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Pan for gold like the original 49ers in the majestic American River, trace the history of the Maidu tribe who lived here for thousands of years. Learn about mining and geology, including a working blacksmith shop, in Foresthill. Griffith Quarry literally provided the foundation that many of California’s buildings are made of, including the State Capitol. For a more modern lesson, relive the magic of the 1960 Winter Olympics at museums in Tahoe City and at Squaw Valley’s High Camp or celebrate technology at the Roseville Telephone Museum.
Placer County's role in California's story is as diverse and fascinating as the region's physical landscape.
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Donner Summit Historical Society’s 20 Mile Museum highlights the history and beauty of the Summit. Interpretive signs have been placed mostly along Old Highway 40 and nearby from Auburn to Truckee.
The Placer County Archives and Research Center is a repository for records generated by the county and a local history and genealogy research center.
Filled with artifacts and furnishings from a bygone era, the Bernhard House transports visitors to a simpler time.
Roseville’s newly renovated history museum includes 16 new displays, all dedicated specifically to the history of Roseville.
A 45-ton concrete statue of a Gold Rush era miner stands at the entrance to Old Town Auburn, a small collection of shops, restaurants, and antique stores. The statue is a representation of Claude Chana (1811-1882), the prospector who discovered gold here in the foothills east of Sacramento on May 16, 1848.
The Colfax Heritage Museum contains an eclectic collection of items that tell the history of the Colfax area, as well as illustrate the strong relationship to and influence of the building of the Transcontinental Railroad.
Try one of our 15 restaurants, or 40 quaint shops and services. Don’t miss the Old Town Gallery featuring the works of 60 local artists, all in one old historical building. Four museums can be found within a few blocks, where history buffs will find lots of rich Gold Country history.
The museum offers visitors a peak into what life was like on the Foresthill Divide during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The cabin showcases Tahoe history, from the Washoe people through the logging and mining eras and the establishment of the tourism industry at Lake Tahoe.
The museum prominently displays an ever-growing collection of vintage medical, pharmaceutical, nursing, and dental artifacts dating from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century.
The Museum displays a rich photographic history of the area’s towns, mining, lumbering, schools, churches, social, Indian and Chinese heritage.
The Griffith Quarry Museum is housed in the original Penryn Granite Works office, built by Welsh immigrant Griffith Griffith in 1864. It contains some of the original office furniture, information on the Griffith family, the history of the Penryn-Loomis Basin area, and the granite industry.
Old Town’s Firehouse is currently one of Auburn’s most famous attractions.
Learn about Chinese settlers from the Gold Rush era.
The general public may visit the museum and see a number of displays depicting Lincoln’s history; look at photographs of landmarks gone by; read books on California history; review old City of Lincoln record books and inquire about various frontier families.