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Columbia State Historic Park
Rating Details »
11255 Jackson St
Columbia, CA 95310
(209) 588-9128
Columbia, CA 95310
(209) 588-9128
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
10 reviews for Columbia State Historic Park
I love Columbia State Park.....I've been to the park at least 4 or 5 times and this last visit I learned and saw more than the previous trips combined. It is a quaint and authentic little piece of California History. I watched the State Parks video in the museum and learned a lot about the actual mining and lifestyle that took place. We even walked up the end of town and high on the hill to the School House and Cemetary. YOU HAVE TO GO THERE. A Beautiful 2 story school house each floor with one room and all the authentic desks, schoolroom findings of yesteryear. Including the outhouses that you can see inside.
The cemetery had many of the old graves from the 1800s but is now the town's cemetery for recent family burials.
I have taken my son here three times when he was little. He loved to stand in the 2 room Jailhouse, visit the Blacksmith who stamps your name in a lucky horse shoe to take home and 10yrs later the price is STILL $5. Lots of little shops and stores that I finally went inside everyone. I hope the State continues to care for this little nugget in the hills.......it's an important part of our history.
As a former State Parks employee, I have always heard how wonderful Columba SHP is. When I left my last museum of employment, my favorite co-worker left as well and headed for a job here.
In a mad dash to hit up these gems before the September closing date (thank you for that, btw, inept state government. I will never *ever* forgive you for this), I have been trying to hit up some of the Historic parks that will run risk of never re-opening, and Columbia was first on the list.
This park is everything Old Town Sacramento wishes it could be-authentic! The charming architecture are filled with marvelous shops and recreated historic "scenes" to enlighten the visitors while also entertaining them. Some terrific activities were on hand such as stagecoach rides and gold panning-but boyfriend and I enjoyed ourselves most of all at the hand-dipped candle station. Each provides a wonderful semi-authentic experience at a relatively low cost.
Sitting on the wooden sidewalks, sipping a cool sarsparilla-it almost brought tears to my eyes that we are facing the closure of such important historically significant cultural treasures. Hopefully we will get our act together and preserve these great trips-which proved to be a wonderful , fascinating, and cheap daycation.
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A great way to learn about California's history is taking a tour of Columbia State Historic Park in Columbia, CA. After looking for gold earlier today near the south folk of the Stanislaus river, I decided to cruise around the park to learn a little about California's Gold Rush era.
There is plenty to see and experience at this state park. Unfortunately because of the economy some of the businesses have closed or are closing.
http://www.cityhotel.com/
If only more people would visit this park, perhaps the local businesses could stay open.
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A great little side excursion to learn about California's history. I was pleasantly surprised the first time I came here with how clean and well preserved this park is. Plenty to see, watch and do here. Stop by you wont be disappointing... and the best part is its FREE including parking! You can't beat it.
What in tarnations is this state up to? This is a great park and closing it is more than just closing "a park". You are saying goodbye to a great era in history where folks came west to find their fortune and live the true American dream! These parks create jobs and bring in revenue. Hell, cut education! We spend more money than any other state on education and we are next to last in scores. South Dakota spends the least and has the highest scores. Dont always throw money at the problem. A little sense goes a long way and closing this park makes no sense at all!!!
S. Weldon
Tuolumne
Always fun, Columbia State Park is great for families, getting a bite to eat and just strolling or people watching.
Photos that I have taken in Columbia
http://www.flickr.com/...
I have been a fan of Gold Rush era town;s since i was a little kid.My parents would take us to the area 2-3 times a year just for the drive and sightseeing.Columbia State Park was always someplace we would stop and check out.
Now that i am older,i carry on that tradition with my own daughter.She loves going there to this day,even though she's in the "ditch the parents"teenager years.This place is chock full of cool old stuff and is one of the few Gold Country towns that has been untouched by the wrath of Starbucks and Walmart.Here you will find an old bank,general store,candy shops,saloons and a butcher shop that have been restored to their former glory.At the end of the street is the old fire house,complete with period correct"engine".Just around the corner is the jailhouse that i'm sure held many a drunken miner in the past.At the opposite end of the main street is an area you can take trips to the old mine or learn how to pan for gold(think Knott's Berry Farm)There is also a re-creation of the old "tent city"that the miners who founded the town inhabited.
Well worth the trip from the bay to experience why California is the place the nation"rushed"to.....
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Go back in time to the Gold Rush. It's only 3 hours from San Francisco, and they have everything! Like a real working boomtown, I mean. You can pan for gold, ride a stagecoach, and have biscuits and gravy at the old-timey restaurant. I guess it's kinda like Colonial Williamsburg (the whole time warp thing) except I've never been to Colonial Williamsburg. It's a little more than 3 hours away...
I liked this place more than I thought I would. We went with the kids and visited the shops. Things they liked were the candy shop, panning for gold, ice cream, and dipping the candles. We spent about 2-3 hours there.
What a gem this place is! I took my son, who will be in fourth grade and studying California history, here for an educational vacation and ended up learning quite a bit myself along the way. We enjoyed panning for gold, dipping candles, riding in a stagecoach, and bowling the old-fashioned way. Make sure you take a ranger-guided tour! We spent two days here, drinking sarsaparilla and enjoying ourselves, and we still weren't ready to leave.