Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Spanish colonial priest Francisco Garcés caravanned through, and in the mid-19th century
the Old Spanish Trail passed nearby, with pioneer settlers on the Mojave River selling sup-
plies to California immigrants. Meanwhile, mines were founded in the hills outside town.
Barstow, named after a railway executive, got going as a railroad junction after 1886. After
1926 it became a major rest stop for motorists along Route 66 (Main St). Today it exists to
serve nearby military bases and is still a busy pit stop for travelers.
Sights
Barstow is well known for its history-themed
murals
that spruce up often empty and
boarded-up downtown buildings, mostly along Main St between 1st and 6th Sts. Pick up a
map at the
Chamber of Commerce
.
Route 66 'Mother Road' Museum
MUSEUM
760-255-1890;
www.route66museum.org
;
681 N 1st St;
10am-4pm Fri & Sat,
11am-4pm Sun, or by appointment)
Inside the beautifully restored
Casa del Desierto
, a 1911 Harvey House (architecturally
significant railway inns named for their originator Fred Harvey), this museum documents
life along the historic highway with some great old black-and-white photographs alongside
eclectic relics, including a 1915 Ford Model T, a 1913 telephone switchboard and products
made from locally mined minerals. The excellent gift shop stocks Route 66 driving guides,
maps and books.
Western America Railroad Museum
MUSEUM
(
www.barstowrailmuseum.org
; 685 N 1st St; 11am-4pm Fri-Sun)
Rail buffs make a beeline to the Casa del Desierto to marvel at a century's worth of rail-
road artifacts, including old timetables, uniforms, china and the Dog Tooth Mountain mod-
el railroad. Even when the building's closed, outside you can see historic locomotives,
bright-red cabooses and even a car used to ship racehorses.
Desert Discovery Center
MUSEUM
(
760-252-6060;
www.desertdiscoverycenter.com
; 831 Barstow Rd;
11am-4pm Tue-Sat;
)
