The Lace Museum

The Lace Museum was founded in 1976 in the San Francisco Bay Area in California by a small group of women in order to preserve the art of lace making. By meeting regularly, the founding members were able to teach each other lace making techniques, teach other groups and individuals how to make lace, and to educate the community about the fine art of lace making through exhibits, shows and community events. The Lace Museum was incorporated in 1981 and is a non-profit organization. It is a teaching museum administered by a Board of Directors and is staffed entirely by volunteers. The museum houses hundreds of samples of laces that have been donated over the years. Many types of lace, lace making tools and books that date back as far as the 1700's can be found in the museum. Quarterly exhibits demonstrate the breadth of the museum's holdings. Classes and lectures are sponsored by the Lace Museum Guild whose membership is open to the public. Exhibits at local craft fairs help educate the public about lace making. Museum volunteers take lace making projects for children into area schools.The Lace Museum exists solely through the donations of individuals, revenue from the gift shop, and revenue from the classes conducted by the Guild. The Lace Museum Guild has grown to include over 100 members worldwide. It is one of two museums devoted solely to lace in the western part of the United States and showcases an extensive collection of lace and lace tools. The museum houses hundreds of tools, lace examples, books and other materials covering the history of lace. The Lace Museum provides on-going lace making classes with experienced instructors. The museum is staffed entirely by volunteers and is supported by donations, Friends of the Museum, and the Lace Museum Guild. The museum also has a gift shop featuring it's annual Lace Photo Calendar, T-shirts, Christmas Ornaments, books, vintage and contemporary tools and other items for lace making. Miscellaneous other items are donated for sale to support the museum.