Walking through the front door of the James Johnston House immerses you into the 1850s. Docents will greet you in their historic period clothing to bring to life the story of the family and house. The location is on a prominent hill south of downtown Half Moon Bay on Higgins Canyon Road (turn at the signal light on Highway 1 at the fire station). The house is located at 100 Higgins Canyon Road, Half Moon Bay.
The James Johnston House sits on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, east of Route One, just south of the city of Half Moon Bay. Isolated, its silhouette is a remarkable sight against the rolling hillsides golden brown until the winter rains turns them green. The classic New England saltbox (two stories in front, one in back) was built by ’49er pioneer James Johnston between 1853-1855, for his Californiano bride, Petra Maria de Jara.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the house has survived 150 years of weather, abandonment, vandalism and high winds and celebrated its sesquicentennial year in 2005.
We look forward to welcoming you for free tours led by costumed docents on the following dates:
The third Saturday of each month (January through September 2026) from 11:00am to 3:00pm: May 16th, June 20th, July 18th, August 15th, September 19th
It is closed October, November and December.