We’re History: To those who dismiss the...

We’re History: To those who dismiss the Valley as an upstart place with no sense of the past, local historians say pshaw. The Valley is home to several small museums that chronicle the history of the area. For an overall view, try the historical museum at Valley College, (818) 781-1200, which boasts photographs and artifacts charting the Valley’s development.

Home, Sweet Home: Chatsworth has its own museum, with the Valley’s only standing homestead cottage on the grounds, which are a part of Chatsworth Park. “It’s typical of the kind of homestead cottages in the Valley in the 1880s and the turn of the century, but there are none left,” says curator Virginia Watson, above. Tours are given just once a month, (818) 882-5614.

Rock On: The community of Tujunga started out in 1913 as a utopian society founded by a group called the Little Landers, men and women devoted to simple living on acre plots. Although the colony broke up within a decade, its clubhouse, Bolton Hall--made entirely of local rocks--remains. Today, the building houses the Little Landers Historical Society and museum, (818) 352-3420.

Driving Beat: One of the more unusual local museums is in Sylmar’s San Sylmar building, which contains a massive collection of vintage cars and mechanical musical instruments, some worth millions of dollars. Tours are free, but be warned: No jeans or shorts are allowed, (818) 367-2251.