SHRINERS ANNOUNCE NEW MUSEUM IN LOS ANGELES

New Shriners Museum at the historic Shrine Auditorium will preserve Southern California history while offering internships through USC Dornsife Career Pathways

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, August 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The creation of the Shriners Museum, a new cultural and educational initiative dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of the Shriners and Shriners Children’s in Southern California, was announced today in Los Angeles. Under the commission of the Al Malaikah Shriners and their chosen museum director, Adelheid Waumboldt of ISET Agency, the Museum is being developed to connect historic collections, personal stories and more than a century of philanthropy with contemporary audiences.

The Shriners Museum, located in the historic Shrine Auditorium at 665 West Jefferson Boulevard, will explore the organization’s history in Southern California through exhibitions, archival research, oral histories, educational programs and digital experiences. Its stories will encompass the development of the Shriners, the distinctive traditions of its members, the history of the Al Malaikah Shriners, the Shrine Auditorium and the extraordinary philanthropic mission that became Shriners Children’s. The Shrine Auditorium, built in 1926, was billed as the largest theater in the world at the time of its construction and today seats more than 6,300, remaining the grand home of the Al Malaikah Shriners. The new museum will be housed on the third floor.

“This Museum is being created to preserve more than objects and dates,” said Raffi Barsamian, Past Potentate and current Recorder/Chief of Staff of the Al Malaikah Shriners. “It will preserve the stories of the Southern California Shriners who built this organization, cared for children, strengthened their community and sustained a tradition of service across generations. We want visitors to understand both the history and the human impact behind it.”

Shriners Museum Director Adelheid Waumboldt and Octavio Avila, Director of USC Dornsife Career Pathways, are collaborating to facilitate internship opportunities for students. Through this initiative, the Museum connects with students via USC Dornsife Career Pathways, providing them with opportunities to participate through courses like MDA 250: Internship for the Liberal Arts.

Students will have opportunities to engage with the Museum’s development through historical research, cataloging and archival work, exhibition planning, architectural design, communications, digital media and educational programming. By involving students during the Museum’s formative stages, these internships will allow the next generation of professionals to gain practical experience while helping shape how an important part of Southern California history is presented to the public. Interns will work under the supervision of Shriners with expertise relevant to their respective areas.

“USC students bring the curiosity, creativity and range of disciplines that a project like this needs,” said Adelheid Waumboldt, Museum Director and founder of ISET, a communications agency specializing in legacy architecture. “Our collaboration with USC Dornsife Career Pathways creates meaningful opportunities for students to gain practical experience while contributing to the development of a Museum that is historically responsible, engaging and forward-looking.”

The current cooperation also reflects longstanding connections between USC and the Shriners in Los Angeles. The Shrine Auditorium has stood across from USC’s University Park Campus for generations, serving at various times as a home court for Trojan basketball and as the setting for USC commencement ceremonies. In 2008, USC students from occupational therapy, pharmacy, public health, biochemistry, medicine and physical therapy also came together to support young patients at the former Shriners hospital in Los Angeles.

The history of Shriners Children’s in Southern California dates to the 1940s, when members of Al Malaikah Shrine began working to establish a pediatric hospital in Los Angeles. Local Shriners raised approximately $1.5 million toward the effort, and the hospital admitted its first patients in 1952. Over the following decades, it expanded its pediatric orthopedic, rehabilitation, prosthetic and related services, including the addition of the Child Amputee Prosthetics Project in 1988. Shriners Children’s Southern California continued that legacy with the opening of its Pasadena facility in 2017.

This history of community-led philanthropy will be an essential part of the Shriners Museum’s exhibitions and educational mission. The Museum will examine how Shriners, families, medical professionals, volunteers and affiliated organizations - including Daughters of the Nile and Ladies of the Oriental Shrine - helped sustain a system of specialized pediatric care and support for children and their families.

The Shriners Museum is currently in its development phase. An open house for interested USC students and faculty will be held on September 2, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. PT. Attendees may register online at ShrinersMuseum.org. Additional announcements regarding the Museum’s collections, student projects, exhibitions and public programming will be released as development progresses.

About the Shriners Museum

The Shriners Museum is a developing cultural and educational institution dedicated to preserving, studying and sharing the history of the Al Malaikah Shriners, Shriners Children’s in Southern California and the organizations and communities connected to their legacy. Through exhibitions, archives, oral histories, digital storytelling and educational programs, the Museum will connect the history of fellowship and philanthropy with new generations.

Adelheid Waumboldt
ISET Agency
+1 424-333-4430
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Instagram