Dioramas
Whimsical and intricately crafted dioramas offer a bird’s-eye view of Calistoga’s rich past—view Sam Brannan’s 1860s Hot Springs Resort, watch a model train wind past early 1900s Chinatown, and trace the historic electric railroad that once linked Calistoga to the San Francisco Bay Area.
1862 Hot Springs Resort Diorama
Developed by Calistoga founder Sam Brannan and inspired by Saratoga Springs in New York, the Hot Springs Resort diorama features lively scenes of vacationers exploring the opulent grounds.
Robert Louis Stevenson Diorama
This charming diorama captures Robert Louis Stevenson's rustic honeymoon in Calistoga. It depicts the silver mining camp where he and wife Fanny stayed in 1880, along with glimpses of Schramsberg winery—a journey that inspired his vivid travelogue “The Silverado Squatters.”
Model Train/Chinatown Diorama
The Model Train/Chinatown diorama features a working train passing through early 1900s Calistoga, with detailed backdrops highlighting Chinatown’s vital role as a hub for local labor and commerce.
Electric Train Diorama
The Electric Train Diorama depicts the interurban railroad that connected Calistoga to the San Francisco Bay Area from 1912 to 1937. It began in Vallejo, where ferry passengers from the city continued their journey by rail.
Visitor Gallery
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