Marin has so much uniqueness within!  Musicians from all over came to Marin for inspiration and creativity.  Check-out the Marin Museum's current Music exhibition!  The most famous Marin-inspired song, “Get Together,” serves as a muse for the Marin Rocks exhibition. Originally written in 1963 by Dino Valenti (then known by his birth name of Chet Powers), the song became a worldwide hit sung by Marin musicians Jesse Colin Young and the Youngbloods. The song’s message still rings true today:

“C’mon people now, smile on your brother
Everybody get together, try to love one another right now.”

Marin Counties interesting historical and learning Museums:

Architectural   Historical/Cultural   Nature Observation / Nature Preserves  

  Learning Museums    Local Tours    Arcade Flash Back

Stones guitar and Airplane violin added to Marin Rocks exhibition (From Marin IJ - January29,2010)

An electric guitar signed by all the Rolling Stones and a violin--hand-painted and signed by the Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick--were just donated to the Marin History Museum's (MHM) Marin Rocks exhibit by Ross residents John and Maria Pitcairn

The instruments will join other rock and roll artifacts and collectors items in the upcoming exhibit.   Marin Rocks, an interactive exhibit which details the heady days of rock and roll in the North Bay, is part of the new Music Center in downtown San Rafael scheduled to open in Fall 2010. The exhibit will combine state of the art visual presentations featuring historical film and video as well as other displays. 

Marin County Historical Society  1125 D Street, San Rafael.  (415) 454-8538 http://www.marinhistory.org/

Learning Museums

Marin County Historical Society
1125 D Street, San Rafae,l CA 94901  (415) 454-8538
http://www.marinhistory.org/

Bay Area Discovery Museum
East Fort Baker 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito, CA 94965  (415) 289-7266
http://www.badm.org/

The Bolinas Museum
48 Wharf Road, Bolinas, CA 94924  (415) 868-0330 

http://www.bolinasmuseum.org/

Marin Museum of the American Indian
2200 Novato Boulevard, Novato CA 94948  (415) 897-4064

http://www.marinindian.com/

Old Timers Museum
11 Knolltop Ct., Novato CA 94945  #728-1160

Global Virtual Museum
P.O. Box 93, Ross, CA 94957  (415) 456-1849
http://www.art-life.com/MOCA/index.html

Marin County Civic Center

designed by: Frank Lloyd Wright

http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/CU/main/flw/cctourarch.cfm

Historical / Cultural 

Belvedere/Tiburon Landmark Society:

P.O. Box 134, Belvedere-Tiburon, CA 94920   (415) 415/435-1853  http://www.weblink.com/landmarks/ 

China Camp State Park:
Route 1, Box 244, San Rafael, CA 94901  (415) 456-0766  http://parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=466

Fairfax Historical Society:
P.O. Box 622, Fairfax CA 94978  (415) 454-3615  http://www.marindirect.com/fxhistory/

Novato History Museum and Archives:
815 Delong Avenue, Novato CA 94945  (415) 897-4320

Old Timers Museum
11 Knolltop Ct., Novato CA 94945  728-1160

Falkirk Cultural Center
1408 Mission Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901  (415) 485-3328  http://www.falkirkculturalcenter.org/

Sausalito Historical Society
420 Litho Street, Sausalito, CA 94966  (415) 289-4117  info@sausalitohistoricalsociety.org

Marin Heritage
P.O. Box 1432, San Rafael CA 94915  (415) 454-2168

Olompali State Historic Park
P.O. Box 1016, Novato, CA 94948  (415) 892-3383  http://parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=465

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Nature Preserves

Mount Tamalpais State Park Visitor Center
801 Panoramic Hwy, Mill Valley CA 94941  (415) 388-2070
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=471

Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society
P.O. Box 134, Belvedere-Tiburon, CA 94920  (415) 415/435-1853
http://www.weblink.com/landmarks/

China Camp State Park
Route 1, Box 244, San Rafael, CA 94901  (415) 456-0766
http://parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=466

Tule Elk State Reserve Visitor Center
Point Reyes National Sea Shore, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956  (415) 663-1092
http://www.sfgate.com/getoutside/1996/aug/elkintro.html

Olompali State Historic Park
P.O. Box 1016, Novato, CA 94948  (415) 892-3383
http://parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=465

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Sausalito Wooden Boat Tour:  http://www.sausalitowoodenboattour.com/

• Tour historic houseboat communities, see world's most unique, luxurius, finest and funniest living accommodations.
• Tour historic World War II shipyards and the birthplace of the Liberty ships.
• Watch artists at work in waterfront art studios
• Visit Spaulding Boatworks and the Arques School of Traditional Boat Building for a look at this time-honored craft of wooden boat building. Meet the craftsmen, see boats large and small, delight in finding artisans tucked into nooks and crannies of the historic shipyard.

Did you know that from April to September there are nighttime astronomy discussion sessions on Tam? They're held in Rock Springs parking lot and at Mountain Theater. The link to info about them is below.

Mt. Tam Observatory- discussion, Observation & Tours:  www.mttam.net

• Welcome to the Mt. Tamalpais Interpretive Association (MTIA), a cooperative organization run wholly by volunteers to help you enjoy Mt Tamalpais State Park, Marin County, north of San Francisco. 

  The MTIA offers:

  • Guided hikes, from easy strolls to rigorous multi-milers as well as moonlight and moonrise hikes. 
    
  • Astronomy nights May through October, with lectures followed by telescope viewing. Astronomy events take place at the Rock Spring parking area and the Cushing Memorial Amphitheater, more commonly known as the Mountain Theater.
  • Every spring, a professional theater group stages a musical at the Mountain Theater. Thousands of people make the Mountain Play a hike destination and occasion for a picnic with friends and family.
  • A Visitor Center at East Peak that is open weekend days, as is the recently opened Gravity Car Barn.
    
    • Learn about the history, geology, flora, and fauna of Mt. Tam. 
      
    • You can also get trail advice and find maps and gifts.

  You can get to Mt. Tam by public transportation – for the bus schedule, visit the West Marin Stage Coach website or call 415.526.3236 or click on Transportation link at left or "HERE".
  

Flash to Arcade Past:

Best Place to Relive the Days of Frogger and Pong

Star Base Arcade, 1545 Fourth St., San Rafael. 415.459.7665.

From food to culture to shopping, downtown San Rafael is clearly trying to stay ahead of the pack, and that's what Marinites expect. It's surprising, lucky and downright strange, then, that the dark, dank video-game alley still sits there down at the end of the Fourth Street corridor, as it's likely sat for a couple of decades. A throwback to the years before Xbox and Playstation colonized the brains of today's youth, when entertainment had to be found outside the house, the small space is decidedly old-school. It's populated with familiar joystick-and-steering-wheel-operated machines, electronic pings and pongs and gunfire bursts emanating from tinny speakers. The pimply denizens meet their friends for a few hours of precious freedom (perhaps while mom and dad take in a film at the Rafael or stroll the farmers market), and the walls practically drip teenage angst--or maybe that's just a spilled Dr. Pepper.