Ainsley House and the Campbell Historical Museum

Downtown Campbell grew up around fruit, with canneries that packed the harvest of the Santa Clara Valley orchards. One of the men behind that business, the canning pioneer John Colpitts Ainsley, built a storybook Tudor house for his family in 1925. Today that house stands in the downtown civic area beside the Campbell Library lot. It is open for tours. A few blocks away, the city's first firehouse holds the Campbell Historical Museum. Together they are run by the City of Campbell as the Campbell Museums.

This page started as a guide to a different South Bay museum. The Viet Museum at History Park in San Jose has been closed for long stretches since late 2024 during a dispute over who runs it. We could not confirm a 2026 opening on an official page. The Ainsley House, by contrast, publishes a full 2026 schedule. All hours and prices here come from the Campbell Museums website, checked on November 2, 2026. Our Campbell guide covers the rest of downtown.

History of the house

John Colpitts Ainsley and his wife, Alcinda, built the house in 1925 in the style of an English Tudor Cotswold cottage, part of the Arts and Crafts movement. It was their third home in Campbell. It originally stood at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and what was then Johnson Avenue, now Bascom Avenue.

The remaining members of the Ainsley family donated the house to the City of Campbell, which moved it to its present site at 300 Grant Street in 1990. The house and its Carriage House were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The museum closes it for a yearly renovation in the first months of each year.

The Campbell Historical Museum has its own long story. Local activist Jeanette Watson and the Campbell Country Woman's Club began raising money in the early 1960s. The museum opened in January 1964 as part of the club and moved several times. Since 1983 it has occupied Firehouse No. 1 at 51 North Central Avenue, Campbell's first public building. Our orchards and agriculture page explains the fruit industry these two sites remember.

Hours and tickets for 2026

• Hours: both sites are open Friday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Tickets: buy Ainsley House tickets at the Carriage House. Combination tickets cover both museums and do not have to be used on the same day.
• Winter closure: the Ainsley House page says the house closes in January and February and reopens in March. The museum's homepage says it closes January through March. Expect it to be shut early in the year and check before a spring visit.
• Phone: 408-866-2119.

Holidays at Ainsley House 2026

Each fall, community groups, businesses and volunteers decorate a room apiece in a different holiday style. In 2026 the decorated house is open from November 12 to December 20, Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Holiday admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for ages 7 to 17. Children 6 and under are free.

The tea, hosted by the Campbell Museum Foundation, includes finger sandwiches, champagne, an Ainsley blend tea and treats in the Carriage House, then a self-guided tour. Reservations are required for the tea and for Santa. The evening open houses add live music in the living room. Our holiday season guide and holiday lights page list more December outings.

What to see

• The Ainsley House. Guided tours last about 45 minutes and cover both floors. The first floor includes the living room, dining room, breakfast room and foyers.
• From the Archives. A rotating display in the house drawn from the Ainsley family papers, with stories about the family, the house and their businesses.
• The Carriage House. The visitor center, museum store and ticket desk.
• Campbell Historical Museum exhibits. Growing Up in Campbell, on childhood in the early 1900s; Connecting a Nation, on the Postal Service and Campbell's role in piloting Rural Free Delivery; and General Store: Hub of the Community. All three have hands-on elements.

The summer art show at the Ainsley House closed on October 24, 2026.

Getting there from Palo Alto

Campbell is about 20 miles from Palo Alto. Allow 25 to 35 minutes by car outside rush hour, via Interstate 280 south to Highway 17 and the Hamilton Avenue exit. Public parking is on site and behind the Campbell Library. The Ainsley House has four dedicated spaces in the shared library lot, which also holds the accessible parking.

By transit, the museums are within walking distance of the Downtown Campbell VTA light rail station and the VTA bus 26 Civic Center stop. From Palo Alto, ride Caltrain to San Jose Diridon and connect to light rail there. Check VTA's trip planner for the current line and times; the trip takes well over an hour each way.

Tips for visiting with kids

• Start at the Historical Museum. Its exhibits have hands-on elements made for young children. The general store and the mail exhibit work well for ages 5 to 10.
• Save the house for older kids. House tours involve stairs and standing. Folding chairs are available.
• Book Santa early. The November 21 slots are small.
• Pets stay home. Only trained service animals are allowed in the house and Carriage House.
• Ask about touch tours. The museum offers them for blind and low-vision visitors.

Food nearby

Campbell Avenue, the downtown main street, is a short walk from Grant Street. Three places we confirmed on their own websites in early November 2026:

• Manresa Bread at 195 E. Campbell Avenue, for bread, pastries and coffee.
• Aqui Cal-Mex at 201 E. Campbell Avenue, for a casual lunch.
• Water Tower Kitchen at 201 Orchard City Drive, which lists 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Our Campbell food guide covers more. On Sunday mornings the farmers market closes Campbell Avenue to cars, which makes the walk from the museum easy.

For other house museums in the South Bay, see our History Park San Jose guide.

Frequently asked questions