Placer County Museum

The museum gallery, which is located in the space that once housed the county jail, provides an overview of Placer County’s history. Some of the highlights include a diorama depicting a Nisenan Indian family, the stagecoach that ran from Auburn to Michigan Bluff, and a video presentation of the history of the transcontinental highway system that runs through the county.

The featured exhibit in the foyer is the Pate Collection of Native American Art. This collection contains artifacts from all over California, the Southwest, the Northwest Coast, Alaska, and the Eastern United States. Also in the foyer is “Auburn Centennial”, a painting by renowned artist Thomas Kinkade.

The Sheriff’s Office has been restored to recreate the early days of the building. With its original furniture back in place, it looks as if Sheriff Elmer Gum will walk in the door at any moment.

The Gold Collection is housed in the lower vault inside the former Treasurer’s Office, and can be viewed by the public everyday from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (except Holidays).

The Women’s Jail is located under the north steps of the Courthouse. Built in 1905, the jail housed women prisoners for nearly 40 years.

Featured Articles

Reconsidering Jimmy Carter

by Kai Bird

Often thought to have been a weak president, Carter was strong-willed in doing what he thought was right, regardless of expediency or the political fallout.

How the Cherry Blossoms Came to Washington

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Rarely has the full story been told how a famed botanist, a pioneering female journalist, and First Lady Helen Taft battled reluctant bureaucrats to bring Japanese cherry trees to Washington.

Bank Failures: As American as Apple Pie

by John Steele Gordon

Why have thousands of U.S. banks failed over the years? The answers are in our history and politics.

“With Malice Toward None”

by Jon Meacham

In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln embodied leading in a time of polarization, political disagreement, and differing understandings of reality.

The Indian World of George Washington

by Colin G. Calloway

Native American peoples and the lands they possessed loomed large for Washington, from his first trips westward as a surveyor to his years as President.

“These Are No Ordinary Times”

by Adam Hochschild

A hundred years ago, America was rocked by riots, repression, and racial violence.

Yellow Fever Stalks the Founders

by Stephen Fried

During Pres. Washington’s first term, an epidemic killed one tenth of all the inhabitants of Philadelphia, then the capital of the young United States.

Upon Starved Rock

by Mark Walczynski

Now a popular state park, the unassuming geological feature along the Illinois River has served as the site of centuries of human habitation and discovery.

Revenge of the Nevada

by Ed Offley

The recent discovery of the hull of the battleship Nevada recalls her dramatic action at Pearl Harbor and ultimate revenge on D-Day as the first ship to fire on the Nazis.

Confederates in Congress: Heritage or Hate?

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Our research reveals that 19 artworks in the U.S. Capitol honor men who were Confederate officers or officials. What many of them said, and did, is truly despicable.

A Special Issue on Presidential Misdeeds

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Here is probably the most wide-ranging look at Presidential misbehavior ever published in a magazine.

Marshall's Secret Preparations for War

by Paul Dickson

When Germany unleashed its blitzkreig in 1939, the U.S. Army was only the 17th largest in the world. FDR and Marshall had to build a fighting force able to take on the Nazis, against the wishes of many in Congress.

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Placer County Museum

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Placer County Museum

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We hope you enjoy our work.

Featured Articles

Location

Hours

Contact

Fees

38.896685, -121.077217