Book A Tour - Schedule a Group Visit to the Old Truckee Jail Museum
The Truckee-Donner Historical Society invites you, your students, co-workers on a company retreat, and other interested groups to experience the rich history of Truckee by visiting our Old Truckee Jail Museum. Discover what the inside of a ‘real jail’ built in 1875 looks and feels like, learn about the lumber and ice industries, see antique tools used to build the town, enrich your knowledge about our local Washoe Indians and the importance of the Chinese in constructing the railroad, discover the stories behind some of our infamous jailbirds, find out what movie stars have made films in Truckee, learn about the beginnings of the local ski industry and see the long-boards used to deliver the mail before cars and paved roads, and much, much more.
School Programs
The local Truckee Donner School District schedules their annual 3rd grade class visits as part of their school curriculum to teach their students the historical importance of the town in which they live. The history lesson is enhanced by the local volunteer group, the Railroad Regulators 601, who provide an authentic flavor of the ‘Old West’ with the likes of Snakebite, Captain Culpepper and other notorious figures.
The Old Truckee Jail Museum offers tours for any school group, home school group, camps, youth groups, and after-school programs. We are happy to work with you and your students to set up a tour as befits your curriculum.
Walking Tours
The Truckee-Donner Historical Society provides a walking tour of historic downtown Truckee. Tours usually last about 1 1/2 hours as you casually walk approximately one mile. Advance notice and reservations are needed to schedule your group’s private walking tour of Truckee’s original Main Street (now known as Jibboom Street) and Truckee’s current main street (Donner Pass Road). Our experienced tour guides will candidly and descriptively describe the history and the business owners of many of the historic buildings in downtown Truckee such as The Capitol Building, the Bar of America, Squeeze In, Jack Ass Ranch, the Truckee Hotel and many others. Be sure to wear good walking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather.
Read San Jose Mercury News article on our walking tours here >>>
Book a Tour Guide for Your Tour Bus
Is your group traveling on a tour bus and would like to know what you are seeing along the way? The Truckee-Donner Historical Society offers experienced and informative tour guides to join your group for a local one to two hour tour of the Truckee Donner area. Special arrangements will be made to tailor the tour to your groups specific interests and needs.
Book ‘Em All
Mix and match all of our tours to meet your time and interest to get an in-depth look into the history of Truckee and surrounding areas.
How to Schedule
Contact Greg Zirbel at 530-582-0893 or email [email protected] to book your visit.
Our staff will provide you all the necessary details that you will need before you arrive.
Dates and Times:
Private group tours and school groups are accepted by advance appointment only, from May to September, weather dependent.
Length of Visit:
Tours can be tailored to meet your needs.
Group Size:
With groups larger than 20, group leaders and teachers are asked to divide into smaller groups of no more than 15-20 for the jail museum tour.
Chaperones:
Chaperones are required in a ratio of 1 adult per 10 children. The role of chaperones is to encourage children to ask questions, make personal observations, and provide supervision.
Fees:
The admission fee for a museum tour is $2 per head with a minimum fee of $25. The fee for a Bus Tour Guide is $100. Send an email to [email protected] for a Walking Tour quote.
All of our docents and tour guides work as volunteers for the Society, so 100% of your tour dollars are reinvested in the maintenance of the Old Truckee Jail Museum and adjacent Community Memorial Garden and in upgrades to our museum displays.
Accessibility:
The Old Jail Museum has limited ADA accessibility. It is necessary to climb stairs to access the second floor and some wheelchairs may be too wide for entrance past the front door. There is no accessible rest room facility at the museum. The jail has no heat source so dressing warmly is usually best. Contact us if you have questions on accessibility.
See the video at the Old Truckee Jail Museum of the third graders 2015 visit.
The Truckee-Donner Historical Society invites you, your students, co-workers on a company retreat, and other interested groups to experience the rich history of Truckee by visiting our Old Truckee Jail Museum. Discover what the inside of a ‘real jail’ built in 1875 looks and feels like, learn about the lumber and ice industries, see antique tools used to build the town, enrich your knowledge about our local Washoe Indians and the importance of the Chinese in constructing the railroad, discover the stories behind some of our infamous jailbirds, find out what movie stars have made films in Truckee, learn about the beginnings of the local ski industry and see the long-boards used to deliver the mail before cars and paved roads, and much, much more.
School Programs
The local Truckee Donner School District schedules their annual 3rd grade class visits as part of their school curriculum to teach their students the historical importance of the town in which they live. The history lesson is enhanced by the local volunteer group, the Railroad Regulators 601, who provide an authentic flavor of the ‘Old West’ with the likes of Snakebite, Captain Culpepper and other notorious figures.
The Old Truckee Jail Museum offers tours for any school group, home school group, camps, youth groups, and after-school programs. We are happy to work with you and your students to set up a tour as befits your curriculum.
Walking Tours
The Truckee-Donner Historical Society provides a walking tour of historic downtown Truckee. Tours usually last about 1 1/2 hours as you casually walk approximately one mile. Advance notice and reservations are needed to schedule your group’s private walking tour of Truckee’s original Main Street (now known as Jibboom Street) and Truckee’s current main street (Donner Pass Road). Our experienced tour guides will candidly and descriptively describe the history and the business owners of many of the historic buildings in downtown Truckee such as The Capitol Building, the Bar of America, Squeeze In, Jack Ass Ranch, the Truckee Hotel and many others. Be sure to wear good walking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather.
Read San Jose Mercury News article on our walking tours here >>>
Book a Tour Guide for Your Tour Bus
Is your group traveling on a tour bus and would like to know what you are seeing along the way? The Truckee-Donner Historical Society offers experienced and informative tour guides to join your group for a local one to two hour tour of the Truckee Donner area. Special arrangements will be made to tailor the tour to your groups specific interests and needs.
Book ‘Em All
Mix and match all of our tours to meet your time and interest to get an in-depth look into the history of Truckee and surrounding areas.
How to Schedule
Contact Greg Zirbel at 530-582-0893 or email [email protected] to book your visit.
Our staff will provide you all the necessary details that you will need before you arrive.
Dates and Times:
Private group tours and school groups are accepted by advance appointment only, from May to September, weather dependent.
Length of Visit:
Tours can be tailored to meet your needs.
Group Size:
With groups larger than 20, group leaders and teachers are asked to divide into smaller groups of no more than 15-20 for the jail museum tour.
Chaperones:
Chaperones are required in a ratio of 1 adult per 10 children. The role of chaperones is to encourage children to ask questions, make personal observations, and provide supervision.
Fees:
The admission fee for a museum tour is $2 per head with a minimum fee of $25. The fee for a Bus Tour Guide is $100. Send an email to [email protected] for a Walking Tour quote.
All of our docents and tour guides work as volunteers for the Society, so 100% of your tour dollars are reinvested in the maintenance of the Old Truckee Jail Museum and adjacent Community Memorial Garden and in upgrades to our museum displays.
Accessibility:
The Old Jail Museum has limited ADA accessibility. It is necessary to climb stairs to access the second floor and some wheelchairs may be too wide for entrance past the front door. There is no accessible rest room facility at the museum. The jail has no heat source so dressing warmly is usually best. Contact us if you have questions on accessibility.
See the video at the Old Truckee Jail Museum of the third graders 2015 visit.
HCS updated 7/11/2023
