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Julia Child: A Recipe for Life

June 20 - September 20, 2026 • Freeman Gallery, Level 1

A Culinary Icon.

Julia Child: A Recipe for Life invites you to immerse yourself in the essential ingredients of Julia's personal journey - from her early days in Paris to her groundbreaking cookbook and TV show.

Discover the passion and perseverance that made Julia a culinary icon and be inspired by her legacy - one that continues to influence and inspire generations of food enthusiasts and trailblazers.

Julia’s insatiable curiosity and tenacious spirit drove her to endlessly try, test and teach how to make delicious food. Learning to cook empowered Julia, and she empowered others, profoundly transforming American cuisine and food culture in the process.

Step Into Her World

The French Chef Studio

Step on to an interactive television studio, operate a vintage video camera, mix "ingredients" and feel like part of the show.

Mastering the Art

Find favorite recipes in a larger-than-life Mastering the Art of French Cooking that comes to life with animated text and illustrations.

Dear Julia

Share your heartfelt message and read fan letters from people of all ages expressing gratitude for Julia's work.

Bathtub Photo Op

Recreate one of Julia’s and Paul's most iconic Valentine's Day cards by posing in our dedicated bathtub photo op.

Reserve Tickets

Exhibition Highlights

  • ✦
    124 historical images including Paul Child’s photographs, sketches, receipts, and magazine covers
  • ✦
    28 period-appropriate objects
  • ✦
    18 kitchen tools from Julia’s beloved ‘batterie de cuisine’
  • ✦
    41 paper reproductions including personal correspondence, valentines, manuscripts, recipe notes, and contracts
  • ✦
    Replica ‘The French Chef’ kitchen studio set with dozens of interactive elements
  • ✦
    Vintage camera operator station allowing visitors to ‘record’ their own cooking segments
  • ✦
    Interactive scent experience from Julia’s time in China
  • ✦
    Digital larger-than-life ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ cookbook experience
  • ✦
    ‘Cookery Bookery’ section featuring original recipes, notes and correspondence
  • ✦
    Historical footage interactive, including family photo albums with rarely seen images from Julia’s early life
Exhibition Gallery
Interactive Set
Kitchen Tools
Interactive Scent
Couple Interactive Set
Family Interactive Set
Interactive Camera
Cookbook Display
Bath Tub
Couple

Julia Child: A Recipe for Life is a traveling exhibition produced and toured internationally by Flying Fish, in collaboration with the Napa Valley Museum, under rights granted by The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts and The Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, and generously sponsored by the Kuo Family Fund. The exhibition is generously supported by Bashas' Family of Stores locally.

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