La Mesa History Center at 8369 University Avenue operates the McKinney House Museum, a 1908 wood-frame residence built by Reverend Henry A. McKinney and period-furnished to reflect domestic life between 1908 and 1920. The all-volunteer organization, founded in 1975, maintains its research archives in the adjacent Palermo Building—photographs, documents, and oral histories that complement the local-history resources at La Mesa Branch Library two blocks west. Reverend McKinney served as minister at the La Mesa Methodist Episcopal Church, a lemon grove operator, the town librarian, and a school trustee, making the house a convergence point for La Mesa's early civic, agricultural, and educational infrastructure. Annual programming includes the Historic Home Tour, walking tours of La Mesa Village led in partnership with the San Diego Architectural Foundation, and Meet Me at the McKinney House public events—community heritage programming that parallels the live-arts calendar at The Lamplighters Community Theatre. The center celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025, and its coverage area extends beyond city limits to encompass the greater La Mesa region including Grossmont, Mt Helix, Casa de Oro, and Fletcher Hills.