Museums and Collections

In addition to the Thunderbird Lodge historic site and THUNDERBIRD yacht, Thunderbird Lake Tahoe operates a variety of museums and collections for public interpretation and education about topics of regional significance.

Incline Village and Crystal Bay
History Gallery

This public exhibit contains objects from the rich and storied past of Lake Tahoe’s northeast shore. The area’s Native American, mining, logging, transportation, and maritime histories are represented. The gallery’s centerpiece is material from the long-running television series BONANZA, as its mythical Ponderosa Ranch was centered in this locale.


Open Monday – Saturday, 10AM – 4PM.
Located in the Incline Village and Crystal Bay Visitor’s Center:
969 Tahoe Boulevard, Incline Village, Nevada.
For more information, call 1-800-GO-TAHOE.

Incline Village and Crystal Bay
History Gallery

This public exhibit contains objects from the rich and storied past of Lake Tahoe’s northeast shore. The area’s Native American, mining, logging, transportation, and maritime histories are represented. The gallery’s centerpiece is material from the long-running television series BONANZA, as its mythical Ponderosa Ranch was centered in this locale.


Open Monday – Saturday, 10AM – 4PM.
Located in the Incline Village and Crystal Bay Visitor’s Center:
969 Tahoe Boulevard, Incline Village, Nevada.
For more information, call 1-800-GO-TAHOE.

Archives and Photo
Collections

Thunderbird Lake Tahoe stewards the largest collection of Lake Tahoe ephemera known to exist including land and survey records, photographs, maps, films, and family histories. Portions of the collection will begin appearing on-line at a new digital museum web site Thunderbird will launch in 2020. Meanwhile, vetted scholars and journalists may access elements of the collection for research.


For more information, send e-mail to Archives@ThunderbirdTahoe.org

BONANZA,
The Ponderosa Ranch Collection

In 2017, through the generosity of the Dave and Cheryl Duffield family, Thunderbird Lake Tahoe received much of the buildings and contents from the famed Ponderosa Ranch tourist attraction which operated in Incline Village (Nevada) from 1967 – 2004. For public education and enjoyment, Thunderbird is presently distributing this Ponderosa Ranch material to cultural and heritage sites throughout the State of Nevada, including Nevada’s State Parks and Museums and other qualified institutions.


A preview of the material may be viewed at the Incline Village and Crystal Bay History Gallery.

BONANZA,
The Ponderosa Ranch Collection

In 2017, through the generosity of the Dave and Cheryl Duffield family, Thunderbird Lake Tahoe received much of the buildings and contents from the famed Ponderosa Ranch tourist attraction which operated in Incline Village (Nevada) from 1967 – 2004. For public education and enjoyment, Thunderbird is presently distributing this Ponderosa Ranch material to cultural and heritage sites throughout the State of Nevada, including Nevada’s State Parks and Museums and other qualified institutions.


A preview of the material may be viewed at the Incline Village and Crystal Bay History Gallery.

Lake Tahoe Discovery Museum
and Event Center

Lake Tahoe has a rich heritage including its Native American, Anglo settlement, logging, mining, maritime, environmental, casino gaming, and tourism histories. What Lake Tahoe presently does not have is an art and history museum—a space dedicated to interpreting and exhibiting the Lake-in-the-Sky’s storied past. Capital funds are now being raised to build-out a Lake Tahoe Discovery Museum and Event Center in Incline Village (Nevada). This 18,000 square foot facility has been gifted to the non-profit Thunderbird Lake Tahoe and will soon be retrofitted for exhibit and event spaces. Gift, sponsorship, and naming opportunities are available. To support this public education project with your tax-deductible charitable gift, please click Donate Now or call our Curator at 775.832.8755 for more information.