California Trail Interpretive Center

This place was surprisingly a lot of fun. My husband and I were stopping through the area to rest and found this hidden gem. I highly recommend participating in the scavenger hunt, it makes the whole experience so much more fun. There's interactive exhibits and lots to see and learn.
There's a small price for completing the scavenger hunt...ps, the hunt is challenging!

Actually stopped here to let our dog stretch his legs, and they allowed us in with him. Beautiful little museum interactive displays about migrant pioneers. Great for all ages.

We were driving down to Reno and stumbled across the interpretative center, and thought we'd stop in for a few minutes to stretch our legs. Ended up staying for 2 hours, awesome exhibits and lots of interesting information to see and read about, as well as some more interactive exhibits. Fascinating to learn more about the early pioneers and the struggles they faced as trailblazers. Worth dropping in for sure!

A nice place to stop to especially coming across I-80 from the Midwest to the west coast..it gave detail maps of the different routes taken in the mid 1800's. Many displays and artifacts from that time period. Also unique this year was the Morman crickets.

Great museum! Nice break from driving to get out and walk around. They had a Junior Ranger badge for the kids! Finding the elephants s fun!

Tastefully done, not too graphic for children. Great activities for kids while they visit. The volunteer was so amazing. She was attentive to guests always checking on them and recommending real interactive play. Wonderful experience.

Very well done!

Free!

Stop in and learn all about the history of this Westward trail. Lots to see and do. I liked that they had several hands-on activities for small children. I also appreciate the many visuals that help modern-day folks understand what pioneering life was like in those days.

Easy to find and access. Plentiful parking. Clean restrooms.

Really nice museum to take a break while driving! Very clean, very helpful and friendly staff and a very interesting stop! Definitely a must do if you’re in the area!

Marvelous place. The exhibits and vignettes lead you through the period from trappers to trains. Very well done. We figured we'd probably stop in for 30 to 40 minutes, and ended up staying close to 2 hours, not wishing to miss anything.
The plaza outside is a giant map tracing the various overland trails, accompanied by explanatory signs.
Some covered wagons (including a genuine one from the period) are arranged in an 'encampment' outside.

This place is great! It is free (with a donation box) and has great displays informing you about the pioneers on the California Trail. My five-year old son enjoyed it too. There were several interactive exhibits that kept him entertained.

The girls and I made a brief stop at the entrance of California Trail Interpretive Center to let the dogs out. Unfortunately I did not have the time or energy to actually go in the Center. Maybe next time. I did enjoy reading about the history of this “cutoff” and the unfortunate frozen destiny of those who traveled it. Nature is brutal and unbiased. I ate a bowl of cereal and walked the dogs one more time before leaving.

Amazing the scavenger hunt makes it two times fun cause you are enjoying yourself learning and you having to try to look for elephants on top makes this one the of the. Best museums I’ve been too!it’s got it’s on little gift shop it’s so amazing and little events every now and then I recommend going here if you like history it’s worth it🙂

This is a very well done and maintained place. The information was great. The center compares and contrasts the trails the Bidwell-Bartleson party and the Donner-Reed party took to California. In 1841 and 1846 respectively. And shares a lot of information about the California trail options, the Native Americans, and many other facts. The upside was that it was free with a donation bucket. It is very well put together and they have interactive displays for children. You can look out a the Humboldt River which was essential for the trail to California.

I highly recommend stopping at this very good interpretive center. It is well put together and kept up.

This is was such an unexpectedly awesome museum. And its free! It is hard to find interesting leg-stretching spots on the drive on Interstate 80 from Reno to Salt Lake, but this is a must stop location if you are at all interested in history. It is a really comprehensive museum detailing the California Trail which ran right through here. It is a great museum for kids with a lot of kid-friendly exhibits. I can't stress enough how well done this museum is. Very, very informative. Great bookstore as well.

Absolutely amazing place that tells the story of the difficult journey early pioneers endured on their way west through mostly uncharted territory. Of course, later pioneers had the benefit of following their tracks, but many dangers still followed these pioneers along the trail.
We were surprised that admission to this was free, so we freely dropped some good coin at the gift shop to show our support.

I thought this was a fantastic stop on a road trip to Elko, NV. The building has AC, clean restrooms, and a truly amazing history exhibit of the first travelers to Sacramento. A must see if you’re passing through! Also kid friendly

Just came across this place on my road trip across the West with my dad, it's well signposted from the I80. We had a friendly welcome and learnt loads of fascinating info in the exhibition. Makes you realise 5 hour drives are easy compared to making the journey in the 1800s! Admission is free which is a bonus! There's also a short, easy trail (approx 1000ft) to an overlook with great desert views with snowy mountains in the distance (when we visited in May), shows the great contrasts of this incredible state.

Really enjoyed. Nice break to walk around after many many hours in the car. Very friendly staff. Scavenger hunt for kids. Many interactive parts of exhibits.

We loved it here! So much to see and learn about the trails. We went in the winter and it was beautiful. Staff was helpful but not intrusive. I especially loved the Donner party and the Pioneer group comparison dramatized.

This was an amazing informational and Fun Saturday.. Loving all the people who love to share what they know and learn and teaching authenticity of OUR PAST HISTORY... I absolutely LOVED IT.