Located at the Paradise Community Park, the Paradise Depot Museum is focused on the history of the Butte County Railroad and the logging industry on the Paradise Ridge. It is a sister museum to Paradise’s Gold Nugget Museum.
History of the Paradise Depot
The Paradise Depot opened in March 1904, one of four depots of the Butte County Rail Road, built to serve Diamond Match Company operations in Stirling City and Barber (Chico). BCRR soon added passenger and cargo services and Paradise became the busiest depot on the route. It formed the heart of a new “downtown” and was the engine of economic development for the town, particularly through the marketing of produce.
A famous wreck occurred in 1909, when a new engineer lost control coming down from Magalia. The crash occurred between Pearson and Neal Roads, killing two people. Operated by Southern Pacific after 1912, the last train went through in 1974. Tracks were removed by SP and the roadbed now serves as a memorial “rails-to-trails” path for bikers and hikers.
