Events

Donner Memorial State Park Speaker Series

Visitor center entrance surrounded by autumn trees under a clear blue sky.

Date

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Donner Memorial State Park
12593 Donner Pass Road
Truckee, CA 96161
United States

Event Website

The Donner Memorial State Park Speaker Series brings historians, researchers, authors, and subject matter experts together to share stories and insights about the Sierra Nevada and California history.

Presentations vary by date and cover topics including local history, the Donner Party, wildlife, conservation, Indigenous culture, and other subjects connected to the region. Programs are open to the public and offer an engaging opportunity to learn more about one of California's most iconic landscapes.

Admission: Free with park entry unless otherwise noted.

Location: Sierra State Parks Foundation Museum Theater inside the Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center.

 

Speaker Schedule

  • May 16: The Donner Party: Weathering the Storm with Mark McLaughlin
  • June 20: The King of Pines in Peril with Maria Mircheva
  • July 18: The Bidwell-Bartleson Party: The First Planned Overland Emigrant Journey to California with Noel Lopez
  • August 15: A Changing Landscape: Photographer Carleton Watkins’ Portrayal of the West from 1850 to 1875 with Alice Wilson
  • September 19: Frémont’s Sierra Expedition with History Expeditions
  • October 17: Black Powder and Nitroglycerin: Explosives That Built the Transcontinental Railroad with Paul Helman

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