Where We Are

The Western Folklife Center Gift Shop & Wiegand Gallery are open for business.

Western Folklife Center
501 Railroad Street
Elko, Nevada 89801
Ph: 775-738-7508
Fax: 775-738-2900
wfc@westernfolklife.org

Office Hours:
10 am - 5 pm
Enter through Gift Shop

Visit Us!

Where We Are
Our address is 501 Railroad Street, Elko, Nevada. Elko is located in the northeastern corner of the state along Interstate 80. (Reno is 290 miles west, Salt Lake City is 230 miles east, Boise is 155 miles northwest, Twin Falls is 168 miles northeast… and Las Vegas is 423 miles southwest of Elko.) As we are in the high desert of the Great Basin at an elevation of 5060 feet, weather in Elko is varied. For new travelers interested in the area, we recommend always checking the weather before you travel and road conditions if you are driving, especially during the winter months. Elko is serviced by SkyWest Airlines (a Delta Connection) from Salt Lake City and by Amtrak. Rental car service in Elko is provided by Enterprise (775-738-2899 or 800-593-0505), Hertz (775-738-3147), and Avis (775-738-4426). Contact El Aero Services for information about chartering a private plane.

A Brief History of our Building
The Pioneer Building, located at 501 Railroad Street in Elko, Nevada, is the headquarters of the Western Folklife Center, purchased in 1992 thanks to a donation from the late George Gund III, a local rancher and Western Folklife Center Trustee.

The location began as a tent called the Pioneer Saloon in 1868, likely the first bar in Elko. The current building (completed in 1912-1913) was the largest retail and office building in Elko at that time. With its impressive, 40-foot 1890 Brunswick back bar constructed of mahogany and cherry wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl, it served as a social center.

Now both a local and a regional cultural center with an exhibit gallery, 300-seat theater, 20-seat Black Box theater, saloon and gift shop, the Western Folklife Center brings you one of the best facilities around. See information about renting our facility.

Banner photo by Jessica Brandi Lifland, photo of Western Folklife Center by Steve Green