Page 88 - SLO Visitors Guide Fall 2025

88 FALL 2025 slovisitorsguide.com
Paso Robles
C H E E S E !
Lunch Menu
Wine
Beer
821 Pine St
Suite B
Paso Robles
Across
from the
train station
805-226-5530
Gourmet picnic boxes for
local wine tasting
Charcuterie, fresh bread,
local food products
Over 150 cheeses
Expert staff to assist
with wine pairing
Enjoy our patio
vivantfinecheese.com
Visit Vivant…
Bringing local history to life at the
Paso Robles Pioneer Museum
The Paso Robles Pioneer Mu-
seum is a great place for an
afternoon excursion and to learn
the history of the Paso Robles
area. The 20,000 square feet of
building space shows Paso Robles
through the years, even before it
was Paso Robles, and gives visi-
tors a glimpse of what life was like
in the good old days. A non-profit
organization, the Paso Robles
Pioneer Museum is funded by
donations and events throughout
the year.
and life in
early Paso Robles.
Learn about the
area’s Western
heritage; see the
country store
and post office
displays and what
the inside of a
pioneer home looked like. Knowl-
edgeable docents are on hand to
answer questions.
There are antique buggies,
carriages, and cars, and a state-
of-the-art exhibit honoring the
famous pianist and Polish states-
man, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, who
came to Paso Robles in the early
1900s for the healing baths for his
rheumatism.
Going back to school
The actual one-room Geneseo
schoolhouse stands outside the
main museum building, complete
with teacher and student desks. The
schoolhouse was donated by the
family of Linden Chandler in 2004.
Originally located 11 miles east of
Paso Robles, the Geneseo School
was in use until 1962 when school
buses began transporting students
between home and town.
The Pioneer Museum’s history
of school exhibit, located inside the
main museum building, includes
pictures and a short biography of
Paso Robles area locals who have
had a school named after them.
Taking a step back in time
Take a stroll through Paso
Robles of the 1930s and 40s. See
a one-third-scale replica of the
famous Paso Robles Hotel plus
several stores and businesses that
existed during that time. There’s a
barber shop; a bakery; the Alexan-
der Hotel; Dr. Wilmar’s office; the
T&J Variety
store; the
Vogue dress
shop; Bennett
Pharmacy;
Bryans Meat
Market; R. J.
Williams Real
Estate Office;
Hibbard’s
Grocery; the
Canary Cot-
tage; Heaton’s;
and the Pine
Street Saloon.
Wander down to Transportation
Hall to see one of the largest collec-
tions of barbed wire in the western
United States. This collection has
been created in collaboration with
the Barbed Wire Collectors As-
sociation and the Pioneer Museum.
Don’t miss the Branding Exhibit,
which includes brands from all over
San Luis Obispo County.
Another exhibit is a collection
of Land Grant Maps and photos
of many of the original ranches in
north San Luis Obispo County. This
award-winning exhibit is brought
to the museum by the San Luis
Obispo County CattleWomen.
The Paso Robles Pioneer Museum
is located at 2010 Riverside Avenue,
south of the Paso Robles Event
Center, and is open Thursday through
Sunday from 1-4 p.m. Admission
is free, but donations are welcome.
Groups can also arrange a tour, and
the museum is available for special
events. For more information, visit
pasoroblespioneermuseum.org or call
(805) 239-4556.
Experience the past
through visual and
written history
Exhibits include everything
from prehistoric artifacts and
glimpses through the settlement