Loomis Museum

Loomis Museum is a small historic stone museum and park-information stop in the Manzanita Lake area, about a mile beyond Lassen Volcanic’s northwest entrance. It is best for the story behind the 1914 Lassen Peak eruption and a quick orientation to the park: think a focused indoor visit, not a full-afternoon museum. The exhibits cover the Loomis family, local natural history, and eruption photographs, with a park film and ranger information. The museum operates seasonally, so check current opening information before planning a special trip.

B.F. Loomis began photographing Lassen Peak soon after it erupted on May 30, 1914. In June he made six exposures that brought the activity to wider attention and helped build support for protecting the area as a national park. The images give the exhibits a personal, in-the-moment record of a volcanic event; they are the reason this small museum has a story beyond its displays.

Benjamin and Estella Loomis built the museum in 1927 in memory of their daughter, Louisa Mae. It is a one-story structure of native stone and reinforced concrete, with a dome-shaped roof and 20 skylights. The original main hall focused on geology, while the back wing paired mounted animals with photographic backgrounds taken by Benjamin and hand-tinted by Estella. The building itself is part of the collection.

A smaller stone building nearby is a separate attraction, but it belongs to the same Loomis story. Built from different igneous rocks, it once let visitors watch a seismograph needle trace earth movement onto a turning paper roll. In 1929 the Loomises deeded the museum, this building, and their Manzanita Lake land to the park; the museum is part of a larger historic district.

The museum sits by the Manzanita Lake area’s short walks. The 1.8-mile Manzanita Lake loop starts nearby, while the easy half-mile Lily Pond Nature Trail is across the park highway. Restrooms, drinking water, and a bookstore are across the plaza; the museum is wheelchair accessible. Plaza parking is limited and often fills in summer, so allow time to find a space. The surrounding area is reachable year-round, though services are minimal in winter and early spring.