Discover the Adventure:
Empire Mine State Historic Park

You Won't Find Any Gold Panning in this Gold Mine!

That's because the Empire Mine was a hard rock mine; that means the gold was stuck inside quartz crystals and had to be dug and blasted out of the ground. Not what you normally think of when you hear California Gold Rush, is it?

But actually, Empire is one of the largest, oldest, richest, deepest, and longest- lasting gold mines in California. And it's in an unbelievably beautiful setting!

Share YOUR California Gold Country
Insider Secrets
right here!

If you plan to visit Grass Valley, look for the best hotel prices at HotelsCombined.com before you book:

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Hard Rock Mining

Once the ore has been extracted from the mine, the milling process begins - separating the gold from the worthless mill tailings.

Mining for softer materials like salt, coal, and oil sands on the hand, is called soft rock mining.

To leisurely explore the history-rich and exciting city of Grass Valley, just book your hotel at HotelsCombined.com where you can compare prices from over 100 hotel booking sites:

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Visiting Empire Mine State Historic Park

Plan to spend a good part of your day at this historic park and its gold mine, as there's a lot to see and do!

Start at the Visitors' Center in the old carriage house and stables building.

Find out about the guided tours, living history presentations, and audio-visuals that are offered throughout the day so you can make your plans accordingly.

Be sure to visit the gold mine's Secret Room while you're there. Very few people were aware of its existence during the life of the mine. Also explore the scale model of the mine's inner workings. You'll find a miniature replication of five square miles of underground tunnels and rooms where hundreds of miners spent their days extracting gold from the earth.

The old Mine Office is now a walk-through museum. Many of the
other mining buildings and offices still stand in the mine yard, like the Refinery Room, the Warehouse, the Machine Shop, and the Headframe which supported the track that carried the men, equipment, and rock to and from the mine.

When you've finished at the Mine Yard, stroll the path leading to the other portion of Empire Mine park - where the miners and mine owners lived and played.

I think you'll agree, it's quite the contrast!

Meander the spectacular grounds, exploring the Empire Clubhouse, the Gardeners House and Greenhouse, Bourn Cottage, the ruins of Ophir Cottage - all set amongst stunning gardens and landscaped parks.

Beyond the living quarters, you'll find forested backcountry with
eight miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.

You can see why I advise spending most of the day!

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You might also like to visit these other California Gold Rush Sites. Stay in touch, as we'll be adding more to the list!

• Marshall Gold Discovery SHP in Coloma
  Coloma and Marshall Gold Discovery SHP - the perfect place to learn about the discovery of gold in California, and maybe even find some of your own!
• Old Sacramento
  Lovingly restored and replicated, visit the Sacramento City of 1849!
• Sutter's Fort in Sacramento
  There's nothing like a visit to Sutter's Fort in Sacramento to bring the California Gold Rush days to life!

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Empire Mine