The Story:

Communication wasn’t always easy… or fast.  A huge advance happened right here in Sonoma County when the world’s first airmail delivery was made between Petaluma and Santa Rosa in 1911.  The airplane that made that delivery was built right here in Sonoma County too – by a local race car driver and mechanic named Fred Wiseman. That one remarkable flight laid the groundwork for what would become the fastest way to deliver letters and packages around the world.

It’s in the Mail! explores Sonoma County’s remarkable postal history from inside of Sonoma County’s most important postal artifact: the 1910 Santa Rosa Post office. With one of the very first Post Offices in California, established in the town of Sonoma in 1849, Sonoma County has been a significant part of the story of mail and long-distance communication in California for more than 175 years. The exhibition also serves as the Museum of Sonoma County’s 40th Anniversary exhibition, which is only appropriate since the Post Office building that received that first airmail delivery is now the Museum of Sonoma County.

Admission:

Adults: $10.00
Seniors (62+), Students, People with Disabilities: $7.00
Children 12 & Under: FREE
Museum Members: FREE