Capitola Museum Reopens May 1

COMMUNITY NEWS Capitola Museum Reopens May 1

The Capitola Historical Museum, closed by the COVID-19 pandemic for a year, will reopen May 1, with an exhibition titled “Capitola Then & Now.”

Remember the Capitola Theater?

“It’s a fun topic,” said Museum Curator Frank Perry. “Visitors can see how Capitola has changed by comparing historic photos with recent ones taken from the same locations.”

Some are locations where once familiar landmarks no longer exist, such as the theater and ballroom. One of the most amazing is a photograph of Opal Cliffs when there was nothing but cow pastures.

Visitors will find displays on two local families: The Nutters and the Pawlas. In the early 1900s, Olley Nutter had an appledrying business at the corner of Capitola Avenue and Hill Street. Edith Pawla and her daughter, Emily, had a nursery on Wharf Road where they specialized in violets.

There is also a display on the history of the telephone in Capitola from 1880 to the present.

Hours at the museum, 422 Capitola Ave., Capitola, are noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with the current exhibit running through December. n

For information, call 831-464-0322 or visit the museum’s website: capitolamuseum.org. Dancing at the Capitola Ballroom, which brought in Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton, was a hot ticket for 80 cents.

•••

Cover Photo: Frank Perry puts the finishing touches on the 2021 exhibit at the Capitola Historical Museum.

Maternity care born from humankindness.

Your journey to motherhood is a precious time. That’s why Dignity Health – Dominican Hospital’s Family Birth Center is here to support your big day with a customized birthing experience focused on you. From live virtual classes and birth center tours, to our midwifery program and Level III NICU, Dominican Hospital offers the highest level of care in the Monterey Bay area. See for yourself how we’re safely delivering humankindness at DignityHealth.org/DominicanBirthCenter.