Santa Anita Depot
In a somewhat hidden place of The Arboretum is the Santa Anita Depot. I’m thinking it’s safe to say that not many visitors of The Arboretum are aware of this hidden gem of a museum. It’s full of history and I’m glad to have finally run into the Santa Anita Depot.
The day I went, there were three representatives talking to visitors about the museum. I was intrigued but a bit taken aback at first since no one acknowledged me from the get go more than just once. I found that weird and off putting. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to just barge in on a current talk or if I could just do my own thing or what. I was confused and was able to validate how off putting it felt when I saw a male representative invite a woman into the museum. At the time of the invite, I was already away from the entrance of the museum so it made sense for him to not invite me, but the whole thing just didn’t sit too well for me. I mean, I was already here and wanted to see and learn what I could of the museum but at the same time didn’t want to get involved in any way if I wasn’t going to feel welcomed.
It was weird but in the end, I managed to have a very good experience at the Santa Anita Depot.
After taking photos of the exterior of the Santa Anita Depot, I decided to give the inside a try yet again and it worked to my favor this time around.
A female representative talked to me and another visitor about the items they had on display here.
She made sure that we were aware that many of these pieces weren’t from the Santa Anita Depot itself but pieces from that era.
I had the opportunity to see things like a “freezer” from back in the day, a “toaster” that looked nothing like a present day toaster, dishware and so forth. It was really interesting to see. It was also made clear to us that there actually wasn’t a kitchen here inside the Santa Anita Depot and that there wasn’t actually a partition to get into the “kitchen” back in the day. From my understanding, these were things made for the museum.
In an adjacent room, you can see various objects that a person working at the Santa Anita Depot might use in order to give someone tickets and whatnot. It was very interesting to see.
But what was even more interesting to see was the second floor of the Santa Anita Depot. I must give my thanks to the female representative for offering to show me the second floor of the Santa Anita Depot. While the second floor is indeed a part of the museum, I do not think it’s common for visitors to see the second floor. I say this because the entrance to the stairs are blocked off with a sign stating that it’s an area for staff only. So, I’m really grateful for being able to see the second floor with this amazing representative. I really felt that she was into this museum and appreciated my interest in this museum.
Similar to the bottom floor, pieces on the second floor aren’t actually from the Santa Anita Depot itself but are pieces from that era. I learned that a lot of these pieces were donated to the museum and I was just in awe that people had kept these pieces in such pristine condition.
It was really nice to see all these items and be able to get a glimpse into what people used back in the days. I’m sure people from that era would be appalled that this generation doesn’t play with dolls anymore… lol
I never asked the representative’s name but she had short blonde hair with bangs and I just want to give my thanks again to her. It was great being able to learn and see the Santa Anita Depot with her.