Current Exhibits

Tours are $3.00 per person, booked for Monday through Saturday, at either 1:00 or 3:00 PM.

Armenian Needlelace: Poetry in Thread

Our upper-floor, northwest gallery exhibit, Armenian Needlelace: Poetry in Thread, is now open for tours by appointment. Tours with curator Elise Youssoufian are conducted Monday, Friday, and some Saturdays.
Our permanent collection is home to thousands of precious textile works of art, but perhaps most remarkable and splendid of them all are the many delicate Armenian needlelace circles. We invite you to join us in celebrating their makers' immense skill and handiwork, their exuberant creativity, and their exceptional persistence.

— THIS IS AN ONGOING EXHIBITION, WITH SPECIAL PROGRAMS PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE! —

Exhibit Slideshow Coming Soon

Transcending Fashion: The Lace Accessory

Our first-floor gallery exhibit, Transcending Fashion: The Lace Accessory, is now open for tours by appointment.
We invite you to experience a tour highlighting the stunning artistry of European lace collars and handkerchiefs, and their use as a means of expression, with pieces from the 17th century to the early 20th.

— EXHIBITION RUNS THROUGH NOVEMBER 2026 —

Exhibit Slideshow

Day's End: Personal Glamour Exposed

Our second-floor gallery exhibit, Day's End: Personal Glamour Exposed, is now open for tours by appointment.
Contact us to make arrangements to peek into the closets of history! We'll show you gorgeous, often sensuous attire worn only in private, like nightgowns, robes, and pajamas from the 1860s to the 1930s.

— EXHIBITION RUNS THROUGH APRIL 2025 —

Recent Exhibits

You can revisit past Lacis shows you may have missed out on—or saw and simply feel nostalgic for. Download catalogs and view animated slideshow presentations of all the fabulous textile items that were on display, either here or on our YouTube channel.

	The Bird in the Textile Arts The Extraordinary in Thread July 2021 - April 2023
	Worn to Dance 1920s Fashion & Beading November 2019 - March 2022
	Piña The Phillipine Cloth of Pride, Endurance & Passion June 2017 - May 2018
	Shawls of Lace A New Beginning May 18, 2019 - May 5, 2020
	The Fringed Shawl Transcending Generations & Cultures April 6, 2018 - October 5, 2019
	The Boteh of Kashmir & Paisley The Signature from the Most Revered Cloths of Creation June 29, 2018 - February 2, 2019
	Irish Crochet Lace 150 Years of a Tradition April 1 - July 30, 2005
	Tatting From Concept to Conceptual Art June 4, 2016 - April 1, 2017
	Nets Through Time Netting and Its Vital Connection to Filet Lace September 26, 2015 - September 3, 2016
	"I Did!" Wedding Finery of the Past June 5, 2015 - Aptil 2, 2016
	Paper—Iron—Passion The Mongolian Paper Cuts of Turburam "Turo" Sandagdorj February 6 - April 25, 2015
	Nineteenth Century Lace The Emergence of the Middle Class October 4, 2014 - February 9, 2015
	Smocking Fabric Manipulation and Beyond March 8, 2014 - October 4, 2014
	Mommy & Me A Century of Children's Dress May 3rd - September 6, 2014
	Early Italian Needlework September 28, 2013 - February 8, 2014
	Mourning Becomes Her Sentimentality & Sorrow in Fashion 1860-1920 March 30th - August 3, 2013
	Treasures of the Lacis Museum of Lace & Textiles September 22, 2012 - February 2, 2013
	That Hat! 100 Years of Hats in Fashion May 3rd - September 6, 2014
	The Asuit Cloth March 2012
	Foundations The Making of the Silhouette April 8, 2011 - July 30, 2011
	Knitted Lace of Estonia September 17, 2011 - February 4, 2012
	Embroidery The Extraordinary Needle and Spirit September 25, 2010 - February 1, 2011
	Lace Comes of Age Tape Lace from the 17th to the 21st Centuries October 4, 2008 - February 3, 2009
	California's Living Knitted Lace Treasures A Tribute to Gracie Larsen and Marguerite Shimmons September 26, 2009 - February 1, 2010
	Lace I Love From the Collection of Susan Glinert Stevens June 2 - September 30, 2008

Past Exhibits

	The World of the Twenties April 1 - September 1, 2010
	Beyond the Pattern The Quintessence of Fashion March 31 - August 2, 2008
	Threads of Comfort The Work of our Mothers' Hands January 2 - April 30, 2008
	Needle Lace Born of Thread & Air—Stretching the Limits of Needle & Soul October 1, 2007 - February 2, 2008
	Knitted Lace Two Needles, Thread, and Magic June 30 - November 3, 2007
	Sasha Kagan's Crochet Inspirations July 7 - September 30, 2007
	Bridal Fantasies The Fashion of Dreams March 30 - August 4, 2007
	Memories in Beads Forever Borne by the Frailty of Thread March 30 - April 30, 2007
	Whitework The Merging of Needle, Thread, Cloth and Spirit October 2, 2006 - February 5, 2007
	Inside Out Detail in Dress, 1850 to the Jazz Age April 1 - August 1, 2005
	Romanian Lace Costume & Sentimental Embroideries October 1 - November 30, 2005
	Imagery in Lace October 1 - November 30, 2005
	"New" Knitting The Knitting of Debbie New July 15 - July 30, 2005

Return to the top

About Classes Exhibitions Newsletter Support Links

Current Exhibits

Recent Exhibits

Past Exhibits