Aurora Hall

09/01/2026

I grew up with the Moomins, and somehow I never really grew out of them.

Some of my strongest memories of these stories are from winter, curled up inside with a Moomin book while everything outside the window was quiet and covered in snow.

Now I’m reading Tove Jansson’s stories to my own children; this time with homemade Moomin cookies and a cup of tea. 🤍

There’s something especially meaningful about returning to these Finnish stories while we’re bringing Aurora Hall back to life. The building has deep Finnish roots, and the more I learn about its history, the more I find myself noticing these little connections.

A Finnish story from my childhood, now being shared with my children while we care for a place that once meant so much to Eureka’s Finnish community.

Some things have a lovely way of finding their way back to us. 🇫🇮

07/28/2026

Sometimes all it takes is a cardboard cave, cypress branches, a room full of kids… and one very convincing Chewbacca.

This weekend we celebrated our son’s birthday by turning Aurora Hall into an enchanted forest. The kids built woodland creatures, explored the Whispering Cave, hunted for treasure chest, and welcomed an unexpected forest visitor.

Watching the hall come alive with laughter reminded us why we’re restoring this place in the first place- to create a place where memories are made. Happy birthday 🎂

07/23/2026

Sometimes a limited budget turns out to be a blessing.

Welcome to Aurora Hall’s conversation lounge.
Almost everything in this space has been given a second life.

🛋️ The oversized leather sofa once lived in a hotel lobby. We found it on Facebook Marketplace and drove to Crescent City to bring it home.

🪑 The vintage chairs were in rough shape, but after some restoration and new custom cushions, they’re ready for many more conversations.

🧶 The Persian rug and side tables are secondhand too.

We hope this becomes a cozy place where guests gather to enjoy good conversation.

One of our favorite parts of restoring Aurora Hall is giving beautiful pieces and this historic building a new chapter.

What’s your favorite thrift find? ❤️

07/21/2026

Who says a renovation can’t have halftime? ⚽

For the past week, we’ve been taking breaks from the renovation to watch the matches together here at Aurora Hall.

The building may still be a work in progress, but it’s already doing what it was always meant to do—bringing people together.

07/08/2026

Another piece of Aurora Hall’s history has surfaced… Recently, we uncovered another intriguing artifact tucked away inside Aurora Hall — a historic sign from Lincoln Lodge No. 34, Knights of Pythias.
This discovery raises more questions than answers. Was the sign simply stored here? Did the Knights of Pythias use the building at some point? Or is there another connection waiting to be uncovered?
One thing we’ve learned throughout this journey is that Aurora Hall has served many generations and organizations — each artifact and shared memory adds another piece to the puzzle.
If you recognize this sign or know anything about its connection to Aurora Hall or the Knights of Pythias in Eureka, we’d love to hear from you. Your memories have already helped uncover so much of this building’s history, and perhaps together we can solve this mystery too.
Thank you for helping preserve Humboldt’s history, one story at a time.

07/05/2026

Sometimes old buildings keep their best stories hidden.

When renovation began at Aurora Hall, the auditorium was covered wall-to-wall in worn carpet. Like many people, we assumed it had been installed to cover a damaged floor.

As the carpet was carefully pulled back, an unexpected surprise appeared—beautiful old redwood floors stretching across the entire auditorium.

In a way, the carpet became an accidental time capsule. For decades, it protected the wood beneath from everyday wear. Thanks to that, the original floor survived, waiting quietly to be uncovered.

These photos show the auditorium exactly as it looked in those first days of restoration. The original church pews were still in place, the carpet was coming up, and another piece of the building’s history was slowly revealing itself.

There’s still plenty of work ahead: repairing damaged boards, sanding, and bringing the floor back to life, but discoveries like this are a reminder of why historic buildings are worth preserving.

Aurora Hall continues to reveal its story, one layer at a time.

What would you have thought if you pulled back an old carpet and found these floors underneath?

07/03/2026

07/01/2026

Before and after. One step closer… 💪

We tackled the feature wall at Aurora Hall.

It may not look like a dramatic transformation yet, but this fresh coat of paint is laying the foundation for something special. This wall will eventually become home to a mural that reflects the spirit of Aurora Hall and the beauty of our North Coast community.

Every project starts with the less glamorous work: patching, sanding, painting. It’s not always the part people notice, but it’s what makes everything else possible.

Watching this historic building slowly come back to life has been incredibly rewarding. We can’t wait to share the next chapter with you.

Stay tuned… 🎨🤍

06/28/2026

Every piece of Aurora Hall has a story.

These beautiful redwood doors weren’t originally part of Aurora Hall.

They came from the church that once stood just a block away on A Street. When we learned the building was scheduled to be demolished to make way for an apartment complex, we reached out to the owner and asked if we could save the doors before everything was lost.

To our delight, he said yes.

Today, they continue their journey here at Aurora Hall, welcoming guests just as they have for generations.

One of the greatest joys of restoring this historic building has been preserving pieces of Eureka’s past whenever possible. These doors are more than reclaimed wood—they’re a reminder that craftsmanship and history can live on in new places.

Even the original cast-iron spring hinges remain in place, a beautiful detail from another era.