Burlingame Hillsborough History Museum reopens

“There’s nothing better than institutional memory when you’re developing future plans for your city,” he said. “You really have to know what came before so you can respect that, and perhaps avoid some of the mistakes that were made in the past.” 

After its pandemic-induced closure, the historical society decided to rebuild the museum in its entirety. Visitors at its grand reopening were able to learn about what residents used to do for recreation, including enjoying the town’s original opulent, architecturally significant movie palace.  Other exhibits feature information on the old general store, where, at the turn of the century, you could “buy almost anything you needed,” Cohen said. 

Those interested in true crime might also find some scintillating details about crimes committed throughout Burlingame’s history at the museum as well. 

Another especially exciting exhibit uses lenticular graphics to show then-and-now images of Burlingame and Hillsborough. 

“We have a whole wall of those types of graphics — when you look at the wall and rock back and forth, if you rock one way, you see an old building and if you rock the other way, you see what’s there today,” Cohen said. 

Beginning January 2025, the museum will be back to its regular hours, from 1-4 p.m. the first Sunday of every month. Visitors are encouraged to come to the museum and learn something they otherwise might not have about their town’s past. 

“It’s a small space but it’s packed with a lot of interesting history,” Cohen said.