Modoc County Historical Museum

The Modoc County Historical Museum in Alturas focuses on the history of Modoc County beginning with Native American history and objects. The Modoc County Historical Museum has one of the largest collections of firearms in California up to World War II. Early guns include a 15th-century blunderbuss. Exhibitions touch on the migratory bird hunting history of the region and showcases 10-gauge shotguns and a large three-gauge shotgun. A Marlin Ballard 40-90 caliber with a cartridge approximately 4 inches long. The museums collection of Native American objects is larger than its firearm collection. It has objects as old as 8,000 years old. The collection showcases the lives and history of three regional communities: the Pit River Tribe, the Modoc, and Paiute people. Other parts of the collection include objects from other Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. Outside the museum is Southern Pacific 2718, a steam locomotive that was used in the area.