Western Hotel Museum

The Western Hotel Museum plays host to permanent displays of historical artifacts from the Museum of Art and History’s permanent collection. Most of these objects, ranging from Native American stone tools to old mining equipment, to photographs of well-known Lancaster residents have been donated by members of the public, constituting a preserved record of the history of the area. While specific rooms in the Western Hotel Museum are closed for renovation, exhibitions on view will include: Antelope Valley Mining, the California Missions, Fashions from the Past and Antelope Valley Native Americans. Currently on view are many early Antelope Valley photographs and historical items, as well as mock hotel rooms and an outdoor garden.  Built around 1888, the Western Hotel Museum is downtown Lancaster's oldest surviving structure. As a hotel, it has gone through several names, including the Antelope Valley Hotel, the Gillwyn Hotel, and lastly, the Western Hotel (c. 1895). Its most famous owners were George and Myrtie Webber. Myrtie died in 1978 at the age of 110. Once the Lancaster Hotel, the Western Hotel Museum is the city’s oldest building and the home of several spirits. The sound of footsteps and old records can be heard at random times, and the smell of vanilla and old flowers also has been reported.