Visit the Gold Rush Town of Columbia CA

Kid Friendly Vacations with Walking Tours, Museums, and Live Theater

Mar 17, 2009 Donna West

While staying at Columbia Historic State Park gold rush town, listen to these miner's fun stories from volunteer docents, ride a stagecoach and even discover gold.

A short day trip from San Francisco, return to the gold rush days and early American history with an enjoyable vacation in Columbia, California. This town was born in March 27, 1850, with the arrival of Dr. Thaddeus Hildreth, with his brother George and a few other prospectors during the Gold Rush Era when mining camps grew quickly, as the Columbia website states. The town is still active with its original buildings, activities and community events available every month throughout the year for the public to experience this living history.

Volunteer docents dressed in period costumes and acting as 1860's townspeople did, make Columbia unique. The docents are given special training to research, develop stories and gain knowledge of this time period to be able to allow visitors to understand the way of life during the 1860's. People may submit applications and will go through a comprehensive training to be able to display accurate stories and activities to visitors.

Gold Rush Activities All Year in Columbia Historic State Park, California

Although there are events going on every month throughout the year, be sure to catch these unique gatherings:

• Gold Rush Days – Takes place every second Saturday each month from 1 – 4 p.m. Columbia comes to life with these volunteer docents dressed in their period costumes showing visitors what happened in the mining town.
• School House Tour – Children are taken into the Columbia School and given a lesson as they would receive in the 1860’s. It is the size of the school house in communities which shows how affluent the town is.
• Candy Cane Making – This event is available from Nov 27 – December 24, people may participate with submitting their applications by lottery before Labor Day to learn the art of making Candy Canes.
• Lamplight Tour – Dec 4 and Dec 5 – This is a fun and well written volunteer docent walking 'play' to discover the stories of this historic town. One year the docents enacted the Twelve Days of a Miner's Christmas. Dress warm, be prepared for rain, as the play goes on in any type of weather.
• A Miner’s Christmas – Dec 12 and 13; Dec 19 and 20 – This is a weekend filled with interactive scene of miners (volunteer docents) recreating their mining camp. They roast chestnuts, plenty of music, 19th century games and crafts through the town.
• Fallon Theater offers live productions year round by Sierra Repertory Theater.

Places to Stay and Restaurants in Columbia, California

A recommendation is to stay at one of the two hotels in this gold rush town to be able to get the complete experience of this era. Be sure to plan the trip in advance and make reservations at the City Hotel and Fallon Hotel. These hotels do have lights and running water and most rooms have half baths like a bed and breakfast hotel would have. The hotels include sitting parlours to relax in and a great place to plan the day's activities.

There are several options in Columbia like the The City Hotel Restaurant for fine dining along with the What Cheer Saloon, and Columbia Kate’s Teahouse. Be sure to save room after meals for ice cream at the Fallon Ice Cream Parlor.

Enjoy early American history at this Columbia Historic State Park, with volunteer docents walking tours, panning for gold and stage coach rides. There are many fun community events to attend through the year.

The copyright of the article Visit the Gold Rush Town of Columbia CA in Historical Travel is owned by Donna West. Permission to republish Visit the Gold Rush Town of Columbia CA in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Stagecoach Rides	A Miner's Christmas	What Cheer Saloon
City Hotel	Columbia Street

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Mar 23, 2009 8:01 AM

Guest :

The gold rush was such an exciting time in americas history! The book "A Pennsylvania Mennonite and the California Gold Rush" is an amazing tale of David Hackman as he searches for his share of gold in California. A lot of his time was spent in Columbia! I got my copy from www.sunburypress.com, but I think you can get it fro amazon as well!

Jan 4, 2010 7:18 AM

Guest :

Not much. Columbia was supposed to have been preserved as a living town, which it was in 1950. The state park system has not preserved it -- they've embalmed it. The museum, which used to have hundreds of Columbia-original items in it now has absolutely none. Park personnel claim great knowledge of town history, but have very little -- they are not too bright. The state park system has absolutely alienated all the local residents -- very stupid, as they could really use their help and knowledge. With a couple of notable exceptions, the businesses are by and large jokes -- just try to get waited on if the clerk is reading the newspaper. Visit Columbia to look at the old buildings in their mummy-wrappings. The town that Governor Earl Warren wanted to preserve as a living town, is DEAD.

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