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Fountain & Tallman Museum
(Placerville) / El Dorado County Historical Society owned and operated.
A step into the Fountain & Tallman Museum is a step back in time. Housed at 856 Main Street, Placerville in the 1852 stone Fountain & Tallman Soda Works building, the artifacts on display tell the story of the California Gold Rush and the part Placerville played in the recovery of those huge deposits of GOLD.
El Dorado County Historical Museum
(Placerville)
The El Dorado County Historical Museum opened its doors to the public in 1974 and is supported, in part, by the County of El Dorado. The Museum’s diverse collections and programs focus on the rich history of El Dorado County. It is operated by a Museum Administrator and Volunteers as part of the El Dorado County Library Department.
Hangtow Gold Bug Park & Mine
(Placerville)
Gold Bug Park, located off of Bedford Street, is owned and operated by the City of Placerville (Old Hangtown). The City of Placerville is the only municipality in the state of California to own a gold mine. Today, you can step back in time to the mid 1800’s and experience what it was like to be a miner in the gold rush era. In April 1980, Hangtown’s Gold Bug Park Development Committee, Inc., was formed to clean up, protect and defend the property for public use.
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
(Coloma)
James W. Marshall discovered gold in 1848 on the South Fork of the American River in the valley the Nisenan Indians knew as Cullumah. This event led to the greatest mass movement of people in the Western Hemisphere and was the spark that ignited the spectacular growth of the West during the ensuing decades. The gold discovery site, located in the still visible tailrace of Sutter’s sawmill, in present day Coloma California, is one of the most significant historic sites in the nation.
Historical Museum Alliance
(Golden Chain Highway, State Route 49)
Your Passport to the Museums of the Gold Country Historical Museum Alliance. These museums and historical locations are linked to the Golden Chain Highway (State Route 49) in the Mother Lode that were critical to the California Gold Rush.