The Victor Lowell Thomas Museum is an original 1899 building that houses two floors of artifacts, books, exhibits and photographs depicting the life in Victor from its beginnings to the heyday of gold mining. The museum also displays memorabilia once owned by famous journalist, author and world traveler, Lowell Thomas.
The museum, located at the corner of 3rd St. and Victor Ave. in Victor, is housed in an 1899 brick structure that once was a hardware store, hotel and furniture store.
The Victor Museum was opened in its current location in June 1958 thanks to a group of local women who wanted to house and protect Victor's history. The building had been under disrepair since a fire in 1952 and the money to purchase the museum building was loaned to the museum association by local resident Rudy Balke. In 1981 it was renamed the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum when former resident Lowell Thomas died and part of his memorabilia was left to the museum association.
The museum is owned and operated by the Victor Improvement Association, a 501c3 non profit organized in the 1950s. The volunteer board of directors of the VIA meets monthly.
