The county museum splits cleanly into two halves: a permanent local-history wing covering Pomo and Miwok culture, Mexican land grants, the 1906 earthquake, and Sonoma's wine-making century; and a contemporary-art wing with rotating shows that draw from a permanent collection of about 18,000 pieces, including strong holdings of California Impressionists and works by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The two together work better than either would alone — a small, well-laid-out building with enough to fill an hour and a half.
The most arresting object is the 1907 stained-glass window from the Santa Rosa railway station, depicting a steam locomotive. The museum is closed Mondays; entry is around $10 and the same ticket covers any temporary exhibition.