Barbed wire might seem like just a nuisance in your backyard—or a handy tool to keep cattle from wandering—but its impact on America goes far beyond fences. From reshaping the open range of the West to affecting Indigenous lands, livestock management, and even military strategy, barbed wire earned the nickname “The Devil’s Rope.”
Discover how this simple invention changed the landscape, law, and history of the American West—and see why most of Shasta County is still considered open range.
Turtle Bay’s Walk for Wildlife brought families and members together for a morning of fun, learning, and animal encounters. Guests met animal ambassadors like Blossom the skunk and Bristle the porcupine and enjoyed bubbles and breakfast—all while supporting the care of our animals year-round.
At first glance, it’s a vintage sewing machine—but there’s so much more beneath the surface. Produced in 1919, this hand-crank Singer Model 128 is a symbol of the Industrial Revolution’s impact on daily life. It brought sewing into the home, launched mass production, and even played a role in shaping global labor trends.
This month’s featured artifact connects directly to our Discover Steampunk exhibition—bridging invention, imagination, and a bit of drama. Curious how? Read the full blog to learn more!
Step back to 1928 with July’s featured artifact of the month—a Brownie camera from Turtle Bay’s Permanent Collection! Developed by George Eastman, this compact, user-friendly camera made photography accessible to everyday people for the first time. Donated in 1974 (and still working at the time!), it's the perfect companion to our Discover Steampunk exhibition, where history meets imagination.
Read more on the blog and visit the Museum to see it in person!
This “mystery object” received an overwhelming number of votes in our visitor poll! A mystery no more, this head rest was accessioned into the Turtle Bay museum collection in 1978 with the description, “head rest from the Turkana culture of Northwestern Kenya; used to protect hairdos while sleeping and to keep bugs from getting into hair; carried with a sash worn around the waist and is sometimes used as a stool.” So, now you know!
Community leaders and Turtle Bay supporters gathered on October 23, 2018 for a special dedication ceremony, recognizing the opening of the Senator Maurice and Marianne Johannessen Animal Recovery Center, a new multi-use building that allows Turtle Bay to give the best possible care to its animal ambassadors.
We all jumped back into our cars and rushed into the Park to start our evacuation protocols. Looking back now, it is so unreal. As we were running around packing up animals, I couldn’t believe how well each mammal kenneled when we asked. With our adrenaline pumping, they surely felt that something was wrong.
Where some people see junk, others see potential. Local artists converge for this exhibition of recycled, upcycled, and just plain rescued art! This group-curated pop-up features work by established and emerging artists working in a wide variety of media for a limited time, now through August 3, 2018 in the East End of the Museum at Turtle Bay in Redding, CA.
The Turtle Bay Museum Collection consists of over 35,000 historical, ethnographic, and archaeological artifacts and artworks. It is amalgam of the collections of the former Redding Museum of Art and History and The Forest Museum and includes objects acquired after the museums merged into Turtle Bay. Today, Turtle Bay is not actively collecting due to lack of funding, space, and personnel.
Thanks to a generous donation at our 2018 auction, the Education & Programs Department was able to put on an additional, fourth week of summer camp named “Inventor’s Workshop”! During this week of Discovery Camp, we welcomed 16 children between the ages of 7-12 to partake in a wide range of activities that your donations made possible. We were also able to offer two campers full scholarships during this week.
Friday, March 2, 2018 - Babe's Corral is officially OPEN and ready for action, thanks to the generous support from First Five Shasta and their ongoing support for this newest forest-themed playground attraction for our youngest guests. Today's ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated that partnership and both organizations look forward to having a greater impact on those served in Shasta County.
Join us for our Black Friday Sale to save 25% off all store inventory from 8:30am to noon, Friday November 24th. The museum store offers a wide assortment of items including Turtle Bay, Redding, and California souvenirs, jewelry, one-of-a-kind gifts, local merchandise, as well as, fun and educational toys for all ages.
