The museum opened in 2001 , two months after the September 11 attacks . The museum 's visitor attendance was much lower than what was projected ; the museum partially attributed that to the depressed tourist economy stemming from the attacks . From the late 1800s to around the 1990s , the Rossi-Massa-Vallerga Garden stood at Copia 's site . At the time the site was constructed , it was part of Rancho Entre Napa , a large land grant given while California was a Mexican province . The site consisted of an Italian building complex and garden . The complex consisted of about eight structures — houses , wagon sheds , and a barn — arranged around a central space without any dominant building . The oldest of these dated to around 1880
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Copia (museum)