Klamath Falls, OR

This four-story brick hotel was built in 1905 and is the oldest public building in Klamath Falls, a scenic and sunny old logging town in southern Oregon, just north of the California border. Operated by two families (the Baldwins and the Moores) for more than 70 years, the hotel was eventually sold to the county and is now open as a delightful seasonal museum.

The Baldwin Hotel still has most of its original furniture and is packed with all sorts of local artwork and artifacts. There’s a local photography studio (operated by the daughter of the builder), a barber shop, music display, and collections chronicling the history of the town and the logging industry that shaped the Western U.S. at the beginning of the 20th century.

The second floor retains the original hotel rooms, set up as they would have looked in the building’s heyday, as well as information about the long-term guests (one man lived here for over 30 years!). There is a lot to look at, and the docents will regale you with so much information about the local history it’s almost like a walk back through time.