For those of us who live in South Lake County, one of our guilty pleasures is visiting the quaint, historic town of Calistoga, only twenty minutes from Middletown. There are a million and one diversions Calistoga has to offer, from art to homemade ice cream, and over the years, I have enjoyed them all. But there is one must-see experience Calistoga offers: the Sharpsteen Museum, named after its creator. That, friends, is where my story begins.
Ben Sharpsteen, born in 1895, did what so many other people in his generation did in those days–he spent his summer at a resort. His grandparents owned land in the area, and he began summering there at age seven and continued his annual visits for the next 12 years. Eventually, he grew up, served in the Marines for a time, and then began his true claim to fame as an Oscar-winning animator/director and producer for Walt Disney, when Walt was nothing more than an entrepreneur who loved animation! Ben worked for Walt Disney for thirty years and won eleven Oscars. Needless to say, the man and his team had talent.
And when Ben retired for good, he returned to where so many of his childhood memories came from–Calistoga. Like much of Lake County, Calistoga has always been known for its hot springs and wine country. What’s not to love?
In Ben’s later years, he had one more aspiration: to build a museum to ensure the rich history of Calistoga was remembered. And with his artistic flair, Ben not only created a museum with historical depth but also made it fun and enchanting: He and his team created a diorama showcasing the 1860s Calistoga Hot Springs resort during horse-and-buggy days. Ben died in 1980, two years after the museum opened–long enough to see the joy it brought to the community.
Today, the museum not only showcases the significant historical facts and wonders of the area, including its first settlers, the Wappo people, it also explains the link between Calistoga and Lake County via horse and buggy. Yes, Lake County was part of the stagecoach route that visitors traveled to enjoy its hot springs, all the way up to when the railroad never made it over Mt. Saint Helena. Of course, vacationers still found a way to visit, and the invention of the automobile certainly helped with that endeavor, but one can also see the economic divide that began between Lake and Napa Counties right around the time of the railroad. But then again, this is just my perspective and a digression.
The diorama alone is breathtaking and well worth the drive to see. But there are many drawings and awards showcasing Ben’s life while working for Walt Disney, as well as many photographs of him, his family, and his life, which also make the visit worthwhile. Plus, one of the Oscars he won is on display.
And if those reasons aren’t enough to make the trip, at the far end of the museum is one of Calistoga’s two-bedroom vacation cottages, filled with period-appropriate furniture and artifacts. Rumor has it, it’s haunted by ghosts. Of course, I was told this after walking through it. But I am alive to tell the tale, and I trust you will be, too, when you visit.
History still lives at the Sharpsteen. If you’re looking to get away for a few minutes or hours, step through the doors, and you’ll be transported to a world of the past. And you just might see the ghosts!
1311 Washington St, Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 942-5911
