White Pine Public Museum, Ely, Nevada

One of our favorite places to stop at when we go to Ely, Nevada is the White Pine Public Museum. The museum front isn't very large and there's no parking lot, so it's easy to miss, but it's right on main street at 2000 Aultman Ave., so you don't even have to go out of your way. One of the things we like best about it is that every time we see something different. There are so many details that you can't absorb them all in just one visit, especially if you have fast-moving kids with you. 

When we had family visit in July, it was the perfect time to stop in. 

The museum advertises its Cave Bear. And it is spectacular.

Two bear skeletons were found in a local cave, which sure shows that the fauna in the area was quite a bit different! The giant short-faced bear  (Arctodus simus) was quite a bit larger than today's grizzly bears. The museum shows a model of one of the cave bears. 

 Near the cave bear was one of the kids' favorite exhibits, an interactive paleontology table where they could uncover part of an ichthyosaur, Nevada's state fossil.

This little guy really liked the video of explosions at the mine.

And Desert Girl pointed to an animal case and said, "I know crows."

Then it was time to head outside to the one-room school house from Baker, Nevada.

The kids thought it was great fun to pretend they were in school. Well, for about five minutes.

We checked out the Cherry Creek depot, the old caboose, and this massive mining car.

Some of the exhibits aren't too impressive, like these old, rusty wheelbarrows. You can never have too many, right? (I think the museum has seven.) I guess it's hard to turn down donations.


Outside by the beautiful mural, the kids spent some time in jail.

The museum doesn't have the most up-to-date, techno gadgety exhibits, but it is a lot of fun. Entrance is by donation and hours are variable (but it's usually open in the middle of the day on weekends and some weekdays). You can learn more at the White Pine Public Museum website.