About
Shasta Historical Society

The Shasta Historical Society is committed to the education and enrichment of the community through our museums, research library, community events, and publications. This rich history is now available online in a searchable database, under research collections.

The Shasta Historical Society would like to extend a warm welcome to our guests. Located in the heart of historic Redding, the Society was formed on January 18, 1930 for the original purpose of collecting interviews of then-living area pioneers. Over the years the organization’s mission evolved to better serve the community of Shasta County by actively working to promote and communicate local history. 

Today, the Shasta Historical Society serves as the largest non-university center for historical research in California north of Sacramento. The library and archives host more than 3,000 researchers, students, and teachers each year. In addition to maintaining the research library, the Shasta Historical Society is active in the local community, hosting various free events throughout the year including a monthly program and walking tour series. 

We also produce the annual publication, The Covered Wagon. Written by local authors and professional historians, the articles communicate stories about Shasta County’s history and its people to our local community.

We are open to the public Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Our museum and research library houses valuable resources such as: Over 40,000 Photographs Rare Books Pioneer Family Files Early Marriage Records Poll Tax Records Oral History Recordings More than 5,000 Books, Pamphlets, and Vertical Files Cemetery Records Early Maps Shasta County Census Records The Shasta College Museum Collection Registered Voter Records Family Histories Coroner's Records from 1850-1935 Early Redding City Directories