Q: What is the Skyline Drive-in?
A: The Skyline Drive-In is located in the north-east outskirts of the city and it is one of the last operating drive-in theatres in San Bernardino County. It has two screens; each screen shows two movies every night that begin at sundown. We also have a walk-in theater located on East Main Street.
Q: Where is historical Route 66 in Barstow?
A: It is actually Barstow’s Main St. You can drive along the historical route and see the mother road as it is today.
Did you know?
The famous author John Steinbeck actually spent a night in Barstow when he was traveling Route 66 and writing his novel “The Grapes of Wrath”. Barstow was the place Steinbeck and most of the people looking for work picking fruit left Route 66 and followed Hwy 58 to the orchards and fields in northwest and central portions of California.
Q: Are there any museums in the Barstow area?
A: Yes. In fact, there are three great museums in Barstow: The Route 66 Mother Rd. Museum which is located in the historic Harvey House, the Western America Railroad Museum which is also located in the historic Harvey House, and the Mojave River Valley Museum which is located just off the I-15 freeway at the Barstow Rd. exit. The Route 66 Mother Rd. Museum is open Friday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., the Western American Railroad Museum is open Friday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m and the Mojave River Valley Museum is open 7 days a week from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. All three museums offer a wealth of information about our local area as well as wonderful displays and exhibits to admire.
Did you know?
Barstow is home to the “Old Woman Meteorite”, it’s the second largest meteorite found in the United States and weighed 6,070 pounds when it was discovered in 1975. The meteorite was sent to the Smithsonian Institute for study and results deemed it to be one of a kind. It was then sent back where it is now on permanent display at the Desert Discovery Center located off of Barstow Rd.
Q: What movies were filmed in Barstow?
A: A number of movies were filmed in the city of Barstow including: Broken Arrow, Courage Under Fire, From Dusk till Dawn, Gattaca, Erin Brockovich and Kill Bill Volume 2.
Q: Are there any OHV areas in or around Barstow?
A: Barstow has several locations for off road vehicles. A few are, Stoddard Valley which is south of Barstow right off Hwy 15 at Outlet Center Exit. Johnson Valley is 55 miles southeast off Barstow located off the 247 Hwy. Dumont Dunes is east of the 127, 31 miles north of Baker, CA on your way to Las Vegas. Rasor is 45 miles NW of Barstow take Rasor Road exit.
Q: What does Casa del Desierto mean?
A: It means Home of the Desert, but it’s also the name of a well known railroad depot better known as the Harvey House. Designed for passengers traveling by train in the late 1800’s to the 1930’s, when rail travel was glamorous, it provided dining rooms, boarding houses and information to travelers passing through or even locals.
Q: What is Calico?
A: It’s an old Silver Mining Town from the late 1800s, that’s approximately 12 miles from our welcome center. It has a variety of attractions including, Maggie’s Mine, The Mystery Shack (the crooked house where water runs uphill), and The Calico-Odessa Railway (train tour of Calico). They also offer a ghost tour every Saturday night for an additional charge.
