Western Folklife Center
Dedicated to the cultures of the American West, the Western Folklife Center is located in Elko’s Historic Pioneer Hotel. Begun as the Pioneer Saloon in a tent in 1868, the hotel was completed in 1913. Today, the center is an off-site venue with plenty of character that sports a 40-foot, 1890s-era mahogany and cherry Brunswick back bar and is home to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering each January. A theater with 300 removable seats can accommodate 150 for a dinner meeting, a saloon with a fireplace nook can hold 100 for a reception, and an intimate black-box theater seats 20.
Corporate Cowboying
A corporate retreat on a cowboy country ranch is the ultimate out-of-office experience. Cottonwood Guest Ranch, a working horse and cattle ranch, has welcomed visitors for 60 years. Its Western-style lodge offers indoor and outdoor meeting spaces and accommodates 19 “urban cowboys” who can bond on horse and cattle drives or pack trips. Myriad activities include horseback riding, guided hunting — rifle, muzzle loader and archery — fishing, roping, wildlife viewing and bird-watching.
With nine suites in an 11,000-square-foot lodge, Red’s Ranch in the Lamoille Valley adds chuck-wagon barbecues, winemakers’ dinners, cooking classes, ATV trips, a heated pool and heliskiing.
California Trail Interpretative Center
Located eight miles west of Elko, the California Trail Interpretative Center is a $20 million, 40-acre complex that overlooks the Humboldt River and the South Fork Canyon. Through multimedia exhibits and life-sized dioramas, this Historic National Trails Center interprets the country’s westward expansion, specifically the California Trail; tells stories of some of the 250,000 pioneers who trekked over it; and features a walk-through wagon camp and Shoshone village. An off-site venue with extraordinary natural views, the 15,800-square-foot center has a 500-square-foot indoor room where 100 can meet auditorium-style and a seasonal 16,000-square-foot outdoor interpretive plaza with several small amphitheaters.
Elko, Nevada
Location:
Northeastern Nevada at the base of the Ruby Mountains
Access:
Elko Regional Airport, Interstate 80, Amtrak
Major Meeting Spaces:
Elko Convention Center, Elko Conference Center, Red Lion Hotel and Casino, Stockmen’s Hotel and Casino
Hotel Rooms:
More than 2,400, including three new hotel properties opening in 2016
Off-site Venues:
Western Folklife Center, California Trails Interpretative Center, Northeastern Nevada Museum, Cottonwood Ranch, Red’s Ranch, Lamoille Organization Camp
Contact Info:
Elko Convention and Tourism Authority
800-248-3556
www.exploreelko.com
