History
Established in 1971 In 1962, the city of Brea celebrated its 55th Anniversary and a group of Brea residents, realizing how much the city had changed in their lifetimes, began collecting objects and photographs that documented the city's history. Their group expanded in number and, in 1971, formally organized into the Brea Historical Society. In the early 1980s, the Brea Historical Society first opened the Brea Museum at the old City Hall. There, they displayed oil artifacts and photographs. In 2006, the Museum moved into its current location in the old American Legion Hall where it has a much expanded exhibit on Brea's history, a collections' storage facility, reference library, research center, and meeting facility. In 2010, the old American Legion Hall (now the Brea Museum & Heritage Center) gained a new neighbor. A new collections' storage facility was completed behind the museum. This building houses the Museum's collections and preserves these artifacts for generations to come.
Specialties
The Brea Museum & Heritage Center specializes in educational and historical outreach via on-site and online research, group and individual tours, school programs, and special events.