The Dai Loy Museum is the Chinese museum in the town of Locke. Last week, we went there during the Chinese New Year Festival. This museum is about casino and gambling, just like in the United States. read more

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It was so amazing to get to experience the city of Walnut Grove, Locke, and Isleton. As a Chinese American, I was incredibly moved seeing the museums, buildings, and walking around town in general. They have done a great job saving a lot of the city but there's so much more work to do still, to ensure that the future generations get to visit Dai Loy Museum too. I believe this museum and town was on a series of Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventurers? Some show like that. This museum was in that episode and I found the stories to be so interesting. I watched the episode after visiting, and out of all of the museums we walked through, this was the spookiest! The inside is very well preserved, you really feel like you walked back in history. The floors are warped, so maybe that made me dizzy to an effect? You cannot go upstairs and it's quite dark. When we visited, there was an owl upstairs who added to the creepy factor. The only room that made me uncomfortable was the money room personally. Please consider visiting and supporting the open businesses here. The gift shop and Al the Wops were open. The two thrift stores were cool to walk through but held nothing of interest. There's many cute cats who run around and mature fruit trees. I think about the people who built this town and hope they eventually found happiness. Thank you so much to all of the people who built this country. The Chinese immigrants did so much and their stories deserve to be remembered. So many stories have already been lost or erased purposely. It's unfair to not also mention the Natives who lived here even before the Chinese and Japanese did. This land is rich in love and sacrifice from people who never got the true credit they deserved. read more

Funky museum featuring exhibits of bygone era of Chinese workers that farmed on the Delta Sacramento River area. Seems pretty original with gaming exhibits and photos from that era. The building and floor are not level and have some odd angles . Free admission . A must visit for the history and especially if you have relatives or friends that grew up in that area. read more

Magnificently preserved Dai Loy Museum The word "Dai Loy" in Chinese means "Big Welcome." Initially constructed in 1916 it housed some of the exhibits of Chinese gambling paraphernalia. When we stepped inside it immediately brought us back in time as if the clocks all stopped a few years before WWII. As I mentioned it was built in 1916 and operated as a gambling house until 1950 when it was forced to shut down by government officials. Now a museum, it remains an important part of the historical architecture of Main Street. We entered the unmanned building. Imagine if you will a place that's dimly lit where cigar and cigarette smoke drifted through the air, the clatter of chips and dominoes mixed with a tune of a Chinese harp being played in the back of the room. That's how it must've been during its illegal heyday. We wandered inside this wooden building and we saw gaming tables, game cards, large pieces of dominoes, poker chips, pair of dice, photos (lots of them), iron knuckles and lead pipes? probably to keep sore losers at bay. There was also a mini replica of a Chinese funeral procession (of a notable dignitary). It was encased in a glass case (handmade and very old). Zak Bagans and the Ghost Adventure crew were here at one time and investigated the casino. They did an episode that aired in February 2016. We did our own amateur version of ghost hunting with hubby's GhostTube app. We found a lot of activity here allowing us to detect some type of paranormal experience. The caretaker's room had a jacket that identified a human figure (in stick form). See videos posted. The museum is free. I love Locke, very cool visiting this Chinese-American time capsule. This is a great place to understand the history of the area. Review #2364 read more

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This is an incredibly immersive museum! I had no idea there was such a rich history of Chinese people on the delta. It's a small and dark area, but is rich in artifacts and historical tidbits. Hopefully it stays up and running for a while- it's a great stop while in Locke. read more

Dai Loy Museum - Exterior - Museums Near Me - Walnut Grove, California

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Price range: FREE (donations encouraged) To consider: there is FREE parking everywhere. Wait time: was none all throughout the old towns stores. Shoutout(s): the people of Locke for keeping it old. Thanks for keeping Locke a hidden gem! Thanks for the wonderful time capsule vibes. Location review: don't blink because you'll miss it! Expectations: met! I thought it'd look old and I'd get a historical California energy, and I did. Such a great experience! Improvements: I'd say restore a few things to make it safe. Some stuff was really sketchy. Last words: leave your fancy shoes at home and come explore a small piece of California's gold! read more

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We ventured to Walnut Grove/Locke area just to check out the Chinese community that once lived here. Lots of history remains in these walls which was once a gambling hall. It's pretty much left without anyone attending to it and you're free to explore the rooms as you choose. It was eerie with dim lighting and unusual warped-out floors. I'm not sure if it was always like this in the past, but it felt like they tried to build a ramp or the foundation needs major work, but I'm assuming they want to preserve it as it was many years ago. As we walked around the museum, it showed buttons and other household items used as chips or "money" in case the police would try to catch them in the act. There were gaming tables for dominoes, poker, mah jong ...etc. Back then, gambling was prohibited and I'm sure law enforcement was not lenient if you were found gambling, so they had to be careful not to get caught. Imagine the excitement this gambling hall brought to this small Chinese community! Drinking, smoking, and gambling go hand in hand when you're shaking off boredom in a town with nothing to do. Still to this day, the emotions still fill the artifacts of this historical place. And if you believe in ghosts, I think they had a few here. My bf and I felt an odd heaviness while we were there. For my bf, it didn't go away until he napped in the car. And he is not spiritual or a believer in ghosts, so it's not like he was seeking for anything. I didn't feel the same energy drain as he did. The heaviness left me when I left the museum. I hope nothing followed us home! So be on guard and keep safe! read more

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Very interesting to see all the stuffs left behind. It was as free admission when we visited today but not sure if they charge on other days. read more

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There are a couple small museums in the Locke Historic District. This is the only one we saw. I'd definitely recommend it. It's free - make a DONATION!! It wasn't even manned when we stopped in. Please be respectful and follow all the regular museum rules. It's dark and old and definitely feels illicit. It's cool to know that everything happened in that very room. You can even see the grooves made by gamblers' feet from all the anxious tapping. It's a small and quick view but very interesting. Read a lot of cool stuff about the history of gambling in the area. Some of the games they had were so fascinating (they used household items like buttons so if there was a police bust, the illegal operation wouldn't be readily apparent). Considering how hard these people worked (manual labor for many hours), it's actually nice to know that they had some outlet for entertainment. read more

The interior of this building is dark; it looks old, feels old, and has a pleasant old wood smell. It won't take much time to see everything. I could feel the ghost of gamblers who would while way their time and money here on the tables. The museum gave me a real sense of Locke when riverboats would drop gamblers off to indulge in all sorts of games of chance. Locations like Locke will give you a feel for life on the river. It appears that there is never an admission charge, there is a donation box which I would encourage everyone to drop something into it to keep the history of this town alive. read more

Dai Loy Museum - one of the few things in the museum that was under glass - Museums Near Me - Walnut Grove, California

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Fantastic documentation of historic Locke. I honestly don't know how this area is not more appreciated. This is deep deep Chinese American history and so essential to any true Californians historical education. If you don't come here you are a poser read more

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This is a small museum (I think it means Big Man in Chinese) that was once a gambling house in Locke. Locke was founded in 1915 after a fire broke out in the Chinese section of nearby Walnut Grove. The Chinese used to live in Locke to do farming. Currently, only 80-90 people live in Locke, only about 10 Chinese live there now. In this museum you can read about the Chinese communities in Delta towns: Isleton, Rio Vista, Courtland, Walnut Grove. You can also see the card tables that they used to use for gambling. There's a lottery room and a money room (no money in there now of course, just an empty safe). Tickets: Adults $1.25 Students & children under 12: .75c You can also buy Locke post cards & Locke history books inside. Books available: "Bitter Melons", "One Day One Dollar", "150 Yrs of the Chinese Presence in Ca". Guided tour available if you call: 916-776-1661 Website: http://www.locketown.com/museum.htm read more

Wonderful, well-preserved example of early-1900s rural Chinese town 'gentlemen's club'. Many photos, items, and information from the period. Fascinating how life has changed in 100 years. read more

This is probably as authentic of a museum as it can possibly get. The old gambling den is left exactly the way it was without any preservation. It's dark and dank in there which adds to the mystery and feel of how it used to be. A few clear plastic cases cover some of the more delicate dlsplays..but for the most part you can get up close and touch just about everything in there. The walls are covered with pictures and articles covering a long history of the town and its surrounding area. There are also educational materials you can pick up in the front as well as brochures and a donation box. As of the date that we went to visit, the museum is now FREE and there is no charge for admission anywhere in Locke. I highly encourage everyone to go visit as well as make a donation to preserve Locke and its history. They have a small memorial park as well where you can permanently have your names (or whatever you want) engraved on your own large tile and mounted in the park for a small donation of $100-$200. That's really not much money in this day and age but will do a lot for the town. www.locketown.com read more

The whole town of Locke is essentially a living museum. There are several historic buildings around town full of fascinating exhibits including this Dai Loy building. I really suggest walking around the whole town and visiting all the museums in town. Each museum gives you a different perspective on life in one of the best preserved rural Chinatowns in the old American west. Personally, I thought the school museum was more interesting than the gambling museum, but again, they are all worth visiting. There is a free public parking lot and restrooms near the visitor center in the back of the town. While you're in the area, check out nearby Walnut Grove and Isleton - two small and quieter, but still pretty and historic, Chinese towns along the Sacramento River. read more

Great gambling museum in Locke. Very authentic. Free admission. This is a must visit museum when in Locke. You will not be disappointed. read more

We went to visit Locke after our friend told us about it. Dai Loy Museum is along Main Street and it is free, along with the Chinese school and boarding house (visitor's center) but it's nice to leave a donation. It's best to come betwn 12-4pm on weekends b/c this is when the museum, visitor's center, and chinese schools are opened. Be careful not to wander around off of Main Street b/c some residents get annoyed and feel that their privacy is invaded. Some bldgs seem like they have been abandoned. Most of the bldgs are in very poor shape as they are not allowed to change the style of the original bldgs. If you get hungry, there are two eateries on this street. It was fairly quiet when we came and it took us 30 min to browse through. A good place to take kids or the elders to come and see some of the Chinese heritage and history in northern calif. read more

After a couple of solo visits to the town of Locke, I scheduled a guided tour for my meet up group. I contacted Clarence, who owns several of the historic building in town, and he was able to accommodate our date. Although the tour is listed as a one hour tour, we spent over 90 minutes exploring the old boarding house, school, and gambling hall. In addition, we walked by several historic sites and wandered through areas away from the main street. I can't say enough about our docent, Stuart. Stuart explained the history of the town, gave us many "ghostly insights", and answered all of our questions. Although I usually get bored during tours, Stuart had me engaged the entire time. The best part is the town only charges five dollars a person for the guided tour! Afterwards, we ate at the Lockeporte Grill and Fountain for a wonderful lunch. Do yourself a favor and check out the town of Locke! read more