connect the museum to a separate outdoor gathering space, and he described what that space is used for:
"The city uses it to host concerts, shows, things like that."
He asked the city to consider paying for the stage and a pathway that weren't in the bid. The council voted to put the stage and pathway on a future agenda.
A museum next to the space where the city holds concerts gets visitors who came downtown for something else. A stage and a path between the two would make that link a physical one. For now the museum part is under contract and the link is pending.
Other council members praised the project too, Patch reported. Councilmember Pat Eklund thanked the Guild and the community members who supported it. Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Jacobs said, "I think it's going to make a dramatic difference in the community."
What the Scott House will become
The renovation list is long because the building has sat closed for so long. It includes structural repairs, seismic retrofitting, accessibility improvements, mechanical and electrical upgrades, roof replacements, exterior restoration and interior renovation. The City is coordinating the work with the State Historic Preservation Office so the building keeps its historic character.
When it's finished, the building will be the museum's home and a community gathering space. It may also host City programs and rentals. The City's groundbreaking announcement says there will be more room for exhibits, lectures, meetings and community events than the DeLong house can hold. Patch reported that schoolchildren who now visit the less accessible DeLong location are among the people the move is meant to serve.
Mayor Rachel Farac said in the City's announcement that the project "brings together the best of both worlds: preserving the historic character of this building while creating a welcoming space where our community can gather, explore Novato's rich history, and make new memories." At the groundbreaking, Guild member Jeanne MacLeamy described the goal in terms of downtown, as reported by the Independent Journal:
"This museum is a gift to our community. Bringing a cultural, educational and entertainment venue to downtown. We are all making history come to life."
The schedule gives completion only as the 2027-2028 fiscal year, with no specific opening date. Downtown is changing in other places too. Grant Avenue has its own long-awaited project, which we covered when the Novato Theater site got its plan.
The DeLong house, for now
The Guild's museum page lists the DeLong Avenue museum as open Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. The City lists the same hours, plus visits by appointment. Admission is free, and the museum is closed on holidays. With construction underway, call ahead at (415) 897-4320 before you go.
The current special exhibit is "Novato Then and Now," which sets historic photographs of the town next to present-day views of the same scenes. You can take a docent-guided tour or go at your own pace with a QR code or a printed exhibit guide.
The Guild also runs the Hamilton Field History Museum in the historic 1934 Firehouse at 555 Hangar Avenue. It keeps the same Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday hours, and admission is free.
To follow the project in person, the Novato Historical Guild holds its general membership meeting on Saturday, December 12, from 10 a.m. to noon at Novato City Hall, 901 Sherman Avenue. That's on the same street as the Scott House. The Downtown Novato Business Association's Community Tree Lighting Festival is a week earlier, on Saturday, December 5, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. in Old Town.
When a Civic Center building reopens after two decades, the blocks around it change, and that matters if you're thinking about a move in or around downtown. John Hendricks follows these projects as part of his work across Novato. If you'd like to talk through what's changing downtown and how it fits your plans, schedule a local market consultation.
