Sam Maloof Originals: Where to See Them (Home Tours & Museums)
The only place to walk through an original Sam Maloof interior is the Maloof Foundation’s preserved home and studio in Rancho Cucamonga, California — and even there, every visit is a booked, docent-led tour, not a drop-in museum. Individual chairs also live in a handful of major museum collections, but most are shown in rotation, not on permanent display. This guide covers exactly where his real work is today, how to book a tour, and which museums actually hold his furniture.
Quick Answer
Sam Maloof’s real furniture and preserved home/studio are at the Maloof Foundation, 5131 Carnelian St, Rancho Cucamonga, CA — visitable only by booked docent tour, Friday through Sunday. Individual pieces also sit in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Museum of Arts and Design, though not always on view.
Touring Sam Maloof’s Home and Studio
The Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts preserves the actual home and workshop Maloof built and lived in, at 5131 Carnelian St, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91701. Every visit to the historic house itself is a docent-led tour — there is no self-guided walkthrough. The Foundation offers several tour lengths: a 45-minute introduction, a 1-hour Home Tour, a 2-hour Grand Tour that adds the library and upstairs galleries, and a 3-hour Master Craftsman Tour led by Larry White, typically on Saturdays for woodworkers who want the deeper technical detail.
The house is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and Sundays from noon to 4pm, closed on major holidays. Beverly’s Garden and the Jacobs Education Gallery are free to enter without a reservation, but the home tour itself should be booked in advance since space is limited. Interior photography is prohibited during tours, so plan to see the furniture in person rather than photograph it. For a look at the exhibition history and awards tied to the Foundation’s programming, see our separate guide to Sam Maloof exhibitions.
Best Maloof Collection Reference Pick
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Sam Maloof, Woodworker (Fairbanks & Maloof) – $43.06 Useful to read before a Foundation tour or a museum visit — it documents the pieces and process in detail you won’t get from a 1-hour docent tour alone.
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Which Museums Have Sam Maloof’s Furniture?
Outside the Foundation, individual Maloof pieces sit in the permanent collections of a small number of major museums — though “permanent collection” doesn’t mean “always on display.” The Smithsonian American Art Museum holds a 1992 Maloof double rocking chair in fiddleback maple and ebony (accession number 1992.115), acquired through gifts from the Hafif Family Foundation and the James Renwick Alliance. As of this writing it’s catalogued as not currently on view, which is typical for furniture collections — call or check the museum’s online catalog before a special trip.
The Museum of Arts and Design in New York holds a 1957 walnut rocking chair that Maloof gifted himself, one of his earlier production pieces. His work is also cited in the furniture holdings of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. As with the Smithsonian piece, museum storage means these aren’t guaranteed to be on the floor when you visit — check each museum’s own collection database or contact their furniture/decorative-arts department ahead of time.
📊 Common mix-up: President Kennedy’s famous Oval Office rocking chair was built by the P&P Chair Company for back-pain relief — not by Sam Maloof. Presidents Carter and Reagan, however, did have rocking chairs Maloof actually built in the White House. — Source: Smithsonian Magazine
Planning Your Visit
- Book the home tour ahead of time. Tours are limited in size and the Foundation recommends buying tickets online in advance rather than showing up.
- Store bags before the tour. The Foundation requires bags and purses to be left in the coat room before you enter the historic home.
- Skip interior photos. Photography is not allowed inside the home during tours — if you want images for reference, the book Sam Maloof, Woodworker documents the interiors and pieces in detail.
- Call ahead for museum pieces. A “permanent collection” listing doesn’t mean a piece is on the gallery floor — check the museum’s own catalog or call their decorative-arts department before visiting specifically to see it.
- Verify a piece’s origin before buying anything described as “museum quality.” None of the museums above sell reproductions; if you’re shopping for a chair rather than just viewing one, see our guide to licensed Maloof chair reproductions instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you visit Sam Maloof’s actual home and workshop?
Yes. The Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation in Rancho Cucamonga, California preserves Maloof’s real home and studio, but every visit to the historic house is through a docent-led tour — there’s no unguided walk-through. Tours run Friday through Sunday and should be booked in advance.
Where is the Maloof Foundation located?
5131 Carnelian St, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91701. The visitor center, Beverly’s Garden, and the Jacobs Education Gallery are open to the public without a tour reservation; only the historic home itself requires a booked docent tour.
Can I take photos inside the Maloof house?
No. The Foundation’s own visitor policy states that interior photography is prohibited during home tours, to help protect the furniture and interiors. Photography in the free public areas, like the garden, is generally fine.
Which museums have Sam Maloof furniture in their permanent collections?
The Smithsonian American Art Museum holds a 1992 Maloof double rocking chair (fiddleback maple and ebony, accession 1992.115), and the Museum of Arts and Design holds a 1957 walnut rocking chair gifted by Maloof himself. His work is also cited in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, though museum pieces are frequently in storage rather than on permanent public view.
Did President Kennedy have a Sam Maloof rocking chair in the Oval Office?
No — that’s a common mix-up. President Kennedy’s famous Oval Office rocking chair was made by the P&P Chair Company for medical reasons, not by Sam Maloof. Presidents Carter and Reagan, however, did have rocking chairs Maloof actually built in the White House.
Conclusion
If you want to see Sam Maloof’s real work, there are really only two paths: book a docent tour at the Maloof Foundation in Rancho Cucamonga to see his actual home and studio, or check ahead with a museum like the Smithsonian or the Museum of Arts and Design to see whether a piece from their permanent collection happens to be on view. Neither is a walk-in museum experience, but both get you in front of the genuine work — not a reproduction.
