The Antioch Historical Society operates their museum in the old Riverview Union High School building, built in 1911. The last school class was 1931. Afterwards, the building was used by Bureau of Reclamation, then was purchased in 1947 by Fibreboard Container Corporation and used until 1975 when it was sold to Riverview Fire District for its headquarters. In 1998 the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites.

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors sold the site to the Antioch Historical Society.

The Society has been together since 1970 to “preserve, protect and showcase the history of Antioch.” Many of the former classrooms are now themed rooms with archives of newspapers, family histories, city records, and photographs. A highlight of the museum is the collection of the Antioch Ledger newspaper in bound volumes beginning in 1933. The library and archive room is a nice place to research with a table and great lighting.

However, not all the gems are in the library. There is a school room with the senior class pictures displayed on the walls and the yearbooks from Antioch High School. The military room contains histories of local units and many photographs and scrapbooks. In the local history room are vignettes of a variety of subjects, including maritime and fishing, native peoples, and local industries such as canneries and the paper plant. These would include subject files, photographs, histories, and scrapbooks.

To discover more about the museum, its history and sponsored events, visit www.antiochhistoricalmuseum.org.