Take a journey into the past and discover the story of Douglas County from early pioneer days to the present. The path of history is exhibited in two unique museums located in Northern Nevada’s Carson Valley; just a 20 minute drive east of South Lake Tahoe or a 15 minute drive south of Carson City. Carson Valley is considered the garden spot of Nevada; and as you drive along Highway 395, you see why. It was here in this rich, green valley that weary pioneers stopped to rest after months of hard travel. As businesses sprang up, some stayed and began farming and ranching the area. The Douglas County Historical Society (DCHS) commemorates the area’s heritage at the Courthouse Museum in Genoa and the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center in Gardnerville.

Douglas County residents are very fortunate to have a rich and exciting history. Many of the events that make up the colorful history of Nevada happened here.

The Historical Society has become a participant in the “Blue Star Museums” Program. This is a program that offers free admission to museums for all active duty military personnel and their families through Labor Day, September 6, 2010.

Blue Star Museums was started as a pilot partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 800 museums across America to offer free admission to families with a parent or spouse serving during this time of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, especially focusing on the approximately 1 million children who have had at least one parent deployed. This program offers these families a chance to visit museums this summer when many will have limited resources and limited time to be together. We hope that many military families will be able to visit our museums this summer, free of charge.