US-39516–18 mi · about 30–35 min from the Valley
Antiques near Minden & Gardnerville, worth the drive up US-395
Northern Nevada's largest antique mall is 16 to 18 miles north of Minden and Gardnerville, about 30–35 minutes up US-395 to North Carson Street. Over 21,000 square feet of vendor booths on two floors, open every day from 10 to 6.
- Open every day, 10–6
- 16–18 mi up US-395
- Parking lot out front
How far is it from Minden and Gardnerville?
About 30–35 minutes. Minden is 16 miles from our door and Gardnerville is 17–18, both straight up US-395 to 1831 N Carson St in Carson City.
We're open every day, 10 AM to 6 PM, Saturday and Sunday included. There's a parking lot right in front; look for the yellow sign. Holiday hours aren't posted, so call (775) 461-3142 before a holiday trip.
Why drive up from the Carson Valley for antiques?
Size, mostly. Valley antiquers already know the antique stores in Minden and Gardnerville. This is the big one up the road: Northern Nevada's largest antique mall, with over 21,000 square feet of numbered vendor booths on two floors. The booths are stocked by different vendors, so every aisle is a different hunt, and there's an upstairs.
Plan a couple of hours, and browse at your own pace. The cashier is at the entrance, and nobody's timing you.
The quick way: straight up US-395
US-395 runs through the center of Gardnerville as Main Street and carries on through Minden as a four-lane road. Past Minden it becomes a divided highway and turns due north for Carson City, where it meets I-580 and US-50 at the south end of town.
Not to scale. Drawn via Carson Street through downtown; your map may take the freeway instead. The Valley to our door: 16–18 mi, about 30–35 min.
Genoa Lane & Mormon Station
Turn west here for Genoa, the site of Nevada's first permanent non-native settlement. The long way is below.
Jacks Valley Road
The foothill road from Genoa comes back to the highway here. It's a county road now, though older maps still call it SR 206.
The Carson Street option
Stay on Carson Street from the south end of town and you'll pass the Railroad Museum (2180 S Carson St), the State Capitol (101 N Carson St) and the old Carson City Mint (600 N Carson St) before you reach us. Your map may take the freeway instead; either way, we're at 1831 N Carson St.
The long way: Genoa and Jacks Valley Road
Skip the highway and go through Genoa. Turn west on Genoa Lane (State Route 206) by Minden–Tahoe Airport and follow it into town.
Mormon Station State Historic Park, at 2295 Main Street, marks the site of Nevada's first permanent non-native settlement: a trading post built in 1851 on the Carson Route of the California Trail. The one standing there now is a reconstruction (the original burned in 1910), and it runs as a museum of pioneer artifacts. The Courthouse Museum is right across the street.
From Genoa, Main Street heads north and turns into Jacks Valley Road. It runs through the northwest corner of the Valley and across the Jacks Valley Wildlife Management Area before rejoining US-395 south of Carson City. AAA counts this foothill road as part of its Carson Valley Scenic Drive, with fenced ranches, open land and the Sierra Nevada filling the horizon. Turn north on 395 and you're back on the quick route.
Ranch, farmhouse and Western: what to hunt for
The Valley has been ranch country since the Dangbergs cleared and irrigated their first claim in the 1850s. Their ranch grew to almost 50,000 acres of cattle and sheep, Minden was built on its land, and Gardnerville is named for John Gardner, a local cattleman. If your house leans the same way, the booths are good hunting.
On our last looks we've seen old hand planes, a railroad lantern, glass oil lamps, carved wooden boots, an oak wall telephone, baskets and linens, a Wells Fargo & Co. Express sign and vintage street signs. None of it is promised to be there when you walk in, because vendors sell and restock all the time. But that's the kind of thing that turns up.
Bigger pieces turn up too. On one visit a single Furniture booth held a tall wooden hutch full of dolls, baskets and linens. Start with the Furniture and Collectibles booths, then get the lay of the land on the Treasure Map. If signs are your weakness, read how to spot real vintage signs before you go.
Hauling it home down 395
Measure before you leave the house: the spot it's going, your doorways, and your cargo space. Then bring a vehicle that fits.
If you're borrowing a box truck or pulling a trailer, check NDOT's Nevada 511 map at nvroads.com first. It posts winter chain controls and wind alerts for vehicles over 9 feet tall. Blankets and a few straps save a lot of grief on a tabletop or a framed print. For anything else, ask at the cashier or call (775) 461-3142.
More trip guides
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From Reno & Sparks
Antique mall near Reno
I-580 south, over the Galena Creek Bridge and through Washoe Valley: about 40 minutes.
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From Lake Tahoe
Antiques near Lake Tahoe
US-50 over Spooner Summit, or NV-28 from Incline, then lamps, china and hutches for the cabin.
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In Carson City
A day in Carson City
The booths at 10, the old Mint and the Capitol on foot, then a second look before 6.
Carson Valley questions
- How long is the drive from Minden or Gardnerville?
- About 30–35 minutes up US-395: 16 miles from Minden and 17–18 miles from Gardnerville to 1831 N Carson St in Carson City.
- Is it worth the drive from the Carson Valley?
- If you like a long browse, yes: over 21,000 square feet of numbered vendor booths on two floors, stocked by different vendors. As Brady T. put it in his Google review, "just be prepared the sign out front about having the largest floor space is no joke!"
- Can I stop in Genoa on the way?
- Yes. Take Genoa Lane (State Route 206) west from US-395 by Minden–Tahoe Airport, then follow Main Street north out of Genoa onto Jacks Valley Road, which rejoins US-395 south of Carson City. Mormon Station's museum is seasonal, so check its hours.
- Is there a bus from Gardnerville or Minden to Carson City?
- Tahoe Transportation District's Route 19X runs between Gardnerville and Carson City, and Douglas County's DART Express connects with it in the Valley. Check current stops and schedules before you go, and if you're eyeing a hutch, drive.
- What should I bring if I'm after a big piece?
- Measurements of the spot it's going, your doorways and your cargo space, plus a vehicle that fits. If you're towing a trailer or driving a box truck, check nvroads.com for wind alerts first.