The Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center depicts the history of the area and the people who came into this part of the Sierra, including stories of the Emigrant Experience--including that of the Donner Party, the Land of the Washoe, Chinese construction of the railroad and early motoring adventures over Donner Pass.
The Multipurpose Theater includes state-of-the-art audiovisual systems for presentations. An expanded information center welcomes visitors with interactive kiosks for exploring connections to other state parks.
Outside the museum a self-guided tour goes past the Donner Party's Murphy family cabin site, and a new paved path to the Pioneer Memorial, topped by a forward-looking pioneer family.