The organization that has preserved La Jolla's history for 62 years has a new name.

At a community open house Saturday, Aug. 15, executive director Lauren Lockhart announced that the La Jolla Historical Society is now the Museum of History and Culture La Jolla. The institution remains at its Wisteria Cottage gallery at 780 Prospect St., where admission is free.

"This is not our mission changing," Lockhart told attendees. "This is our name catching up with our work."

The rebrand caps years of internal discussion. Board members and previous staff had contemplated the change before Lockhart's tenure, recognizing that the organization's programming had outgrown the "historical society" label. A formal rebrand committee, chaired by board member Meg Davis, gathered public input through visitor surveys distributed in person and by email.

One finding drove the decision: younger visitors, including paid college interns and school groups touring the gallery, did not understand the full scope of what the organization offered based on the old name alone, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Davis said the new name demonstrates the organization's evolution from a local historical society to a full museum, reflecting the breadth of its exhibits, educational programs, research and events.

The word order was deliberate. "History" comes first to signal the institution's primary identity, while "culture" reflects programming that now spans hands-on workshops, walking tours, lectures, panel discussions and partnerships with local schools and institutions. The organization's archival collection holds tens of thousands of photographs, documents, postcards and architectural drawings.

Staff and volunteers wore newly branded shirts at the open house, where artist Michelle Montjoy led hands-on art activities for families.

As of Aug. 16, the organization's website still displayed the old La Jolla Historical Society name at lajollahistory.org, though its Facebook page had already switched to Museum of History and Culture La Jolla.

Lockhart said visitors can expect the same core offerings to continue, with the organization working to broaden its community outreach.

What's next: The museum's current exhibition, "Stories in Cloth: Communicating Through Textiles," presented in partnership with the Visions Museum of Textile Art, runs through Sept. 6. A walking tour is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21.