Transform a historic structure
into an enriching museum!
A future objective of the Hometown Hero Project is to open a Joe DiMaggio Museum in Martinez. Theprincipal site for the museum being considered is the old Southern Pacific Railroad Depot. This historic building was first located here in 1876. The following year, the first passenger train passed through Martinez carrying Leland Stanford --- founder of Stanford University.
We are currently working closely with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and other museums to best understand all the things we need to consider in renovating the old depot. It is hoped that we can draw on the experience of these existing museums to establish a first-class, small museum worthy of a national icon the likes of Joe DiMaggio.
Initial plans are to share the depot site with a museum dedicated to the history of the Carquinez Straight, a narrow water passage between San Joaquin Rivers flowing to Suisun Bay and San Pablo Bay --- a northern extension of San Francisco Bay. By combining the two museums in the depot facility we can leverage artifacts and exhibits from both to draw people to the downtown Martinez area. The History of the Carquinez Strait Museum is an undertaking planned by the Martinez Historical Society.
