At the Baker City Visitors and Convention Bureau, you can pick up a brochure that outlines a walking tour of the town's most important historic buildings, including the restored Geiser Grand Hotel, which, when it first opened, was one of the finest hotels in the west.
If you'd like to take a look inside one of Baker City's restored old homes, drop by the Adler House Museum, 2305 Main St. (tel. 541/523-9308), a stately Victorian structure. Everything on the second floor, from the wallpaper to the furniture, is original, dating to the 1890s. The first floor has been refurbished and decorated to look the way it might have more than 100 years ago. The museum is open from May through September, Friday through Monday from 10am to 2pm. Admission is $5 per adult.
Baker City's fortunes were made by gold mines in the Blue Mountains, and if you'd like to see some samples from those golden years, stop in at the U.S. Bank on Main Street in Baker City. The gold collection here includes a nugget that weighs in at 80.4 ounces.
An Almost Grand Old Opera House--In the town of Elgin, 18 miles north of La Grande on Ore. 82, you can take in a play or concert at the restored Elgin Opera House, 104 N. Eighth St. (tel. 541/437-2014), which was built in 1912. The opera house is also home to a small historical museum that's open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm between mid-May and mid-October.
Oregon Trail Sites--Oregon Trail history is on view west of La Grande, in downtown Baker City, and just north of Baker City. At the Oregon Trail Interpretive Park at Blue Mountain Crossing (tel. 541/963-7186), at exit 248 off I-84, you'll find a .5-mile trail that leads past wagon ruts in the forest. Informational panels explain the difficulties pioneers encountered crossing these rugged mountains. On most weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day, there are living history programs as well.
