New Exhibit Plans

Reimagined for All
It’s Time for the Mill’s Next Chapter

Under our Interpretive Master Plan, the mill’s historic granary will be transformed into a world-class exhibition—hands-on, multi-sensory, and emotionally resonant. Visitors will not just learn about history; they will feel it, touch it, and carry it forward. Designed with universal access in mind, engaging modernized exhibits will welcome people of all ages, abilities, and cultures.

The Vision: An Immersive Visitor Journey

The Granary Exhibition will guide visitors through seven thematic zones, blending heritage, science, and storytelling:

Welcome & Retail Experience – A mercantile-style entry with authentic textures and a curated store, where the spirit of 19th-century commerce meets the present day.
Understanding the Mill – A working scale model, tactile interactives, and touchscreen lms revealing the ingenuity of waterpower and the frontier craftsmanship that transformed raw materials into moving machinery.
Meet the People – An animated portrait gallery where 1850s community members share their stories.
Turning Points – Hands-on explorations of agriculture, viticulture, the environment, and cultural change in Napa Valley.
Preserving History – A moving timeline of the citizen-led ﬁght to save and restore the mill.
The Mill Today – A call to stewardship with donation touchscreens, visitor storytelling, and community event highlights.

Powering the Past. Inspiring the Future. A Living Landmark with a Story to Tell

For nearly two centuries, the Bale Grist Mill has stood as

a rare national treasure in the heart of Napa Valley—one of the last operational water-powered grist mills west of the Mississippi. Here, grain, water, and ingenuity built a community. Families gathered, crops became commerce, and resilience took root.

From 1846 to today, the mill has always been a gathering place, and we can ensure it will remain so now and for future generations by making vital repairs and replacements, including the original redwood siding and the wooden water flume.

Your support will make these restorations possible and allow us to usher in a new era of innovative visitor experiences.

Join Us in Inspiring the Future

The Bale Grist Mill is not a relic of the past. It is a living reminder of the innovation and resilience that built California. Your support ensures it remains safe, functional, authentic, and alive—now and always.