About Us:

The Monterey County Agricultural & Rural Life Museum (MCARLM) is located within San Lorenzo County Park, 1160 Broadway, King City, CA. The park is a Monterey County facility. MCARLM's interpretive period is the last quarter of the 19th century through World War II. The collections are principally agricultural related implements, house museum furnishings, and historical objects related to specific local history. The museum complex has 6 buildings: the Exhibit Barn, Olson Blacksmith Shop, and the History of Irrigation Museum; plus the historic Spreckels House (1898), La Gloria Schoolhouse (1887), and the King City Train Depot (1903). All are completely furnished with turn-of-the-century artifacts. There are outside exhibits of antique farm equipment dating from the late 1800s into the 1940s. The main Exhibit Barn features displays following the development of Salinas Valley agriculture and rural life from the late 1700s to 1940. We also have meeting rooms, picnic facilities and camping through the auspices of the Parks Department.

Mission: The Monterey County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum's (MCARLM) specific and primary purposes are: the discovery, acquisition and preservation of artifacts; interpretation of museum exhibits, collections and historic structures; dissemination of knowledge about the history of farming, agriculture, and related cultural services in the Salinas Valley and adjacent areas; to promote interest through programs of public interest and education; and to coordinate fundraising campaigns for the support of the above purposes.