Siskiyou County Museum - Yreka, California

The Siskiyou County Museum, Where History Comes To Life
910 South Main St., Yreka, CA 96097
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Saturday 900 am to 4:00 pm
Phone: (530) 842-3836

Siskiyou County Museum, Native American Gallery

The Native American Gallery features one of the most comprehensive portrayals of Native American life in Upper California. The gallery explores the cultural histories and artistry of local tribes including the Karuk, Shasta, Konomihu, Okwanuchu, Achomawi and Modoc.

The Trappers Gallery presents a wealth of material relating to the acquisition of fur-bearing animals in the area during the early 1800's. Highlights include personal adornment items, weapons, survival skills, and a recreation of an 1830's Scott Valley spike camp used by trapper Stephen Hall Meek.

The Gold Mining Gallery on the second floor houses original clothing and equipment that the early miners used as well as photos of gold mines located in Siskiyou County. The remainder of the exhibits on the second floor area are presently being developed. They will include galleries recounting the settlement period, Chinese, transportation, and other aspects of Siskiyou County history.

The Outdoor Museum located south across the Museum parking lot augments the Museum's collection with five original buildings dating from 1856 to 1920 (the Spring School and Davis Cabin are registered as California State historical landmarks), and four recreated structures including a general merchandise store which sells period items, gifts, and books. Outdoor Museum hours are from 9:30am to 4:30pm, May through September.

Chinese in Siskiyou County With an array of well-preserved artifacts, this exhibit helps document the presence of the Oriental sojourner in upper Northern California and his contribution to the mining phase and growth of Siskiyou County.

Pioneer Settlement Gallery brings to life the trials and tribulations of those early immigrants who endured months of travel, exhausting days, and unpredictable weather conditions in search of a new beginning in a new land. The exhibit features a life-sized diorama of a coverd wagon camp in the twilight hours as well as artifacts and information on early settlers.

Firearms played a vital and colorful role in the growth and development of Siskiyou County. The time period covered by this exhibit is roughly from 1800 to 1900, a one-hundred year span of remarkable richness, touching even the most isolated areas of the country including Siskiyou County. Selected rifles, shotguns, and pistols are featured along with oddities that were collected in the museum's early years.

Period Rooms There's nothing like an essence of a recreated room to help establish time and place and put artifacts in context. The Siskiyou County Museum features two rooms of a ca. 1900s house, a parlor complete with vintage furniture, piano and wood heater, and a kitchen built around a classic cook stove.

Future exhibits including a Depression Era general Store, an Agricultural Display, and a Siskiyou County doctor's case will open as they are completed.