The vast majority of those who occupied the White House never came close to replicating the extraordinary leadership of the likes of Washington, Lincoln, or Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Why? Gerald Henig (author and professor emeritus of history at California State University, East Bay) offers little-known and compelling stories—funny, tragic, and, in some cases, startling— that help to explain why only a handful of our chief executives etched a place for themselves in the annals of presidential greatness.

Registration Required | Free

Ever wonder why there are so many urns on top of headstones? Notice all those pointy obelisks and floral motifs that adorn burial markers? Have you ever seen a headstone resembling a tree trunk or a log? Each communicates a different sentiment, idea, and identity. Start your morning with a walk through Lone Tree Cemetery and learn about cemetery iconography, symbolism, and the cultures that elevated them.

Registration requested. Meet at Mausoleum 2, behind the cemetery office.

No Dia de los Muertos celebration would be complete without skulls! On the last day of our wonderful community exhibit, come decorate a skull mask to wear for the day!

As Day of the Dead approaches, we all need a skeleton buddy. Come decorate your very own skeleton friend.

Join artist Rachel-Anne Palacios as she discusses the Day of the Dead and make your own Day of the Dead-themed tin art to take home. In partnership with the Hayward Arts Council and the Hayward Public Library.

Registration full, join waitlist. Ages 14+

Learn about the symbolism of monarch butterflies in Dia de los Muertos imagery and make your own monarch before they all migrate south.

Day of the Dead Festivities are filled with bright and happy colors! Add vibrant colors to your festivities with your very own tin foil art. Also learn about the role the marigold plays in Dis de los Muertos celebrations and make your own tissue paper marigold.

Our Tell Your Own Story writer's workshop was a success, and now we get to hear the fruits of their labor! Join us at the Museum on the second floor to hear our participants tell their own stories. Stop by and lend an ear. You may be inspired to join our next workshop!

Lead Paranormal Docent Gail Reilly will speak about investigating McConaghy House and Meek Mansion over the last decade and share her experiences from not only our sites, but other historical venues from around the state.

Free | Registration Full

Hayward/South County Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) Chapter invites you to a Voter Information and Registration Event. BWOPA partners with The Links Incorporated Eden Rose Chapter, the Hayward-South County NAACP, and the League of Women Voters of the Eden Area. Light refreshments will be provided.

The presentation will include information regarding:

• Why your vote is important

• An overview of elections: National, State, and Local

• The pros and cons of Assembly and Senate bills

• How you can get out the vote

• Voter information question and answer session

• On-site voter registration

Free | Registration Required

Do dental moldings, coffin windows, plaster ornamentation, and copper & gold-dusted wallpaper get you excited? This August, we will explore the exterior architecture and interior design of Meek Mansion based on architectural reports conducted during early restoration efforts. Walk with us through the house to learn about the details showcasing the Meek family’s taste and status.

Tour lasts approximately 60 minutes and will take guests to the second floor. Recommended for ages 14+

Tickets must be purchased in advance. $15 General Admission, Free for HAHS Members.

Officially started in 1870, Lone Tree Cemetery is the final resting place for many of the Hayward area’s early pioneers. Start your Saturday with a morning visit to the burial sites of some notable families to learn more about their contributions to the area and family histories. The Pioneer Circle Tour will begin at the amphitheater and requires walking uphill and navigating uneven paths.

Free | Registration Requested

As we all know, the Hayward area is known for being a great place to grow fruits and vegetables, so much so that we often have more on our trees and in our gardens than we know what to do with! Lucky for us, there is ForestR. ForestR is a nonprofit organization that offers many programs, but fruit tree gleaning is their specialty. Join us on June 1st to hear more about ForestR’s programs and how their fruit-gleaning service can help redistribute the overabundance your fruit tree produces.

Free | Registration Required

Join HAHS Board President, Tom Lorentzen, as he leads a discussion reflecting on the 60th anniversary of the JFK assassination.

Space is limited - please call (510) 581-0223 to reserve your spot. Space is given on a first come, first served basis.

It is always fun to imagine what it would be like to live at Meek Mansion, but did you ever wonder what it takes to run the home and work on the Meek property? September’s guided tour will explore the life of Meek servants and workers in the only tour that guides guests through the servants' quarters.

Free for HAHS Members, $15 Adults, $10 Seniors. Space is limited, and tickets must be purchased in advance by calling (510) 581-0223.

RocQuel Johnson, Vice President of the Hayward/South County Black Women Organized for Political Action, will speak about Black Resistance and Political Enfranchisement.

African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression in all forms, and resistance has achieved triumphs, successes, and progress. Black people have sought ways to nurture and protect Black lives and the autonomy of their physical and intellectual bodies through many avenues such as education, media, and legislation/politics. Black-led institutions and affiliations have lobbied, litigated, legislated, protested, and succeeded. Black resistance strategies have served as a model for every other social movement in the country; thus, the legacy and importance of these actions cannot be understated.

HAHS is proud to present RocQuel Johnson, Vice President of the Hayward/ South County Black Women Organized for Political Action, who will speak about Black Resistance and BWOPA as they work towards their mission to activate, motivate, promote, support, and educate African-American women about the political process, encourage involvement, and to affirm the commitment to solving problems affecting the African-American community.

RocQuel Johnson has over 23 years of extensive experience facilitating early community engagement work centered around difficult conversations. She has successfully developed direct partnerships, award-winning brand communications, negotiations, and collaborations with communities, government, and elected officials. As Vice President for the Hayward/South County chapter of BWOPA, she helped establish a Covid-19 vaccination education and awareness campaign in unincorporated Alameda County. RocQuel is also a board member of the Black Maternal Health Innovation Lab and has supported new policies centered around equitable Black maternal health for the women of Fresno County and has facilitated several Black maternal forums, including with BWOPA during Black Maternal Wellness Week. She is currently a Communication Specialist with Blue Shield of California Foundation.

It’s always fun to imagine what it would be like to live at Meek Mansion but did you ever wonder what it was like to work at the house and on the land? This specialty tour will explore the life of Meek servants and workers, guiding guests for the first time through servants quarters.

$15 Adults, $10 Seniors, Free for HAHS Members. Space is limited. For tickets, please call (510) 581-0223.

Save the date for this online presentation with Prof. Sherman Lewis! Dr. Lewis will speak about his newest book The Rise and Fall of Hayward’s Route 238 Bypass, which details the story of how Hayward’s Route 238 bypass ultimately never came to fruition. The book is available through Amazon, or an eBook version is available on the Google Play Store.

Registration for this program is now closed. A recording will be available at our YouTube channel in the near future.

Join us for a discussion on Black Health and Wellness during the pandemic. Dr. Michael LeNoir will ground the program with a talk concerning the history and culture of Black medicine, followed by a panel discussion covering the Black COVID experience led by Hayward City Councilmember Angela Andrews. Panelists include Fremont City Councilmember Teresa Cox, Mental Health Professional Dr. William Spivey, and Alameda County Superintendent of Schools L.K. Monroe.

Registration for this event has concluded. Please check back for a link to view the recording on YouTube.

Presented in partnership with the Women’s Ministry of Palma Ceia Baptist Church and the Eden Rose (CA) Chapter of The Links Incorporated.

Grab your morning buns and tea and join us for some literary delights of selected short stories with writing instructor, and author Naomi Shibata of Bend With the Wind and her Nisei writing enthusiasts. Journey into past, as they share stories growing up in Hayward, California in the 1940s and 1950s.

Free event. Registration required. Presentation via Zoom. Co-sponsored by the National Japanese American Historical Society and the Hayward Area Historical Society

Join us for a live online presentation by Professor Erika Walker, exploring the complex and continuing struggle for fully-realized African-American voting rights.

What are the historical pivot-points that have led us to this moment? What are aspects of “Active Citizenship”? How else can we use our power? And where do we go from here?

Registration for this webinar is available at bit.ly/HAHS-AfricanAmericansandtheVote

This program is presented in partnership with the Women’s Ministry of Palma Ceia Baptist Church and Eden Rose (CA) Chapter, of The Links Incorporated.

Between 1883 and 1929, Andrew Carnegie funded the building of over 2,000 public libraries. Some of those historic structures stood in San Leandro and Hayward. Join Annalee Allen, noted local historian, Oakland Tribune columnist, and former board member of the Oakland Heritage Alliance, as she shares the lasting legacy of the local Carnegie libraries.

$5 program fee, Free for HAHS Members

Bring along a special stuffed animal friend to celebrate! Taking a cue from the classic song “The Teddy Bear’s Picnic” (composed in 1907), we will sing songs and play games with our stuffed animal friends, to acknowledge the special place they hold in our hearts and imaginations.

Toddler Time is a family program geared toward children ages 1-5 years and their caregivers. It takes place on the second Thursday of each month from 10:30 – 11:30 AM. Together, we learn through games, crafts, songs, and stories. Older siblings are always welcome.

NOTE: There will be no actual food served during this program. Starting in February, there will be a $5 program fee per each adult for attending Toddler Time. HAHS members are free.