The Haggin Museum, Stockton, California

There are several ways to drive from the Bay Area in California to Sacramento. The most obvious is to take I-80 East, direct from one city to the other. However, if you are south of San Francisco, it might be a faster trip to head west to Stockton, and then go north. This trip avoids a lot of the worst traffic between the cities, and Stockton is a great place to take a break and have lunch.

In planning this trip I noticed that Stockton has a well-regarded history and art museum—The Haggin Museum. The problem was that the Haggin doesn’t open until the afternoon. While waiting, I asked about lunch spots, and was directed to Gian’s Deli. This is an old style Italian sandwich shop. They slice their meat and cheese fresh for every order, and use homemade focaccia and rolls. They also serve several pasta dishes and daily specials. There is seating for around 20 people inside the deli.

The Haggin is an art and local history museum located in Victory Park in Stockton. It was founded in 1931 by the San Juaquin Pioneer and Historical Society. Robert McKee and his wife Eila Haggin McKee provided the funds for building the museum with two conditions; first, they wanted it to be named after Eila’s father, Louis Terah Haggin; and, second, that it would become the permanent home for their art collection.

The ground floor of the museum contains several galleries dedicated to the history of Stockton and the San Juaquin Valley.

The Haggin has an excellent collection of art. It has grown from its start as the McKee’s collection, with a focus on 19th and 20th century art.

One interesting piece is Flowers and Fruit. This painting was originally credited to Paul Gauguin, but over the years that provenance has been called into question. The Haggin has taken advantage of this ambiguity to create an exhibit that explores the process for authenticating an art work.

J.C. Leyendecker (1874-1951) was a commercial artist who helped set the standard for advertising art and for the cover of The Saturday Evening Post in the era before printed photography became widely used.

Finally, there was a temporary exhibit of ocean photography commissioned by National Geographic Magazine.

Stockton is the kind of city that most people drive right by in these days of speeding down the expressway. Museums like the Haggin are always worth stopping for.

Nuts and Bolts

• The Museum is located along Pershing Ave in Victory Park.
• It is open Wed-Fri 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM, Sat & Sun 12 noon – 5 PM
• Entrance fee is Adult $8/ Senior and Military $7/ Youth and Students $5