Oakdale Museum & History Center

About Oakdale Museum & History Center

The Oakdale Museum & History Center occupies a five-acre property in Oakdale and invites visitors to explore exhibits depicting local heritage through authentic period rooms and business history. The Tim Haidlen Research Room houses over 250 bound volumes of the Oakdale Leader newspaper dating to 1884, city tax assessment records, and elementary class photos, with knowledgeable staff available for assistance. The Parlor recreates a Victorian-era greeting room displaying personal items including pocket watches, smoking pipes, handkerchiefs, hat pins, and beaded purses, alongside an Eastlake settee and square grand piano from early ranching families. Visitors explore exhibits dedicated to historic Oakdale businesses including A.L. Gilbert Co., Hershey Foods, ConAgra Foods, and P.E. Van Pelt Fire Apparatus. Grandma's 1930 Kitchen features a wood stove and period cooking equipment, while the General Store replica displays relics from Oakdale Soda Works and Zaro & Cisi's Market. The museum hosts special events throughout the year, including barber shop quartet performances and family days with lawn games and historical activities.