The Genoa Courthouse Museum was built as the courthouse for the county seat of Douglas county in 1865. Douglas is one of ten original counties in the Territory of Nevada, and Genoa was the only town among a few small villages or settlements.
A grand opening was held in 1978, and the museum is operated from May to October. Exhibits include the old courtroom, a county office, the blacksmith shop and jail, Washo Indian life and artifacts, schoolroom, school kitchen and a room dedicated to John "Snowshoe" Thompson, "Mailman of the Sierra".
