Lamchin Interpretive Center
The Lamchin were an independent tribe of the Ramaytush Ohlone, the original inhabitants and caretakers of the San Francisco Peninsula. Filoli sits on the unceded land of the Lamchin tribe and therefore of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples. The Association of Ramaytush Ohlone (ARO), in partnership with Filoli, created the Lamchin Interpretive Center to share the story of the original people of this place.
To visit the Lamchin Interpretive Center, you’ll walk through Filoli’s Natural Lands on the California Trail. It is located about 15 minutes from the House & Garden, near Red’s Barn and the trailhead for the Spring Creek Trail.
Journey Through Time
Inside, you’ll learn about the ways the Lamchin tribe lived interconnected with the plants, animals, and waterways of this area, and the impacts that colonization had on the landscape and the native people. Murals, soundscapes, and maps help immerse visitors in the story of this land’s indigenous people through time.
The last room of the exhibit touches on the present and future by highlighting the current work of the Ramaytush Ohlone in the Bay Area. The ARO focuses on projects at the intersection of ecology and equity, fulfilling their primary responsibilities: to care for all of nature, and to care for the people who live in their ancestral homeland, especially those most in need.
Glimpse into the Story
This Visit California spotlight highlights the exhibit through Gregg Castro, the culture director of the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone, and one of two consultants at Filoli’s Lamchin Interpretive Center.
History of the Center
Originally a foaling barn for the Roths, the Sally MacBride Nature Center opened in 1988. Named after the founder of Filoli’s nature education program, the center housed nature education exhibits shared with youth on field trips and visitors on guided tours. In 2017, it opened to all visitors when the self-guided nature trail opened.
In June 2024, the building reopened as the Lamchin Interpretive Center, continuing the educational mission with a focus on the story of the Lamchin tribe of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples, the original inhabitants of this land. The new Interpretive Center is unique in that the exhibition is co-curated with the Ramaytush Ohlone leaders and tells a story of Indigenous people through time.