BARONA CULTURAL CENTER & MUSEUM

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE
BARONA CULTURAL CENTER & MUSEUM:

The Purpose of the Barona Museum is fourfold:

• To increase understanding and appreciation of the Kumeyaay/Diegueño people, residents of Southern California from time immemorial, and the Barona Band of Mission Indians, in particular.
• To preserve the Barona Collection of artifacts and to display them for tribal and public enjoyment.
• To preserve the Kumeyaay/Diegueño language (‘Iipay aa), arts and traditional ways so that future generations of Barona youth can grow in strength and knowledge, secure in the richness of their heritage.
• To educate the public on the history of the Kumeyaay/Diegueño people and Indian traditions such as birdsongs, language, gatherings, gaming and artwork from the early days to the present.

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday: Noon - 5 p.m. Closed Mondays & some Holidays.
Call to schedule tours and research appointments. Admission is free.

The Barona Cultural Center & Museum is dedicated to preserving the Native American culture and history of San Diego County.  With more than 3,000 artifacts, listening alcoves, photographic displays, and archives, the museum’s historic treasures unfold many fascinating and inspiring stories of the Kumeyaay/Diegueño experience.

As San Diego County’s only museum on an Indian reservation dedicated to the perpetuation and presentation of the local Native culture, the Barona Museum offers a unique educational journey for visitors of all ages.  The museum’s collection represents thousands of years of history—some objects dating as far back as 10,000 years—and it demonstrates the artistry and skill of the hemisphere’s first inhabitants.

A visit to the Barona Cultural Center & Museum is an exciting opportunity to witness history and explore the living cultures of Southern California’s indigenous populations.

The Barona Cultural Center & Museum showcases maps and treaties of ancient Tribal territories, interactive displays of Kumeyaay/Diegueño life, listening alcoves featuring sounds and songs of ancient Native American life and exhibits that illustrate important industries of the people, such as basketry, pottery making, and flaking of stone tools.

The museum’s collection includes everyday items such as coiled baskets and grinding stones, ceramic and shell objects (some ceremonial), and currency.  Research materials are also available.  Our library houses over a thousand books, including some that are rare and out-of-print, and we have an extensive archive of photos and historical documents to help visitors discover more about how the ancient ancestors lived. 

©2006 Photo by Alexandra Harris.