Bars, Bordellos & Mushrooms at the Kelley House November 4

Discover the aphrodisiac properties of mushrooms at the Kelley House Museum on Saturday, November 4, and go back in time to the wild days of the 1800s when Mendocino was a rough and ready logging town with so many men and precious few women. In the 19th century, there were twenty bars in Mendocino, most of which doubled as bordellos offering “companionship for a price” in the upstairs rooms. At one time, there were ten bars on Main Street alone! It was so wild that the city fathers voted Local Option in 1909, making Mendocino a dry town ten years before prohibition in 1918.

Join Madame Kate and J.D. Johnson for an evening of ribald fun, beginning at 5 p.m. with mushroom appetizers and wine. Hear local mushroom expert, Eric Schramm, talk about the wild mushrooms found in the area and the Candy Cap properties that incited carnal appetites. Admission for adults only is $20 and reservations are urged due to limited seating. For more information or to order tickets, call 707-937-5791.

For early risers, join the walking tour of historic Mendocino’s bars and bordellos, beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Led by tea-totaler and patent medicine fan, J.D. Johnson, see Mendocino through the eyes of the past. Cost is $10 and reservations are not required. Meet up at 45007 Albion Street on the porch.

The Kelley House Museum is the Mendocino Coast’s repository for local history and open Saturday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with admission by suggested donation of $5. For details, visit www.kelleyhousemuseum.org.