Museum Events

The first recorded ascent of Mt Shasta was made 170 years ago. Tens of thousands of climbers, including two horses, have since succeeded in reaching its lofty singular summit.

Local mountaineer Michael Zanger has climbed and guided countless people to the top for over 60 years (notably, Justin Sisson, one of our early settlers, was also a mountain climbing guide).

Michael is the founder and former owner of Shasta Mountain Guides and has authored historical books on Mount Shasta. He will be joined by Jack Moore, who helped re-establish Sisson Trail, the original route that led from city to summit, and stands as one of the most notable climbs in the country in terms of vertical gain (over 10,000′) in a fairly short distance (about 11 miles).

Join us for this presentation of colorful stories and pictures illustrating the climbing history of Mt Shasta from past to present.

We have two new films showing on our 12 foot screen!

• Rivers: Dreams for Tomorrow
• Lenticulars: Beauty of the Clouds

The evening will be hosted by Bill Miesse

“In the late 1800s, local tavern owner and outdoor guide Justin Sisson built a trail from town to timberline on Mt. Shasta for climbers aspiring to reach the summit.

Known as the Sisson Southern Trail, it was used by nearly all climbers – including John Muir – until the early 1950s when Everitt Memorial Highway was completed to the timberline on the mountain.”

These lines are from an article Jack Moore wrote for the Mt. Shasta News in 2020. Jack is an expert on most things related to the mountain as well as an accomplished photographer and writer.

Michael Zanger founded Shasta Mountain Guides in the late 1970’s and has written multiple books and guides about the mountain.

Join us for an unforgettable evening hosted by Jack and Michael as they delve into the history of our mountain, Mount Shasta.