July 10, 2026 - Elko, NV…read more This is a wonderful stop along I-80 and well worth taking the time to visit. The California Trail Interpretive Center tells the story of the pioneers who traveled the California Trail in the mid-1800s through engaging exhibits, life-size dioramas, and interactive displays. I'm so glad we stopped. The life-size dioramas are beautifully done, and there's far more to see than I expected. Unfortunately, I had a limited amount of time and only scratched the surface. I could easily have spent another hour or more exploring the exhibits. The California Trail Interpretive Center is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. During our visit, it was operating on this five-day schedule because a federal hiring freeze had left the center without enough staff to open seven days a week as originally planned. If you're driving I-80 near Elko, don't just drive by--this is one of the best roadside stops in the area. Actually, you should really make it a planned visit to allow yourself enough time to take it all in.

This is a great center to visit when driving on I-80…read more Parking is free and the lot is a nice size with many stalls open. There are clean bathrooms inside and a water bottle refill station. When we walked in we were greeted by the friendly staff. They explained where everything was and helped us feel welcome. The whole thing is free. Donations box are near the entrance and are greatly appreciated to help maintain the museum and keep the trails pristine. I enjoyed the museum and small student art exhibit. The museum was very interactive and had beautiful murals. I also found the wagons outside enjoyable to walk around and look inside. The trails are great! There are two main lookout spots and they ate not hard trails to follow. With this said, the trails are gravel so I recommend closed toe shoes for the trails.

This museum is the newest museum to the area of Elko and it is educational and charming at the same…read moretime. This museum is dedicated to the preservation of the vaquero (this is Spanish for cowboy to the uninitiated) and the American Buckaroo. The Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum is full of history, culture and traditions of the cowboy of the American West. The idea of the American cowboy is kind of romantic to many, but it is actually the daily life of people of live in this region of Nevada. This museum brings the past and present together in an easy digestible way for the museum goer to understand. Housed in the actual shop of the famous saddle maker G.S. Garcia (the building itself is well over 100 years old), this museum is full of gorgeous saddles and beautiful silver work. Family photographs, images, bits, spurs, stories, saddles, belt buckles...there is a lot on display. The museum is only one floor and would not take a ton of time to wander through. There is a cute little gift shop area in the back selling souvenirs as well. The director, Jan Peterson, was there the day we wandered through while visiting Elko for the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. She was so enthusiastic and welcoming of our visit and had a passion for this museum project in this community. A great little museum for this area and a great little museum to celebrate the American west and the spirit of the cowboy.

it had allot of nice things on display. The lady was sweet.It had allot of books on sale.If you…read morelove saddles,you'll love this place.

Gift shop manager Ken Harriman is GREAT. I bought a James…read moreShoshone Wild Rag at the last gathering. Great wild rag. After I returned home a friend saw it and loved it, I gave it to her. I have the wild rag from each gathering I've been to, now I'm missing this one so I ordered from the gift shop. It said delivery in 2 to 5 business days. Maybe I was a little impatient but here it is 9 days and still no wild rag. This morning I emailed the gift shop and within an hour I get a phone call from Ken, the manager. He has sent me another Wild rag, gave me a tracking number, and just asked if the original shows up to please send one of them back. Just an FYI, in addition to the gift shop the Folklife Center also has a great bar, The Pioneer Bar. By the way, the rags are for sale on-line at the gift shop website.

The owners are very friendly. They told me about the cowboy poetry.They had several western…read morepaintings and photos for sale along with western themed items for sale.They also have a bar.

How cool is this event! I was lucky enough to stumble upon Cowboy Poetry while in Elko for…read morebusiness. I snagged some last minute tickets to one of their evening events (cash only), grabbed myself a beer (bud light) and a seat, and enjoyed 1.5 hours of cowboy culture. I never knew there was so much "culture" that went into agriculture. It was so enjoyable and the performers were fabulous! Four cowboys told the tale of their passion and work through songs, stories and poetry. A wonderful way to experience the culture of the wild west. I will certainly be back next year, and might even consider making a special trip to Elko just for this event, as many others do.

When I told my dad I was going to Elko for a work trip, he said, "oh wow! That's the same week as…read morethe Cowboy Poetry Gathering!" I can't say that it's something I would have sought out, but I stashed that little fact away as I prepared for my trip. I asked a few locals about it, and started to understand that this is a BIG event. People travel to Elko from all over to the world for this event year after year. I don't have a specific interest in country music or cowboy culture, but I do have a general interest in cultural events, and decided that we just had to experience this event! Luckily, my colleagues were game, so we headed down to the Folklife Center and bought our $20 tickets (cash only!) and our bottled Bud Light ($3). The show was absolutely fantastic! There are a variety of events throughout the Gathering...ours consisted of 1 cowboy poet (Paul Zarzynski), 1 solo singer (Gail Steiger), and a duo of singers (Cowboy Celtic). There was a nice interplay between the group, and all three were amazing additions to the show. The poet mixed emotion with comedy, the singer told stories about his grandfather and his experiences as a lifelong cowboy. The duo sang about a variety of topics, and were really spectacular. All in all, an amazing show. We all had a great time and left the event with smiles on our faces. We are already talking about trying to plan next year's Elko work trip during the Cowboy Poetry Gathering so we can check out more events!