Owens Valley Paiute-Shoshone Cultural Center — Local services in Bishop

I was quite disappointed with this. My rating I think it's fair because of the effort they put in, but the place is a reflection of how they care (or don't) for outsiders to learn about the local culture and heritage.

The place is neglected, the displays need repair, the staff is friendly, but not exactly attentive. There was one person there, and we were the only ones in the entire place for the whole duration of our visit. I think it would have been great for the staff to show us around, show us they're proud to have this place open, highlight some of the features and exhibits.

-- I get that I'm not entitled to that, but given the state of the place, I think every bit of effort they make towards promoting the place would be beneficial to them.

Outside, they have a few "stations" or exhibits of the local flora and fauna, but most of them are also neglected.

The biggest highlight was a type of microscope they had in the back where the kids could look at some sample specimens of local insects and animals, they loved it, but as an adult I could tell they also had been neglected.

The entrance is free, so that's a cool thing. I can see why it's free, and at the same time, they could not charge money for entrance with the quality of the displays as they stand today.

You're not allowed to take pictures, so I can't even post the good exhibits or the great stuff that was shown there. I almost felt like we were back in 1999 with "photos prohibited" attitutdes. It's 2022, photos benefit the place 100% of the time. The policy of no photos is not just bad, but it deliberately hurts them.

So much potential wasted,...

This self-guided plant walk was discovered on the way to USFS /Bureau of Land Management offices. It's on the North Side of the parking lot. Find a kiosk with information on the walk. Cultural Center is left.

Items of note: learning the Paiute name for sunflower "Helianthus Annuus" is paaku---u has an umlaut. Self-guided walk is "Free." When visiting you may donate/buy something at the Cultural Center.

Bishop is a delightful town. Secret is the town of "Bishop" is a star in several movies. Thanks to DWP, SCE and USFS. Thanks to the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe and the education. Also special mention...

This is an excellent center, a must-visit for anyone living here and/or passing through. They have a beautiful native garden outside with explanations of how the plant is used. Real artifacts displayed with the stories behind them, I feel like I learned so much!

The gift shop was charming and had a lot of cool stickers I picked up, along with a CD full of traditional stories about the area. They also had an area for honoring veterans of wars.

Free to enter, but it's polite to leave a donation :) Photos of the museum inside is not allowed, but here are some photos of the garden out front....