In 1934 Hugh Mooney and his family donated five-thousand dollars that was set aside to go toward the building of a museum in Mooney Grove Park, which was donated to the county by his parents.  It wasn’t until 1947 that approval was given to begin construction of the museum on the specified site.  In 1948 construction began on the museum with a dedication of corner stones by Dan McFadzean, dean of the Tulare County Bar Association, and was opened to the public on July 1, 1949.  The Tulare County Historical Society ran the museum from 1948 to 1956, when the county took over responsibility of the museum.

The Tulare County Museum houses the largest Native American basket collection in California as well as artifacts of the pioneer era, agriculture equipment, restored buildings and many other treasures that tell the history of Tulare County.  The newest addition to the museum is the History of Farm Labor and Agriculture Museum, where each cultural group and their contributions to farm labor and agriculture will be featured.  The museum aims to educate residents of Tulare County as well as visitors on the importance of Tulare County and its history with the hope of recognizing the unique roll it has played in California History.