Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Barstow Harvey House

    4.2 (17 reviews)
    Closed 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

    Barstow Harvey House Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Barstow Harvey House

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Ballroom
    Steve A.

    Harvey House is one of the few interesting things about Barstow. It's basically an old train station turned into a museum. This also used to be a hotel and restaurant. It was just one of a few across the country. This is one of the few that are intact. It was interesting to learn about Fred Harvey. Basically he was a hotel and restaurant owner. He created these stops along the railroads in the 1800s and they became quite popular. A reason was because of the "Harvey Girls." They were much like the Hooters Girls of the 1800s. At this location there's not that much remaining inside except for lots of photographs, but it's interesting to look around. The upstairs has several exhibits. Currently there's an exhibit about NASA and space travel, with several artifacts. The area isn't thought of as being a place for that, but I found out that there's a NASA satellite located not far from here. It was nice to come across this. It's an interesting stop off the highway. The outside is attached to an old rail station where there's also a museum about that.

    Christopher H.

    Pimp. Harvey House ("HH") in Cali's armpit town called Barstow is a pretty structure/complex. This is not someone's manor. HH was a train depot. The house itself has the Western Rail Museum on one side and the Route 66 Museum on the other side. One part of the parking lot has trains and the commercial train tracks are visible from the south side. In the middle are various offices and commercial businesses with a planet exhibition catered for kids. I peeked into it but its all too gimmicky for me. Location: C Barstow sucks. There is no spin to it. HH cant help that. Barstow is appx 1/2 way point between vegas and los angeles off I-15/40 intersection. Roads/Parking: B Plenty and paved with rough patches. Cost: A Free. Overall: A Nothing to travel thousands of miles for. Ideal if your commuting to/from vegas or grand canyons to so cal. Notable nearbys: Next door (as mentioned) is a Rte 66 Museum, Train museum and planet exhibition. Back way to Big Bear, Morongo/Palm Springs and Fort Irwin. In Barstow is the Mojave River Museum, Discovery/Geology Museum and Historic DT Barstow where Roy's cafe and bunch of Rte 66 signs are. Barstow also has a huge outlets that is famous for Asian tourists. Safe traveling. Shameless IG plugs to check out: Cigar IG @cigarcpa. Food IG @cleeshyun. Travel IG @travelingtaxman.

    Harold S.

    This is a great place to visit and spend some time while you are in Barstow. The day I was there the lady at the front desk was extremely helpful in answering questions and providing information about the history of the place. Admission and parking is free. You can look around as you wish at all the rooms inside. There is also a Railroad Museum, a Route 66 Museum and a NASA Museum at this location. The day I was there they were open, but the Railroad Museum and the Route 66 Museum were closed. So before going, checkout the times if you want to avoid any disappointments when you get there.

    Eric P.

    Stopped by to check this place out on my way home from Las Vegas. Came after hours so I did not get a chance to go inside but the outside was what I was really interested in. Me and my family got a chance to walk around the building and take some pictures with the girls. The place is beautiful and it does a great job at maintaining its original look. The trains next to the building were a great sight to see as well. I recommend this spot to anyone driving through and wanting to check out some historic landmarks.

    Harvey House Girls.
    Roxy G.

    This place is incredible. Not only is a beautiful view back into history but it's also a great look into space: the NASA exhibition. Admission is free and you are always welcomed by a passionate staff. Great place to take the family of all ages and bring a picnic!

    According to the cute security guard, the movie was actually pretty accurate....minus the singing and dancing.
    Scott B.

    Back in 1876, Fred Harvey opened up a restaurant/hotel in Kansas by the railroad. This was the first of many stops along the rails out to California. Eventually, there were 84 Harvey Houses, roughly every hundred or so miles along the rails. At it's height, the Houses even began serving it's fare on the railroads that ran past it's numerous establishments. The hotels & restaurants were staffed by the infamous 'Harvey Girls.' The ads in the papers of the day that hired such girls requested; "young women, 18-30 years of age, of good character, attractive and intelligent." So....they were effectively the Hooters Girls of their day. The Barstow Harvey house, originally opened in 1911 as the "Casa del Desierto" is no longer a restaurant nor a hotel. It's actually an office building. There's a ballroom that's got some Harvey House artifacts in a case. Some Harvey House photographs hung on the wall. The security guard is obviously well schooled on the Harvey House information, as she was incredibly knowledgeable on the subject. I asked several questions and she easily had the answers. She informed me that this building was originally about twice the size it is now, having lost a significant portion to an earthquake. She also told me that the movie with Judy Garland made in the 1940's was actually a fairly accurate portrayal of a Harvey House. Minus all the singing and dancing. As of my visit over Columbus Day weekend in 2017, one of the current tenants is NASA. In addition to a neat lil space museum they've got here, NASA maintains a colossal deep space satellite in the nearby desert nearby. used to communicate with the Voyager spacecraft. It was simply icing on the cake of the incredibly cool & historic building. So if you're in the area of Barstow, definitely check this place out while they're open. It really is super cool. For more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Harvey_Company For more information: https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/

    Quasi-Moorish architecture at the old Harvey House
    Burt L.

    Inspired by a book called Appetite for America, I convinced my wife to accompany me on a trip out to Barstow, to see the best-preserved Harvey House remaining in California. This turns out to be a fine day trip. For most folks, Barstow is a place to stop and get a snack and fill up on gas on the road between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The Harvey House is a piece of authentic history less than five minutes from the interstate, worth your time on that trip you want to stop and stretch your legs for more than a few minutes. Dot his if it would excite your imagination to think of the glory days of rail transit happening there -- with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail cars stopping right there, passengers stepping off to be whisked into the first-class dining room and fed lobster americane and bluepoint oysters, get a fresh newspaper and a cigar, served by the legendary Harvey Girls, the ladies who civilized the West, before the half-hour meal stop ended and they got back on board to continue to their destinations elsewhere. Everything was engineered to create a feeling of elegance, wealth, and hospitality -- from the architecture of the building to the military-grade polish on the silverware to the fresh seafood and the friendly, formal service of the ladies in the black dresses and white aprons moving with military precision to get dozens of tables served top-grade meals, all in half an hour before the train left again. Barstow's Casa del Desierto was one of those places, and it still stands in good repair today. It has a gorgeous two-storied collonade at trackside (it's still an actively-used Amtrak stop) and many interesting architectural touches. I'm assuming that locals are still using it because the locks are in good shape and both the interior visible through the glass and the exterior are maintained, clean, and secured. What seems likely to have been the old dining room is now some sort of civic space, used for presentations with modern carpeting, a projection screen, and other indicators of its use for things like seminars and chamber of commerce mixers. Also in the building and on the nearby grounds are a Route 66 museum, which is interesting if cluttered, and a rail museum. The rail museum is the reason to come out of your way. There are quite a few items of interest from over a hundred years of rail operations in and around the area, from tools and computers to an extensive collection of date nails used to note the days when segments of track were laid. Of particular interest to me was the old Harvey Girl uniform -- a long-sleeved black shirt with a white apron and frock, which would be worn by the servers at the old restaurants. The Route 66 museum had a list of house rules governing the conduct of the Harvey Girls, which when contemplated with the conservative uniform suggests that the whole experience of being a Harvey Girl would have been more than a little bit cloistered and prim: "No makeup. No flirting with the customers. No men in the dormitory, ever." No fun for the Harvey Girls! Yet the hospitality chain had no shortage of applicants and young ladies willing to sign six-month contracts to work ten to twelve hours a day, perform to exacting standards, and to not get married until after their terms were over. The pay must have been good and according to legend, any Harvey Girl who wanted a husband would get multiple marriage proposals. They got them by working in places like Casa del Desierto, which even at a glance was obviously the grandest building in town, serving good food and letting their true personalities and appearances shine through.

    The Harvey House was a place to spend the night before sleepers were on the trains

    See all

    1 year ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 2
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mary L.
    101
    916
    16513

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Anne O.
    1
    53
    33

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Steve A.
    4748
    5539
    8461

    7 years ago

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 0
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Scott B.
    597
    1047
    3748

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Burt L.
    0
    99
    78

    11 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Charley C.
    1107
    3097
    4318

    11 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dwain C.
    1100
    1338
    2769

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Barstow Harvey House

    Review Highlights - Barstow Harvey House

    For most folks, Barstow is a place to stop and get a snack and fill up on gas on the road between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Calico Ghost Town

    Calico Ghost Town

    3.9(555 reviews)
    9.6 mi

    Calico Ghost Town is a historic ghost town and former silver mining community located in the Calico…read moreMountains of California's Mojave Desert. Founded in 1881 during the silver mining boom, the town prospered for over a decade before declining when silver prices collapsed. By 1907, most residents had left, and Calico was eventually restored and transformed into the county-operated attraction known today as Calico Ghost Town.   Situated just off Interstate 15, about 3 miles from both Barstow and Yermo, Calico has become a popular stop for travelers exploring Southern California or driving between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. We visited in February 2026 during our trip to Las Vegas and were impressed by the dramatic desert scenery, unique rock formations, and panoramic views from the surrounding hills.   Today, visitors from around the world come to experience the atmosphere of an authentic Old West mining town. The park offers a variety of amenities, including RV and group camping, cabins and bunkhouses, mountain biking trails, off-road vehicle areas, shops, and restaurants. Throughout the year, Calico hosts several special events such as Civil War reenactments, the Spring Festival with Americana music, Calico Days celebrations featuring burro races and mining-themed activities, and the popular Halloween Ghost Haunt in October.   Only minutes from Interstate 15 and a short drive north of Barstow, Calico Ghost Town makes an enjoyable roadside stop for food, shopping, sightseeing, and a glimpse into California's mining history. However, I would recommend visiting Calico Ghost Town during the spring or winter months rather than in the summer, when desert temperatures can become extremely hot and less comfortable for exploring the outdoor attractions and surrounding hills.

    Whats happened to this place ? I am sad to say that Calico…read morehas seen better days. Ive been going here since the 1980s. I miss what it felt like, even 15ish years ago. Yes its an OLD run down ghost town but it truely feels OLD and run down now. Trash everywhere. Spiderwebs and dust everywhere. Its not the Calico look, its literally no one cleaning around here. It looks so unclean everywhere we went. Also...I dont feel many workers are in Character anymore. I miss that. If they are even dressed up they are just sitting around on their phones or talking to each ither. Zero interaction. Zero immersion... just so disappointed. We keep coming back but its just getting worse.

    Photos
    Calico Ghost Town
    Calico Ghost Town
    Calico Ghost Town - Restaurant

    See all

    Restaurant

    Liberty Sculpture Park

    Liberty Sculpture Park

    4.5(42 reviews)
    10.4 mi

    This place was such a nice free surprise off the side of the freeway on the drive from CA. to…read moreVegas! I learned a lot of history, saw some intriguing and inspiring sculptures, and actually learned a lot of new things I had no idea about or wouldn't think would be here. The whole park is funded by volunteers and educates people on the China Communist Party and the devastation communism provides. There were even parts along the fence with Chinese signs and notes about people who had been prisoners or died from communism. It will really send a chill down your spine. Take a nice walk along the park, read some signs, learn something new, and take in the beautiful (and tragic) sculpture art. Thank you for this park, funding it, and your desire to educate others and really better our world one viewer at a time.

    Found Liberty Sculpture Park randomly on a visit in the area. And honestly, five stars for no…read moreadmission fee and being incredibly unexpected. It's a drive-through Sculpture Garden created by political refugees/protesters from China. The artists have nothing good to say about Communism, that's for sure, and also acknowledge the Civil Rights and Indigenous Rights movements in the USA. Many "establishment" museums and galleries would never give a spot to any of these artists, in my opinion....which is kind of ironic when you think about how many artists were revolutionary in their time. And what about the First Amendment? (Oh, congratulations Afroman by the way! We have to fight for our rights to create art in this country.) Anyway, thought-provoking stop if you're in the area. Great value....you can't beat free.

    Photos
    Liberty Sculpture Park - Pavilion

    Pavilion

    Liberty Sculpture Park - This is what the tractor was holding.  Name those villains.

    This is what the tractor was holding. Name those villains.

    Liberty Sculpture Park - The Sword of Damocles

    See all

    The Sword of Damocles

    NASA Goldstone Visitor Center - Astro Space Suit

    NASA Goldstone Visitor Center

    4.8(8 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    Don't just make a Barstow stop on the way to Vegas to go to the restroom or to get fast food; check…read moreout the NASA Goldstone Visitor Center... 4 stars!!!! Learn all about the satellite ground station located in Fort Irwin, CA that tracks and communicates with interplanetary space missions at this visitor center. Located in the second floor of the historic Harvey House at the Barstow Amtrak Train Station, the visitor center offers interactive exhibits to learn how the Jet Propulsion Laboratory tracks and communicates with interplanetary spacecrafts. Not just kids, but also adults can find this center a worthwhile stop in Barstow. As a bonus, you can also learn about the historic Harvey House as well as visit the Western America Railroad Museum and the Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum, all during the same stop.

    Wow I didn't think much of this place until I got home to read the brochures and went online…read more Goldstone is one of three complexes around the world known as the Deep Space Network (DSN) that provides the ability to communicate with spacecraft! This is on the top floor of the Amtrak train station in Barstow, Ca. There work is within the two-way robotic spacecraft communication and radio astronomy. The Goldstone Deep Space Network Visitor's Center is OPEN Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9am-3pm and Saturdays 10am-4pm with no cost to visit and no reservations required. They are closed on Federal Holidays. Historic Harvey House (Casa Del Desierto) 681 North First Avenue, Barstow, CA 92311 The main Harvey House entrance faces South toward the Railroad Tracks and this is located on the second floor. This is a road that is not traveled by much traffic.

    Photos
    NASA Goldstone Visitor Center
    NASA Goldstone Visitor Center
    NASA Goldstone Visitor Center

    See all

    Barstow Harvey House - landmarks - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...