I come here every year! I walk around and enjoy seeing the old, small town of Columbia that settlers founded. It is now recognized as Colombia State Historic Park. It has a one-room school house where students of different ages, once sat and listened together to their teacher's lectures, in harmony. I always visit the old cemetery where some members of The Donner family, who survived their perilous journey from Missouri to California during the gold rush, are buried. The old mercantile building and the Blacksmith stable where the horses were shoehorned and cared for, still stands. The countryside is beautiful. The hills and rivers are gorgeous. This is a great place for families and especially for children who should know our great history regarding brave settlers who traveled from far and wide, by horse and buggy (wagon trains of home crafted covered wagons). It is always such a nostalgic feeling going back in history for me. Enjoy this great town! read more

Columbia State Historic Park - This is a map of California "Gold Country" along scenic Highway 49. Columbia State Historical Park is a great place to spend the day. - Parks Near Me - Columbia, California

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What an amazing day at Columbia State Park. Weather was good but starting to warm up in the afternoon , so was super nice most of the day. Bring a hat, and sunscreen Took my wife for mother's day up to Tuolumne county, While there tonight we would go to Columbia state park, my old stomping ground with the fire dept and working with cal fire, and there air retardant planes. Been along while but some of the memories are there. Meanwhile back at the trip forgive my ADHD brain. lol Columbia State park is awesome. If you like history of California and a lot of the gold rush , a good part is here and can learn and shop like you are in the old west. Yes that's right! The staff and such all wear clothing from that time. There is even a stage coach with beautiful huge horses. (If you are allergic they are easily avoidable, but from afar they are gorgeous. Yes I'm allergic, it sucks I love animals. If you are allergic just fyi) Anyways, if you never have gone, ? GO! If you like theater / Live Plays, be sure to check out the "Fallon House Theater", so you might be planning a nice little romantic date night, theater , and icecream .. Or a day trip with the family , there is some good restaurants in town and lots to do with familiy or loved one, candle making, which is a different shop, from the candle store... But you get my drift, theres lots to do, date night / day, or day out with the family.... read more

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Amazing place! Super neat gold rush era educational visit. Lots to learn and see! Wow the theming is incredible and there are businesses inside of these historical buildings. They're real operating restaurants, bars, coffee shop, candy stores. Spend a few hours here and slowly take your time checking out all the buildings and activities and museum spaces read more

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Columbia State Historic Park three letters describes "WOW" I mean get in the car right now and oh yeah don't forget the kids. This is a living museum folks dressed as living in a tent city in Columbia in 1852 era. Gold panning everything depicted as it was during that time in history. Walk the streets see the shops I can say enough or do this museum justice. The folks so friendly and inviting full of knowledge regarding this time in history. If you haven't been make this a must do this summer. read more

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We had the best time here. It's great for kids or adults - we were two adults. We took the stagecoach ride - super fun - and got old time pictures and ate pizza with beer. This place is fantastic and the docents are great. I thought the museum small but interesting. I didn't hike here but there were lots of places to do that. Great bathrooms everywhere. read more

Columbia State Park is a throwback to California's rich history. California was settled because of the gold rush, which brought men and families from all over. At Columbia State Park you are given a glimpse of every day life into an actual settled town preserved as it was. Columbia has an events calendar where you can see if any hosted events are going on and what day. They also often have docents dressed in period clothing volunteering their time and available for conversation regarding the history and facts about the park. The park is scattered among several blocks and you can enjoy walking among them and do as little or as much as you would like. Popular things to see are the grocery store, wooden pin bowling alley, the saloon, the courthouse, Wells Fargo Bank, Angelos Hall, the dentist shop, drug store, the jail, the stables, the old school house, the cemetery. There are also some activities like a horse carriage ride, candle dipping, gold mining, rock climbing, and a theater. Fallon House theater has incredible shows with stunning costumes and great acting. We love spending the night here and walking through the lobby to take our seat to watch the show. An added perk is we don't have to wait in long lines for the restroom, we can return to our room and our seat rather quickly. My children grew up wandering the streets of this park. They didn't know they were exercising, learning and seeing the rich history of our State. They have enjoyed field trips here because of the rich educational environment that is provided! We have many tons of family day trips for peddlers fairs and jury trials, and just to spend the day. Will I return: WE HAVE ENJOYED THIS PARK OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS AND HOPE TO CONTINUE TO DO SO FOR A LONG TIME COMING! read more

Columbia State Historic Park - Parks Near Me - Columbia, California

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been coming here since the 60s. Always fun. Nice clean shops and food is decent. Tourist style fare unless you head over to Columbia Kates tea house read more

Columbia State Historic Park - Main street. - Parks Near Me - Columbia, California

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When I've been up here visiting since I've been a kid with my family would take my sister and I here, one of my friends and I would come here for years because there are so many historic museums there is SO much to look at during the day it's basically a ghost town from the 1800s and they have tours and spooky ones because rumor has it this place is highly haunted. None the less they still have several shops open like the candy shop, ice cream shop, there is a restaurant I have yet to try, aa saloon I HAVE tried, a couple hotels I believe you can still stay at, old fashioned photo shoots with costumes to make it look like you're in the 1800s, and lots and lots of activities like bowling, gold panning, a park, things I loved and did when I did when I was little. It's always been lots of fun and still is and VERY knowledgeable! There's so much to learn the way humanity was in the 1800s in California with the whole gold country moand how far we have come a long way with so many things! But I will say I love their candy store and I love how the employees dress like they are in 1800's attire. It makes it that much more neat! They apparently have ghost tours at the cemetery/old abandoned school house I would love to go to that start during fall! You DEFINITELY have to check this place out if you're ever in Columbia it really is interesting! Not to mention there are lots of sweet treats nearby and souvenirs! I'll post some things they have and that's only the surface level of this place! I believe they have events for 4th of July I'd love to see what that is all about usually I would go to old Sacramento but I'm gonna try to do both! So cool! My only thing that I wish they would do is stay open later! If they kept all these open at night time that would be super cool!! read more

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A bit late with this review since it's been several weeks since I've been here, but I wanted to share my delight with this interesting little historical area. There's an old school house up on the hill that could be viewed with information about it that you could read for yourself. The cemetary behind the school house shouldn't be missed; interesting just to walk around and read the head stones. I think the whole town of Columbia is part of the state historical park. There are tour guides that tell about the history of the town and how much gold was discovered there in years past. Going into the shops and seeing how life was back in the day was fascinating; the old time bowling alley was wonderful and seeing all the old dental instruments was fun. Definitely worth a stop! read more

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What a cool place! While in Twain Hart visiting friends, we decided to do some sightseeing and came to Columbia for breakfast and to visit Nelson's. I was positively shocked by how much there was to do at Columbia State Historic Park! It's an old western town with actors walking around, horse drawn wagons, a saloon, gold panning, gift shops, a candy store, a coffee shop and even a hotel! There was a man playing live music in the street and I think I might have even seen a place to do wood bowling - oh! How could I forgot the Blacksmith...so cool! We spent over 2 hours here and I still don't think we saw everything there was to offer. Everyone was super nice and dressed for the part! If you're looking for something fun to do, check out Columbia State Historic Park - you will not be disappointed. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

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We visited Columbia State Park on Monday. It was peaceful and cool day for us to walk around this historic park. Almost shops and restaurants are closed for weekdays. It seems we miss the weekend vibe. However we feel it's interesting just to walk through the park - Get to know about gold rush town with its real old history. A lot of things for family to enjoy a whole day at this town. * old well fargo bank * Old style bowling * Museum * Gold panning * Old jail style A bonus star for kid-friendly. Park road are blocked off all. We feel safety to walk or even cross the road. Great experience - Clean and beautiful park. Free park / free parking; worth the visit. It's an amazing hidden gem in California but not so many ppl know. Thank you all workers for keeping this place well maintained and preserved! read more

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Came on a March Saturday right after opening, beating the crowds. Plenty of parking and bathrooms. Interesting destination, full of gold rush history. read more

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I've always passed the turn off for Columbia State Historic Park when heading out towards Calaveras Big Trees but never had time to fit in a side trip, until a recent November Saturday. The drive in is quite scenic and was full of fall colors. Upon arriving at the park, there's a few different lots and parking areas and admission is free. The park itself is packed full of history of its gold rush past. What's unique about it, however, is that the old buildings also house some shops and cafes along with the usual historical re-enactments. I thought I'd spend maybe an hour here but ended up being here over 2! After browsing the Main Street and historical buildings and cute shops, I went over to the mining area which had some interesting paths to meander around. After that, I wandered up to the old school house where you can look inside the old classrooms. Nearby the school house was a short nature trail (less than a mile) with woodland and open hillside views. This is such a charming park with lots to see and do. You could probably make a half of full day of it, if you were to bring a picnic or eat at one the cafes in the park, visit the museum, stroll the grounds, and shop. They have special events, including some for the holidays. A must see park when visiting Calaveras County. read more

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Visited Columbia State Historic Park for a couple of hours with my mom. It was pretty fun. There were some shops there. Was able to get some good pictures while there as well. Will be looking forward to going back. read more

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Overall a great place. We love California history and this is a great little spot to experience. I'm only docking one star for the horses pulling the stagecoaches. It was a WARM 70 degrees today and I asked the woman driving the coach if I could pet the horses, she even admitted to me not to pet one because he was exhausted and over it! They were both heavily sweating and the one I pet kicked me away and was clearly uncomfortable with all the gear they were wearing. I overheard staff talking about how many horses they have...So why not swap them out if you know and admit they're overworked and "over it"?? That rubbed me the wrong way. As a horse owner and lover this made me very sad. read more

We took our son here a few times when he was younger and have fond memories of picnics with sandwiches and sasparillas and a fun stage coach ride. We chose this place specifically for a clean restroom and snack break a few weekends ago. The restrooms were far cleaner than the gas station. There was plenty of parking around 2-3pm in the afternoon. There are cute shops inside and places to eat. Lots of spots were closed down though, so I hope more locals can buy and reopen them like the corner mercantile gem. The pizza place on one corner looked really busy and hope to try it someday. This is a great historic park for families with younger kids. read more

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Whether you're visiting or a local - Columbia State Historic Park makes for a worthwhile and enjoyable afternoon. Columbia State Historic Park showcases an important part of California and the US's history - the California Gold Rush. Columbia State Historic Park is a popular destination for class trips, tourists, and locals. It's open from 10am - 4pm and showcases a diversity of stores, many of which have historical/interactive elements - ranging from a store where you can hand dip candles, a working Blacksmith, an old bowling alley, a cute antique store, a charming candy store, and much more. During the week you can manifest everything from gold panning, a stagecoach ride, and other activities. We came here on a weekend awhile back - when my dad was in town and it was a lovely day - full of fun people watching and learning more about Columbia's history. I was particularly fond of Columbia Mercantile 1855 - a charming gourmet grocery store - full of fun finds - especially if you're looking for some tasty picnic eats and/or grocery basics. In addition to daytime excursions at Columbia State Historic Park - I've also enjoyed a variety of fun nights in the area ranging from tasty pizza at the St Charles Saloon to a lovely dinner at the Columbia Inn. I love that this historical area still has evening charm when the daytime stores/attractions have closed. Though there are usually always fun happenings occurring during the day in this historical area - be sure to also stay on top of their special events calendar. They host a variety of events throughout the year. In fact they have a fun Harvest FestiFall - https://www.visittuolumne.com/eventdetail/193/harvest-festifall-in-columbia-state-historic-park coming up on October 12 and 13th. Trust. read more

We got here early for the 11am tour. Walked through the museum, watched the video in the back room (highly informative!) and waited for our tour to start. E.Randall was our tour guide and they were absolutely amazing! They were passionate about the history and extremely knowledgeable, which we appreciated being educators. They were able to answer our questions and wanted to share info with us. We were a "small group" and I was shocked because all I wanted traveling up here was to do the tour. I am so grateful that we got E. For our guide! read more

Another great spot we just happened to discover while in the area thanks to come local recommendations from wineries here. This is a great little getaway to this area here where one can come explore an old town from gold rush times with some stuff being exactly the way it was in those days. The town has done ana amazing job of preserving its beauty and maintaining these things. Honestly you feel transported back in time and that is beautiful! We also went to grab a nice ice ram in one of the restaurants and happened to notice that the owner has a functioning piano from the 18th century there. This also somehow gave me perspective on the scale of things - everything was so close knit and near by .. the town center/grocerry store is literally walking distance from the jail.. and restaurants near by, to locksmiths stop. It's quite an experience coming here and we loved to explore this as a family very much read more

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We took a group of five kids (ages 4-9) here on a Saturday after realizing there was no snow, and what a great find! There was so much to keep them entertained. We explored, went bowling, panned for gold, made candles, and even took a stagecoach ride, which was a huge hit! We packed lunch and enjoyed it at one of the many picnic tables. I was pleasantly surprised by how affordable everything was. Such a fun and unique experience--10/10 recommend! read more

Columbia State Historic Park - Bowling - Parks Near Me - Columbia, California

We bought tickets for the stagecoach, ride and the man that was boarding us was extremely rude and after we were seated was boarding a family of 6 and it was going to be to crowded on a hot day. The family said they would wait until the next trip but he insisted on cramming everybody know in. We said we would get out to let them go. You take this right and we will take the next one. He rudely was not letting us out and i demanded to be let out. Hl he got very angry and so did I but I told him we wanted out. We got our money back and decided not to ride. The owner was very nice and apologized for man but we were not going to ride. A few minutes later, another person, I came over to us and apologized again and offered us a private ride. If it was not for that man, it would have been a fantastic experience. We will take them up on the private ride.And i'm sure it will be nice. read more

This is the second time I have taken my family there eight years apart. This is a fun place for family fun the best part is they have a stage coach. You have to buy tickets I would recommend buying in advance. They actually speed up the stage Coach so you can get a more realistic idea how it traveled of course they were on a paved road.. the school house is all original and preserved. It seems they actually did have to travel uphill in the snow to get to the school.ha ha read more

An absolute must when visiting this area of CA! From the outside this would seem like a total tourist trap, but once you start walking the dusty streets and wooden sidewalks beyond the "Horse Drawn Vehicles Only" signs you'll feel transported back in time and be treated with old western sensibilities and hospitality. We started off gold panning, and for $20 they guarantee you'll find some and give you a lesson, pan and an all access pass to sift to your hearts content all day long, uncovering fragments of gems and more. The thrill of the hunt is real, and the kids loved getting their hands wet and digging in. Then we walked down the street and discovered the game parlor, with relics of an old bar, card tables, and a wooden bowling alley you could play for free! The kids and I had some fun knocking down pins and setting them back up! Then we popped into the candle cavern and tried our hand dipping candles, and I love what they created for $10 total! Then we had to pop into the candy maker's shop for some treats. It was fun to see them packing stuff in the back, as well as perusing the selection of old fashioned and modern treats. I picked up a few pieces of handmade English toffee and it was fab! There are all sorts of other shops as well as old storefronts preserved museum style so you can see what it was like back when this was a boomtown! So much to explore, most of its free, and it's all fun! read more

Really cool experience at Columbia State Historic Park checking out the area. The museum is where you can find a state junior park book for kids and a map for the area. We spent about an hour and a half here exploring the area. We did gold panning, got some chocolate (a bit expensive but still good) and checked out the school house and cemetery. read more

Columbia State Historical Park is worth a visit any time of year. It has always been my tradition to visit on Thanksgiving weekend for all the festivities, watching Nelson's Candy Kitchen make candy canes and listening to stories from the miner's around the camp fire at the Livery Stable, you can purchase a cup of camp coffee or a bag of roasted chestnuts and Father Christmas comes to visit. I highly suggest you check out the State Park's website to view all of the festivities. read more

One weekend a year, Columbia State Historic Park hosts Columbia Diggins 1852, and I just happened to visit that weekend. Talk about an educational and fun family experience! They've got everything from costumed reenactors to historical buildings to real gold mining to stage coach rides to...well, you get the point. I've fallen in love with this place and can hardly wait to visit again. read more

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Visited June 2023 and had an amazing hike and picnic lunch. This park is clean and well maintained with a really charming gift shop. Bring the family and do the easy 1.7 mile hike through Redwood groves and gorgeous forest settings. The hike we did was on well established paths with many areas having raised wooden walkways to help with accessibility. Easy parking and clean restroom facilities made it a low stress visit. read more

I loved this place!!! We didn't get to see the entire place because there was a fire near by but omg it's amazing . I highly recommend for you and your family to come here. We ate at a little pizza spot near by and that was great too. So much history here! read more

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I already knew about how special Columbia was from the time I spent annually with the "Wild West Film Fest." Columbia, the Jewel of the Gold country, is made for a fun day for the entire family. It literally has everything for children, teens, and adults. Stage Coach rides, and old timey musicians under the trees filling the air with tunes of days gone by. All the 1800's shops are open and many plying their trade like the blacksmith, and candle maker. You can even rent a pan and find gold panning for it. I love this place. I found some great color in my dirt with garnets and gold. Eureka ! ! ! It's handicapped accessible and during the summer it can be very hot so carry a lot of water and dress in layers. Its spread out over a couple block are so plan a picnic and enjoy the day. Please, if you like this review, don't forget to VOTE for it below. read more

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We absolutely love it for kids and kids at heart. Columbia deserves an all day leisurely experience. It was once to be the capital of CA, preserved as it was, saloons serve great food for families, sarsaparilla and real root beer. Enjoy stage coach rides, gold panning, bowling as in the olden days. View the dentist office, oriental medicine shop and literally dozens of "museum" exhibits. Educational and tons of fun for all. read more

Columbia State Historic Park - Gold panning is rewarding because they get precious stones and the people running it are so sweet. - Parks Near Me - Columbia, California

For California history, the Columbia State HIstoric Park is really awesome. Definitely a bit of a drive but worth it especially for a family activity. You get transported back into time of the gold rush, with musicians in the background and horse-drawn carriages filling in the ambiance. The shops are set with antique appearances - with many of them using the same tools as they did in the 1800s. Ice cream shoppes, tea shoppes, candy stores - with a real blacksmith as well (and a place to pan for gold). The Columbia Park is a real gem - a core piece of history for America and a real treat to experience it in this day of age. read more

Had a great time here for the second summer in a row. Some of the attractions are only open Friday - Sunday, for example the covered wagon ride. However there is still a lot you can see for free. Old bowling alley, drug store, dentist office setup, leather and saddle store. Spent about 2 hours here (in 93 degree heat!) with our 3 kids read more

Columbia State Historic Park - Price of gold panning at Columbia, summer 2024 - Parks Near Me - Columbia, California

Nice low key place. Free admission with free parking was nice. Kids had a blast walking around the stores and gold panning. Overall nice visit. Definitely did this trip to scope out where the field trips be going for the kids. read more

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Columbia State Historic Park provides an experience for all ages that you won't want to miss. Growing up my family would go camping during the summer in Tuolumne, and we would always make a day trip to Columbia Historic Park. You can stroll through their gold rush museums, play old fashioned games, pan for gold, get a tour and ride on the Wells Fargo Stagecoach, get a customized souvenir at the blacksmiths, and end your visit with a nice cold mug of old fashioned sassafras at the saloon. The gift shops are all well done and adorable, with old fashioned toys, attire, antiques, and of course California souvenirs. Wether you're a historian, a shopper, a hiker, or just looking for something different to do, Columbia State Park will over exceed your expectations. read more

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I'm giving this little state historic park a five out of five, but if I could, I give it 1 billion out of 1 billion. It's such a vibe here and it's such 1800s. I just can't. It's so cute. Also, there's a cute little school that's two stories that I used to go to and sit on the bench and eat tacos when it was my day off of work. It also has one of the best pizza places in town, Saint Charles saloon pizza And there's always a fiesta going on on the weekends but for some reason schools like to bring kids here for field trips. Besides that it has wonderful ice cream and cute little shops there's a place that you can go to to take old tiny photos, and you can make candles and hike in the rocks and trees. And every building there has been around for so long and you can even see the old porter potties. It's so cool if you look in there, you might find old piece of poop, anyways, Columbia State historic park! You have been a wonderful place to go to just to go in vibe read more

We took a family vacation here and we had a lot of fun lots of stuff to do and look at the history is fantastic. We also love the candy shop. And the kids love the gold panning. The stage coach was also a lot of fun. read more

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Columbia State Historic Park is just amazing! It allows everyone...from the young to the elderly to learn about and enjoy the Gold Rush. It's a must see! read more

This is an awesome place to visit for kids and adults. The working town is so cute and friendly. It really transports you back to the Gold Rush. You can spend a few hours or all day here walking around. There is a candy store, stagecoach rides, gold panning, candle dipping, old western photography, etc. In the summer, the ice cream parlor is open. If you walk a few blocks away from Main St., there is and old school and a quaint cemetary. Prices are reasonable, although I wish the restaurants have more food selection beyond burgers, pizza, and sandwiches. The sarsaparilla soda is a local drink that has similar taste to root beer, but you should give it a try! read more

I have been coming up here the last 6 years and bringing my grandkids. We ride the stage coach every time we come up during the week. Now I come up and there is no stage coach during the week. The sign says new driver Friday Saturday and Sunday only! What now they can't even afford the stage coach any more? Only reason I give it a 2 star is I love the pizza place. But now we need to find something to do instead of Columbia state park! read more

I love this cute little get away, I have memories here as a small child & now with my son's. The homemade fudge is the best. You have to try a sarsaparilla they are the best while sitting In the old fashion diner. The stagecoach ride is so much fun. I really like the Gold panning. We always get our black in white old fashioned picture taken, so much fun & a great souvenir to look at over the years. read more