W. Parker Lyon’s Pony Express Museum in Arcadia was one of the great private collections of the Old West and Gold Rush, guns included, until it closed in the 1950s.
Closed: W. Parker Lyon’s private museum closed after his collection was sold to William F. Harrah in 1954; it was later auctioned off.
Our notes
William Parker Lyon’s Pony Express Museum in Arcadia, California held a vast collection of the Old West, from saloon furniture and stagecoaches to guns, saddles and wanted posters, spread through buildings made from salvaged racetrack and hotel lumber. After Lyon’s death the collection was sold to William F. Harrah in 1954, and it was later auctioned off.
Timeline
- 1930s Museum opens in San Marino, then moves to Arcadia
- 1949 W. Parker Lyon dies
- 1954 Collection sold to William F. Harrah
- Later Collection auctioned off
Plan your visit
Folding these back up is not required. For more gun maps, see 2A Gun Law Maps
Nearby on the guide
More history: All firearm museums · California guide