Edward-Dean Museum & Gardens facts for kids

The Edward-Dean Museum & Gardens, also known as EDM, is a special place in Cherry Valley, California. It's a historic home with beautiful gardens spread across 16 acres. Two antique dealers, Edward Eberle and Dean Stout, created this museum. They opened it to the public in 1958.

The museum showcases amazing Decorative arts from Europe and Asia. These pieces date from the late 1500s to the early 1800s. There's also a research library filled with old books. These books are from the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s, covering many different topics.

In 1964, the museum and its property were given to the County of Riverside. Today, the Riverside County Economic Development Agency helps to manage and care for this unique museum.

What Can You See at the Museum?

The Edward-Dean Museum has many interesting and historical items. Here are a couple of the most famous pieces you can find there:

General George Washington's Ledger

• You can see a real, hand-written ledger from George Washington. He was the leader of the American army during the American Revolutionary War. This book shows his personal accounts and notes from that time. It's like a peek into history!

Marie Antoinette's Patch Box

• The museum also has a special box that belonged to Marie Antoinette. She was a queen of France. This small box is called a patch box. It was used to hold small, artificial beauty marks. People used to wear these on their faces as a fashion statement.