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Click on one of the images below for more information on that specific tour.
After a long closure due to Covid, Ketcham’s Barn is now open to the public. The hours are 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
Please drop by and see our work-in-progress. Volunteers have created a tent front to look like those that were seen throughout the Grove in the late 1800s, complete with artwork by Christine Crozier inside. A Victorian front is now almost complete.
The Barn at Laurel and 17th in Pacific Grove, fondly known as “Ketcham’s Barn,” was built in 1891 by H. C. Ketcham who used it to house animals. Hay and other provisions were brought inside to the loft. A rope and pulley mechanism is still in place.
The property was purchased by the City of Pacific Grove in 1979 and is now leased to the Heritage Society for $1.00 per year. Reconstruction of the barn was completed in 1981, and it now houses a number of local museum articles.
11 Historic Neighborhoods – An assortment of historical homes in the older neighborhoods of Pacific Grove.
The City of Pacific Grove had a very unique origin. It began as a Methodist Christian Seaside Retreat in 1875. It was conceived as a place to worship in a quiet and natural environment. Sections of the City were subdivided into 30′ x 60′ lots to be used as tent sites for seasonal (summertime) visitors.Gradually, permanent tent frames were constructed and eventually many frames were converted to year-round single wall structures.
A few people began staying in the campground over the winter and built the first homes, usually modest board and batten structures. With this, a handful of shops were soon constructed for these new residents.
Pacific Grove was incorporated in 1889 and over the next few decades many other neighborhoods were added to the original retreat and the Victorian homes that came to define Pacific Grove’s residential character were built.
These neighborhood tours highlight a fairly wide variety of housing styles, from the original tent cabins to grand structures on the National Historic Register. The tour takes place all within the boundaries of the Retreat and offers the walker ample opportunity to view Monterey Bay and to stop for refreshments along the way.
This is an easy walk that showcases many of the eclectic building styles that the City of Pacific Grove is noted for. The walk begins at the Pacific Grove Natural History Museum (usually parking spots are available nearby) at the corner of Forest Avenue and Central Avenue and ends at beautiful Jewell Park at the corner of Forest Avenue and Central.
Take your time, take pictures and enjoy the scenery!