- Hours: Open daily mid-June through mid-September
- Reservations: Not required
- Cost: Admission free except for special concerts
- Location: State Hwy 89, north of Camp Richardson Resort
- How Long: How long you spend depends on what you do, and you could spend all day here when there's a good concert going on
- Best Time to Visit: Any time
Admission is free except to special concerts. Thirty percent of all purchases from the Cultural Arts store and all ticket sales go to assist with preserving the historic site. On a typical sunny August weekend afternoon in August, you might find the Reggae Allstars performing on the lawn, a theatrical performance scheduled for evening and visitors chatting with artists displaying or creating their works.
Tallac Historic Site, run by the U. S. Forest Service, contains three historic properties that once belonged to the Baldwin, Pope and Heller families. The houses, built between 1894 and 1923, offer a glimpse of the lifestyles of Tahoe's early rich and famous. But it's the Tahoe Tallac Association's Cultural Arts Program that breathes life into what might otherwise be a museum-like setting.
Carol Spain, executive director of the Tahoe Tallac Association, says, "From the beginning, it was a community endeavor. We held many, many meetings, talking about uses for the historic site. High on the list were the arts, historic preservation, and recreation." The association follows that early mandate, sponsoring the plethora of summer cultural activities that make Tallac so special - concerts, plays and "meet the artist" programs. Local artists in all media exhibit their works in the historic buildings. These aren't cold, gallery-style exhibits, though. The artists are there with their creations, explaining them and telling stories of their creation, from the changing weather that inspired a series of paintings, to the perfect conditions that turned Emerald Bay into Magenta Bay, to the cultural background that inspired a painter's style.
Summer events include an annual Renaissance Festival, theatre performances in the renovated boathouse and films.
Tallac Review
Don't be put off by the "historic site" title; there's always something interesting going on at Tallac. We rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars for access to resident artists and for providing an otherwise-missing cultural venue to the Lake Tahoe area.Getting to Tallac
The Tallac Historic Site is on CA 89 at Camp Richardson, a few miles west of South Lake Tahoe.Tallac Historic Site
Lake Tahoe, CA
(530) 541-5227 (Baldwin Museum)
Valhalla-Tallac Association website
U. S. Forest Service Tallac website
