Carson City & Carson Valley Museums
Nevada History is Part of the Present

During Nevada's 144 year history as a state a lot has happened. Even prior to statehood, Nevada was jumping with excitement: Carson City established itself (celebrating its sesquicentennial in 2008), Mormon Station became the first nonnative permanent settlement in Nevada, and gold and silver were found in the Comstock Lode.

The museums in Carson City and throughout the Carson Valley depict Nevada's history from the time mammoths walked the earth to more recent history. Why not take a side trip from our beautiful Nevada golf courses to learn more about the home state of the Divine Nine golf courses?

The Nevada State Museum & Mint, NevadaCulture.org, invites visitors to journey back more than 40 million years to see the skeleton of the largest exhibited Imperial mammoth in the Earth and Science Gallery, or visit the more recent past with a tour of a walk-through ghost town and underground mine. Originally a U.S. Mint from 1870 to 1895, the Museum now features an impressive coin collection and the silver service from the battleship USS Nevada, as well as changing exhibits. The original Carson City coin press is on display and is used to mind collector's edition coins on special dates throughout the year.

The Nevada State Railroad Museum, delights train and history lovers alike. One of the finest railroad museums in the country, it features restored equipment from the Virginia & Truckee (V&T) Railroad, the famous silver short line, including no. 22, the Inyo, and five steam locomotives. Restoration of coaches and freight cars is an on-going process and several restored examples are on display. Many were purchased from Hollywood studios, where they were immortalized in movies and television shows. Among 65 locomotives and cars in the collection, 40 were built before 1900, and 31 pieces operated on the V&T Railroad. During the summer, visitors can get on board the diesel-powered motor car or watch the 1888 locomotive steam up as it tours the museum grounds. The museum is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Built in 1870, The Nevada State Capitol is open to the public and houses, "The Story of Our Capitol" exhibit commemorating the history of the state and building, one of the oldest Capitol Buildings west of the Mississippi. Displays include an elk horn chair used by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1903, glasses used by Gov. James Nye and Carson City founder Abraham Curry to toast admittance to the union and a replica of Gov. Emmet Boyle's office, the first native Nevadan Governor. The building also features a statue of Sarah Winnemucca, the first Native American woman to write a book. The Nevada State Library and Archives has changing historic exhibits, the original State Constitution and a video depicting the process of Nevada's statehood.

The Children's Museum of Northern Nevada, offers ongoing music and reading programs, theater performances and special events for all ages. Exhibits include a space shuttle with flight simulation game and a virtual reality game, the Virtango Maze. The Virtango Maze is a virtual, room-sized recreation of the traditional marble maze. Instead of using knobs to control the marble, the player walks over a projected 3D model of the game. The player's movement tips the model and the ball moves accordingly. The Maze has been a "hit" at the Boston Museum of Science, Zeum in San Francisco, and the MIT Museum.

The Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center, is housed in the historic 1915 Douglas County High School building. Today, displays include the life of a Basque sheepherder, a replica of an 1884 country doctor's office, artwork and murals of the Washo people, and communication devices of pioneer settlers.

The Stewart Indian School, the only off-reservation boarding school for Native Americans from 1890 to 1980, features a self-guided "talking" trail with 20 points of interest. Visitors access recordings from alumni and employees about their personal experiences at the school via personal cell phones. The 83 building campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The recordings are available as podcasts on the website. The school provided American Indian youth from more than 200 tribes education and vocational skills.

The Genoa Courthouse Museum, was the original courthouse for Douglas County. In 1916, the county seat moved to Minden, taking the courthouse with it, the building then became a school. The Carson Valley Historical Society raised money to restore the building and make it a museum. Today, exhibits include a school room, county office, dedication to John "Snowshoe" Thompson, "Mailman of the Sierra" and a recreated courtroom.

Mormon Station, Nevada's first permanent settlement, built in 1851, was a trading post and hotel for travelers heading to the California Gold Rush. The original building was the oldest in Nevada before it was destroyed by the "Terrible Fire of 1910." The replicated building now houses a museum displaying pioneer relics.

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