Skip to ContentGenoa’s Mormon Station was a trading post in 1851 on the California Trail and is called Nevada’s first permanent non-native settlement.
Checked November 2, 2026. Dates, prices and hours change; the official page wins.
- 1851trading post built (1850 earlier camp)
- 1910original post burned
- 1957state park established
- $1museum fee
Nevada’s First Permanent Settlement
Mormon Station State Historic Park says the trading post was built in 1851 on the Carson Route of the California Trail to supply travelers before the Sierra crossing, and calls it Nevada’s first permanent non-native settlement. An earlier Mormon Station was started in 1850 by Abner Blackburn and Hampton Beatie with five others as an unfinished four-wall log shelter, so sources count 1850 or 1851. The 1851 post burned in 1910; the reconstruction is now a museum with pioneer artifacts. The park became a state park in 1957.
Also on the grounds: the 1856 Kinsey House, built by co-founder Stephen Kinsey for his bride Sarah (not open now; tours were expected in spring 2026), a blacksmith shop from 1908 and the 1948 Arribalsaga-Campbell House, being turned into a house museum.
Visit
- Address2295 Main Street, Genoa, NV 89411
- Phone775-782-2590
- GroundsAlways open; free
- Museum hoursMay to September, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. October to April, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Museum fee$1; children 12 and under free
- Getting thereAbout 55 to 60 minutes from Reno (our estimate, no live traffic); Wikipedia puts Genoa about 42 miles south of Reno
Genoa is also home to the Candy Dance.
What We Could Not Confirm
These items were not read on an official page when we checked, so we do not state them as fact. Who can confirm each one is named.
- Kinsey House tour dates (Nevada State Parks, 775-782-2590).
- Other Genoa attractions, such as the courthouse museum (Town of Genoa).
More to Explore
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Genoa the oldest town in Nevada?
Nevada State Parks calls Mormon Station Nevada’s first permanent non-native settlement, built in 1851.
Sources
Cite this page: It’s Reno editorial team, “Genoa and Mormon Station State Historic Park,” itsreno.com, checked November 2, 2026.