California Hall of Fame
The California Hall of Fame was established in 2006 by the Museum and former First Lady Maria Shriver to honor legendary people who embody California’s innovative spirit and have made their mark on history. Inductees come from all walks of life and have made distinguished achievements across a variety fields, including the arts, education, business and labor, science, sports, philanthropy and public service.
As the Museum’s signature program, the California Hall of Fame serves three distinct purposes for the institution:
- Annual gala raising funds for all of the Museum’s operations, exhibits and programs for the year;
- Landmark exhibit inspiring visitors through a display of personal artifacts on loan from the current class of inductees;
- Learning program educating over 100,000 visitors annually with the diverse stories of inductees’ achievements across key fields of interest
Additionally, induction into the California Hall of Fame is an official award from the Governor of California given in an official State of California ceremony. Inductees are presented with Spirit of California medal by the Governor, and their accomplishments are made permanent record in the California State Archives.