— Your Portal to Orinda History
Explore digitized archives, visit our museum, and discover the people, places, and events that shaped this community from the rancho era to today.
Archive Item #P-00016
Orinda Crossroads, 1940s, Ben Randall Collection, Orinda Historical Society
Free admission beneath the Orinda Library. Explore exhibits, artifacts, and local history collections every Saturday.
Search thousands of photographs, documents, and oral histories through our CatalogIt database, from home or at the museum.
All 824 issues of the Orinda Sun (1948 – 1972), digitized and fully searchable through California Revealed.
New exhibits, newly digitized photos, and stories you won't find anywhere else.
Photographs from Orinda's past, selected from our growing digital collection.
Orinda Theatre, 1983, Orinda Historical Society
Featured · 1983
Opened in 1941, the Orinda Theatre brought Art Deco glamour to a small ranch town. Its distinctive marquee has welcomed moviegoers for over 80 years — and today it remains the most recognized landmark in the community. This photograph, taken in 1983, captures the theatre at the heart of the Crossroads shopping district.
c. 1910s Bien Venida House, 1908, courtesy of the de Laveaga Family, Orinda Historical Society
c. 1975 Black's Market at Orinda Crossroads, circa 1975, Mirador XXII, Orinda Historical Society
c. 1890s Quién Sabe, Hay Balers, circa 1900–1930, courtesy of the de Laveaga Family, Orinda Historical Society
c. 1925 Orinda Union School, 1925, Orinda Historical Society
Free admission. Walk-ins welcome. Located beneath the Orinda Library.
Every Saturday, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Also available by appointment — call or email us
26 Orinda Way, Room 106
Orinda, CA 94563
Ground floor of the Orinda Library, next to the parking garage elevator
Bring your class for a guided tour of Orinda history. Contact us to schedule.
(925) 254-1353 · info@orindahistory.org · Mail to: P.O. Box 82, Orinda, CA 94563
On Display Now
Orinda authors: a literary celebration
Orinda may be a small city, but it has produced an impressive range of authors. Our current window display features works by local writers held in the Society's collection, including Poul Anderson, Alison Burns, Robert Karplus, Jean Lyford, and Wayne F. Miller. Visit the museum every Saturday from 11 AM to 1 PM.
Support OHS
For 55 years, our 220+ members and volunteers have kept Orinda's history alive, digitizing collections, maintaining exhibits, and preserving the stories that define this community.
We survived near-closure in 2019 and kept our doors open through COVID. With your help, we've digitized all 824 issues of the Orinda Sun and are building a permanent digital archive so these stories outlast all of us.
“I searched the photo archive and found a picture of my grandmother's house on Miner Road from 1952. I had no idea it existed.”
-Orinda resident & OHS member
Research
Access our digital archives from home or at the museum. Two collections, thousands of records.
Browse our CatalogIt database of digitized photographs, organized by decade, location, and subject. Search for neighborhoods, addresses, schools, and landmarks.
Search the Orinda Sun (1948 – 1972) through California Revealed. 824 issues of historical news, ads, and community stories, fully searchable.
Submit your question and our volunteers will dig into the archives for you. Most questions get a response within 48 hours, no need to wait for Saturday.
