angels camp museum and carriage house

RustyWater

We been to Angels Camp many times and finally had the time to tour the museum. If you like learning about the gold rush days in the sierra foothills and Mark Twain, this is the place for you. They also have the largest carriage collection in California. The best part of the museum is hearing the history of Angels Camp from the museum volunteers. Learn the types of gold mining that were used in the area and the deep dark secret of Angels Camp. We spent about 2 hours going thru all the exhibits. The waterwheel for the power plant is a work of art. Well worth our time. This is a must stop for History buffs and the $5 entry fee is well worth it.

Bullfrogmom

If you enjoy exploring Gold Rush history, you will enjoy a trip to the local museum. The carriage house is a recent addition and has all kinds of old buggies in it. If you are looking to learn more about local history, this place will not disappoint!

23daveh

This is a true history museum telling the gold rush story and Angles Camp history. Glad we stopped. Great knowledgeable and friendly Docents. I will return on the next trip.

631KarenR631

At Angels Camp, we went to the Museum and Carriage House. What a wonderful trip!! Took almost three hours!! Had an excellent guide! He took us through the gold mining experience! It was a wonderful museum! And the Carriage House...We have never seen so many, many carriages!! We could have stayed longer! What a great place!!

85JohnR85

The staff was friendly. The carriages were great. Some came with interesting stories. The wild blackberries growing along the back fence were sweet and tasty.

keving415

Cannot say enough about this great museum. There are many areas and buildings to explore. Make sure you take the time to talk to the guides and read.Jim was particularly knowledgeable and showed us details of the exhibits that we would not have known just by experiencing on our own.Don't be put off by some of the area being a work in progress. The carriage house in particular is a gem <g> and is complete with a rare water wagon.

launalasdos

We thoroughly enjoyed the museum and carriage house. There are three buildings and several outdoor exhibits to see. Everything is well arranged and interestingly presented. We learned a lot! The docents are extremely knowledgable and love sharing their knowledge! They made our visit an absolute success! Don't miss it!

RodC929

The vast and varied collection will appeal to everyone. The mining artifacts including the giant water wheel gave use a great background to the area miners. The extensive carriage collection included every type of wagon you could imagine. The staff were pleasant and willing to share their time. Too bad we ran out of time as it closes at 4:00. However a great little museum.

JimC160

This city owned and operated museum provides a classic view of life in these hills in the 1840s through the 1930s. A clear description of gold mining operations along with artifacts of life during the same period.A fabulous collection of wagons and carriages that were vital during those years.

CeciliaS495

The Angels Camp museum is a must do if you are visiting the area. The displays are filled with wonderful items that explain the gold era in that region. The display of carriages, and the stories about their owners and their use will take you back in time. Susan was our docent and explained every facet of the gold mine era, she is a wealth of information. We had been in the area for a few days, so my husband had lots of questions that she answered. Be sure to plan enough time to take everything in and enjoy all the docents have to offer, there is so much to see and experience.

daleh

It tells so much of the gold mining story from the 1850s, even the gold extraction process. Also, a good story about Mark Twain's stay there, how the jumping frog event got started and how much fun the area has had with it. The museum has wonderful artifacts, clothing, buggies, cars, old tools. This is a five start experience.

Adventurer2011

Enjoyed learning about Mark Twain and his background. The carriages were very fun to see and imagine traveling through the West

bookwoman54

We spent an afternoon at this museum. It is chalk full of wonderful old carriages, mining equipment, lots of local information on Mark Twain's visit, and the local mining and ranching history. The docents can be talkative, but are locals who know the area well and will regale you with wonderful stories of the characters and equipment that they used. We especially enjoyed the informative story on the funeral wagon and its owner. We learned a great deal in a short time about the mining history and the locals who used the different cars and carriages. The exhibits are, for the most part, well laid out, and mostly well explained. We asked about a couple of the exhibits that seemed to be in some disarray, and our docent was able to ciearly explain the history and the 'why' of the look of the item in question. The horseshoe exhibit is also fascinating- who knew they needed that many types of shoes for horses and oxen?There are picnic tables scattered about under big shade trees. Take an afternoon, but call first to make sure they are open!

TravBugs0321

We wandered into the museum thinking it was just a small exhibit, and we'd be in and out in 30 mins. This place is huge...there are buildings behind the main museum. We could have spent an entire day there talking with the staff. If you're interested in the history of a California gold mining town, this place is not-to-miss.

pacuarecholo

Very inexpensive introduction to the motherlode area and particularly the connection of Angels Camp to Mark Twain (Samuel Clemmons) and the early gold rush history of the area. Well presented exhibits and extensive collection of 18th Century and early 19th Century artifacts. Very educational and interesting. Not crowded and one can proceed at their own pace. Spend as much or as little time as desired