Guided walking tours of the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park start here.
Gold Discovery Museum & Visitor Center
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
0.23 MILES
This state park comprises a fascinating collection of buildings in a bucolic riverside setting at the site of James Marshall's riot-inducing discovery…
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Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park
29.15 MILES
Two miles southwest of Volcano, this sacred area for the local Miwok comprises a museum in a traditional wooden roundhouse, a village site, a limestone…
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El Dorado County Historical Museum
5.99 MILES
On the El Dorado County Fairgrounds west of downtown (exit north on Placerville Dr from Hwy 50), is this complex of restored buildings, mining equipment…
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Empire Mine State Historic Park
29.18 MILES
Atop 367 miles of mine shafts tunneling almost a vertical mile beneath the surface, Gold Country’s best-preserved gold-quartz-mining operation is worth a…
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11.53 MILES
This is a park of deep gorges cut by the rushing waters of the North and Middle Forks of the American River, which converge below a bridge on Hwy 49, 4…
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28.43 MILES
In its prime, Sutter Creek was Gold Country’s main supply center for all things forged. Three foundries operating in 1873 made pans and rock crushers, but…
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12.04 MILES
The 1st floor of the domed 1898 Placer County Courthouse has Native American artifacts and displays of Auburn’s transportation heritage, including a…
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Maidu Museum & Historical Site
19.62 MILES
This museum of tribal history is built on the edge of an ancient Maidu village, where families thrived for over 3000 years. Exhibits of beautiful…
Nearby attractions
1. Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
0.23 MILES
This state park comprises a fascinating collection of buildings in a bucolic riverside setting at the site of James Marshall's riot-inducing discovery…
2. El Dorado County Historical Museum
5.99 MILES
On the El Dorado County Fairgrounds west of downtown (exit north on Placerville Dr from Hwy 50), is this complex of restored buildings, mining equipment…
3. Hangtown's Gold Bug Park & Mine
6.35 MILES
About 1 mile north of town via Bedford Ave, this historical park stands on the site of four mining claims that yielded gold from 1849 to 1888. You can…
7.98 MILES
Amid vineyards that were planted in the gold rush era, relegated to producing sacramental wine for the local church during Prohibition, and then restored…
9.23 MILES
A family of oenophile-geologists picked this spot for its volcanic soil, which grows very fine wine grapes. Free tastings, though sips from their limited…
6. Auburn State Recreation Area
11.53 MILES
This is a park of deep gorges cut by the rushing waters of the North and Middle Forks of the American River, which converge below a bridge on Hwy 49, 4…
11.79 MILES
This museum, built in 1851 as the Traveler’s Rest Hotel, exhibits depictions of typical 19th-century-farm family life. Volunteers in period garb show you…
11.83 MILES
Toward the back of the fairgrounds, the Gold Country Museum includes a reconstructed mine and gold panning, both great for kids.