Historic Route 66, Main Street USA Cruising right through the heart of Barstow, the fabled Route 66 has been immortalized in song and literature as the Main Street of America. Originally known as the National Old Trails Road before becoming U.S. Highway 66 in 1926, the highway served as a crucial thoroughfare for dustbowl emigrants, leading author John Steinbeck to name it the “Mother Road.” Although the official highway designation was dropped in 1985, tourists from around the world still travel to Barstow to experience this legendary thoroughfare.
Downtown Main Street Murals Downtown Barstow doubles as an open-air art gallery. A walking tour down Main Street reveals large-scale, vibrant murals that tell the story of the city’s rich Native American heritage, mining booms, and Route 66 glory days. These colorful installations provide ready-made, dynamic backdrops for any creative visual project or classic tourist photo op.
Historic Harvey House (Casa del Desierto) Originally built in 1911 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, this stunning architectural gem features a beautiful synthesis of Spanish Renaissance and Classical Revival architecture with Moorish elements, including majestic arcades and corner towers. Today, this fully restored historic structure serves as an Amtrak station and houses the Route 66 Mother Road Museum and the Western America Railroad Museum. It stands proudly as the finest remaining depot-hotel in California
Western America Railroad Museum
Located in Barstow’s historic Harvey House depot, this museum celebrates the rich railroading heritage of the American Southwest. Visitors can explore indoor displays featuring authentic railroad artifacts, vintage uniforms, timetables, and historic photographs, alongside outdoor exhibits of locomotives and rolling stock. It offers a fascinating look into how the Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads shaped the High Desert region.
Route 66 Mother Road Museum
Also housed inside the iconic Casa del Desierto Harvey House, this museum pays tribute to America’s most famous highway. It features an extensive collection of vintage roadside memorabilia, classic neon signs, historic photography, and road-trip artifacts from the 1920s through the 1960s. It is an essential stop for heritage travelers looking to experience the golden era of Mother Road culture.
Desert Discovery Center & The Old Woman Meteorite Located right in town, this educational hub is a must-visit for families and science enthusiasts. Its crown jewel is the famous “Old Woman Meteorite.” Discovered in the Mojave Desert in 1975, it is the second-largest space rock ever found in the United States, weighing an astonishing 6,000 pounds.
Rainbow Basin Located about 15 miles north of Barstow, the Rainbow Basin is a geological wonder that existed between 10 and 30 million years ago as vanishing lakebeds. Wind and water erosion over the eons have transformed the richly colored sedimentary layers into a breathtaking rainbow of scenic beauty.
Calico Ghost Town Step into a vibrant window into the American Old West at Calico Ghost Town, California’s official Silver Rush Ghost Town. Situated just north of Interstate 15, Calico was founded in 1881 after a massive silver strike and has been meticulously restored to its 1880s glory by Walter Knott. Visitors can walk its historic wooden streets, view beautifully preserved buildings and old mining equipment, ride the Calico Odessa Railroad, or pan for gold.
Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex Operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Goldstone Observatory is a vital 32,411-acre facility located in the Mojave Desert. Built in 1958, this complex uses large, high-precision antennas, including a massive 70-meter dish, to track and communicate with interplanetary spacecraft exploring the solar system.
Mojave National Preserve Spanning over 1.5 million acres between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40, the Mojave National Preserve is the third largest unit of the National Park system within the contiguous United States. This vast desert sanctuary boasts incredible natural features, including the Kelso Dunes, volcanic formations like Hole-in-the-Wall, and the largest and densest Joshua tree forest in the world atop Cima Dome.
Mojave River Valley Museum For those looking to dig deeper into the roots of the region, this volunteer-run museum is a treasure trove. It features extensive, carefully curated collections of Native American artifacts, local minerals, and early pioneer records that document the rugged history of the Mojave River basin.
Afton Canyon (The “Grand Canyon of the Mojave”) Located about 36 miles northeast of Barstow, this hidden gem is one of the only places where the Mojave River flows above ground. The water has carved dramatic, steep walls and colorful rock formations out of the desert floor, creating an environment that is absolutely stunning for landscape photography, off-roading, and remote hiking.