Discover Truckee's Heritage
Truckee Railroad Museum
Tucked inside a caboose next to the historic train depot, this tiny-but-mighty museum tells the story of Truckee’s deep connection to the Transcontinental Railroad.
Donner Memorial State Park & Emigrant Trail Museum
This park blends natural beauty with one of the most famous stories of survival in the Sierra. Learn about the Donner Party, Indigenous Washoe people, and westward expansion—all set in a peaceful lakeside forest.
Joseph Research Cabin at History Trail
Take a short walk along the Legacy Trail and explore this replica of a 19th-century trapper’s cabin—an outdoor exhibit that brings Truckee’s early settler era to life.
Historic Downtown Walking Tour
Wander Truckee’s main street and read the bronze plaques that tell the town’s wilder tales—from saloons and lumber barons to ice harvesters and Olympic training.
Old Jail Museum
Truckee’s historic jail museum is one of only a few surviving 19th-century jailhouses of its kind in the West and one of the few remaining original buildings in Truckee. The old Bastille was used continuously from 1875 until May 1964, and ably withstood the many fires that swept the town in its early days.
Outdoor 20 Mile Museum
The Outdoor 20 Mile Museum is made up of dozens of interpretive signs along a 20-mile section of Donner Pass Road, from Cisco Grove to Donner Lake. Each stop is a window into local history, covering ice harvesting, ski history, Native American petroglyphs, and more.
Summit Camp
Now a National Historic Landmark, Summit Camp at Donner Pass preserves the remains of the largest Chinese railroad construction camp on the Transcontinental Railroad (1865–1869). This archeological site honors the vital role Chinese laborers played in building the railroad and is a cornerstone of Chinese diaspora studies in the U.S.