We were exploring Grass Valley and decided to try North Star Mining Museum. It was too bad that it…read morelooked so small on the outside because we did not allow enough time to really enjoy all the exhibits. We started in the parking lot learning about the larger mining machines. It was a warm day and, at our advanced age, it took time for us to work our way down the driveway to the museum entrance. The docents were very knowledgeable and brought the exhibits to life. We were able to get about half way through the museum before we needed to get to our next appointment. Go see the North Star Mining Museum.

This place is awesome! Please make sure you've got at least an hour or 3. There's old tools on the…read moreoutside on display, a gorgeous river running along side to admire, inside the building there two rooms. The first room with displays and smaller parts they'd use to mine and the second room is where the big tools are! Steve and his volunteer were so kind turning on the big machines, showing how each tool worked and how they would mine the mountains. So much history, so many fascinating tools, interesting old time accessories, and so much information! If you're wondering how they started mining a mountain side to how they made the gold and what powered it all go check out North Star mining museum! This place makes you never want to leave, there's so much information here please take an hour to look around at least. You will have a great time whether you're 5 or 85, male/female or space creature the history of mining will fascinate your socks off. Check them out.

This event remains a family favorite tradition! The cost has gone up to $10 with 3 cans of food,…read morebut happy to have the increase if it means the tradition lives on. Always the sweetest Santa and Ms Claus, fun train ride, and this year a really cool jack skeleton & lights on the train. Great work crew! Can't wait to see you next year!

If you're a trainhead this is the place for you…read more One of the cool things is you can go in and out of old train cars. You can also go on train rides as many as you want and for an extra amount of money drive a train! We had a really good time with a little one. Staff was friendly and all customers were excited to be there.

We love this state park for camping, hiking, biking, fishing, and especially for the history! It is…read morean old gold mining town, and home to America's first downhill ski races! We love the museum and the volunteers who work there.

I don't want to be the one to spoil the secret, but I recently camped here, and it was incredible…read more I think this will probably be one of my favorite places to camp from now on. I stayed at Upper Jamison Creek, and loved it. I made reservations about a week ahead of time on Reservecalifornia.com My site was very spacious, private, and well shaded. There were lots of redwoods on my site, some purple irises, and even some snow plant. There are a few lovely short trails that run throughout the park, like the one mile hike from the campground to the Visitor Center, or an extra mile to Camp Lisa or the Jamison Mine Complex. From the historic mine complex, the PCT is just three miles away. Or, you can also drive to the trail head and park there. In the other direction, the Trail carries on to a series of alpine lakes and waterfalls. Like other reviewers have said, it was very cold at night. Even in June, I needed both sleeping bags. There are several other amazing hikes within driving distance. If you look carefully, there are some free campgrounds, too. The only time this state park charges fees is to camp at the nicer campgrounds. All parking is free. Showers are free. Plumas Eureka is more accessible than some state parks. They Reserve disabled sites for people with disabled passes, which is something to keep in mind if you have a pass and are looking for a site at the last minute. Lots of gorgeous lakes and opportunities for kayaking, too. Pretty much as good as it gets for a state campground.

So we moved to this town march of 2020 Right smack dab in…read morethe middle of the pandemic! I would often walk up and down main street and just couldn't wait for all this to be over to see all these wonderful places open up again. Well the day finally happened this spring museum was open! I was over the moon to get to finally go inside. What a treasure! So many great little things trinkets memorabilia to see and learn. The history of Downieville is truly unique. Thank you for this time capsule and sharing all the amazing history with the public And yes I got the T-shirt I highly recommend Taking a step back in time , see the town of Downieville unfold ..

Really enjoyed venturing through the doors of this little museum! It's located right on the main…read morestreet, in the middle of old town Downieville. Lot's of really nice old photos of the town and the people that once lived here. A glass collection, oddities and artifacts, buttons that were made in the town and books in the gift shop...[I bought a few books about the story of Juanita- One for me and a few for my friends. She was hung off the bridge by a lynch mob.] There is also a nicely constructed diorama of the whole town in the back room. The building itself was built by the Chinese immigrants around 1852...You can see the original stone walls on the inside and outside. a bit about the museum- http://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/2229 and a little bit about the story of Juanita- http://www.ghosttownexplorers.org/california/downieville/downieville.htm

All the employees there were so friendly and had lots of stories to tell about the area! I…read morepersonally adored the Law Library (so cool and it has such a presence), but the old houses and other areas/displays that you can explore put behind the main building are also very cool!

We stopped here about noon on a Friday. The museum is located downtown and there is plenty of on…read morestreet parking. We entered the building and were immediately greeted by a woman who asked us if we would like to tour the museum and explained to us that the cost was $2 per person for adults, which we thought was extremely reasonable. The museum has both an indoor and outdoor area and the people responsible have done a very nice job of providing information about the history of Plumas County while also sharing some great items which we found interesting. We enjoyed learning more about Plumas County and would highly recommend to others who are either visiting or passing through, we would suggest 45-60 minutes to explore the property but you could easily stay for several hours. A highlight for us was learning more about the different trails West over the Sierras that people took such as the Lassen and Beckwourth trails. It was really cool to learn more about the individuals that made it happen.

This is a really well done children's museum. The water exhibit featuring sensory play and…read moreeducation about the water cycle of the Sierra Nevadas, lakes, river and system of dams was awesome. My boys loved the space exhibit and the builder workshop, the project that day was building flower boxes out of wood. Kids could use real tools and fill them with soil to take home.

I will say the kiddos love this place…read more We have been twice. Before I wanted to get a membership, but now seeing how it is. I am happy thay we just go once in a while. The museum is not very large and most of our kiddos love the Truckee river exhibit as they play there more. It could be the age. Just bring some spare clothes or a towel as they may be drenched. As they get older they may like to do the other exhibits more. They have lego, space, anatomy, physics, and engineering zones. They also have a lab with daily activities. The amazing part is there are plenty of things to do. The downside is the parking lot gets packed fast, but thats a good thing. So give yourself time if looking for a spot. Its super cool for the kiddos and there is even a cute little toddler playground. So please enjoy the space and time.

Great displays throughout...I visited for GHOSTBUSTERS DAY…read more Classic vehicles on display from every era of the Automobile!

I'm not into real old cars that look like they are from a gangster movie or Mary Poppins. But I…read morefound this museum well worthwhile especially considering the modest $16 entry fee in today's inflated price world. While most of the cars are in the 1900-1940 year range there's enough other variety to keep it from feeling monotonous (like a Porsche race car, NASCAR cars, jet car, a handful of interesting motorcycles, etc.) Imagining the man hours that went into building some of these intricate older cars is mind boggling. What I found most interesting was reading the couple of paragraphs on most of the plaques next to the cars. Just looking at the cars without reading the story behind them is a big mistake here. To go slowly through the entire place and read everything is probably a half day (4-hour) endeavor. So plan to devote at the absolute minimum 2 hours to your visit. The only downside is there isn't a cafe to have something to eat or drink. Hosting private events seems to be the focus here when it comes to food and beverage service. Still a must visit for anyone interested in cars or not.

What a wonderful out of the way museum! The staff is…read moreincredibly well informed and more than friendly. Many local artifacts not only from the gold rush and local ranching history, but an incredible room devoted to native American history. Lot's of pictures and locally made baskets and an impressive arrowhead collection. The rock and mineral room is the best I've seen anywhere! There is a beautiful collection of rock and gem carvings by a local gentlman in his 90's. He is on hand to show you his collection of carvings that took him over 50 years to create. It is worth a visit to just meet this incredibly talented and gracious artist. They are only open on summer weekends so get out here and don't miss out!

Great museum. Lots of information, tons of history in the area. Decorated very well with loads of…read morehistoric artifacts. I don't really want to spoil it. Go and check it out. Great value.

The story of the Donner Party (1846-1847) [Truckee CA]…read more The Visitor Center isn't very big but nice... it features exhibits highlighting the Emigrant Experience, the Donner Party, the Land of the Washoe, Chinese construction of the railroad, and early motoring adventures over Donner Pass. The park rangers are informative and helpful. I was able to stamp my travel book with the name of the park and image of a prairie wagon. Clean bathrooms. Everything we've wanted to learn about the Donner Party were explained to us by the park volunteer who gave us a free one-hour tour. Historical tours are offered at 11:00a and 1:00p. Thanks, Ron! Very informative! Included with the tour is a short walk to the Murphy Cabin. The inscription on the rock read "The face of this rock formed the north end and the fireplace of the Murphy Cabin." It also listed the names of the members of the Donner Party, those who perished and survived (see photo). Donner Pass is now fairly easily traversed, but the Donner Party were up against feet of heavy snow, and the wagons they were traveling in were no match for a modern four wheel drive. The terrain is famously rugged, so imagine passing over it with no road. Review #3556

Cool exhibits and tours. Knowledgeable staff and interactive exhibits. Lots to learn about Lake…read moreTahoe here both for kids and adults alike.

We were vacationing in Incline Village and made reservations for a weekday afternoon. Marin was our…read moredocent, and she was fantastic; knowledgeable, patient with the younger kiddos, and thorough. The exhibits and various features were thoughtfully designed and executed, and we couldn't recommend the experience more enthusiastically.